Water Filter system for well.

[Sysop]

Just curious as to what folk are doing for filtration on their well water and how much they have invested in their systems. I have pretty decent water where I live, but it could be better. I've been shopping the world of filtration and there is a lot to it. I've had a water test done and am narrowing in on a system, but just wanted to find out what others have installed and the associated costs.

Thanks!

 

[KiotiKowboy]

I'll be building soon and be on well water. The sulfur smell is enough to curl your hair - lol. I suspect, at a minimum, I'll be filtering for iron/sulfur/sediment, then running through a UV system into a pressurized storage tank. Prices for all this can run from $3K to whatever your wallet can bear. Personally, I would never consider using well water without UV.

 

[jimpen]

This is a story I was told a few years ago. NASA came up with a filter that remove every single other than H2O from water. They ran this through the ground test capsules. They found that the absolutely pure water would corrupt and corrode every single material from steel, copper, and any type of plastic. Once they added a little salt or other chemical the issue went away. So you may want to take a look at that in the process.

 

[Sysop]

I'll be building soon and be on well water. The sulfur smell is enough to curl your hair - lol. I suspect, at a minimum, I'll be filtering for iron/sulfur/sediment, then running through a UV system into a pressurized storage tank. Prices for all this can run from $3K to whatever your wallet can bear. Personally, I would never consider using well water without UV.

From my understanding there isn't a standalone filter that does iron and sulfur. You need a chlorination cycle with a retention vessel that will oxidize the water to a specific level for a specific amount of time (level and time determined by your contamination levels and average water temps in your retention vessel). The oxidation/chlorination process will separate and solidify the sulfur and iron so it can be filtered out.

The plan I have laid out on my system so far is: submersed pump to pressure tank to chlorinator to retention vessel to filtration to conditioner to house. So far I have the pump and pressure tank installed. I'll also be running a reverse osmosis system at the kitchen tap for drinking water and cooking (that contains the UV).

Do you have an approximate cost for your system worked up yet?

This is a story I was told a few years ago. NASA came up with a filter that remove every single other than H2O from water. They ran this through the ground test capsules. They found that the absolutely pure water would corrupt and corrode every single material from steel, copper, and any type of plastic. Once they added a little salt or other chemical the issue went away. So you may want to take a look at that in the process.

I think that filter (or filtration process) is what has helped fuel the growth of reverse osmosis systems. Good RO systems filter water into what is called "the Dalton scale". RO systems can remove contaminants as small as one atom. There are only a few types of plastic that can carry and store this type of water (I think they were specifically designed for this purpose). It is also known as "demineralized water".

 

[KiotiKowboy]

Here is just one site for filtration gear. I have no plans to use chemicals in my filtration.

Water Problems Treatment & Solutions - We can improve your water quality with purification systems and softeners

 

[Sysop]

From what experiences I've seen, I honestly don't think there is much way of doing a truly chlorine free system that will run long term. The activated charcoal filters some of my neighbors have had, advertised iron sulfur and manganese removal with just an electrical connection to run a timer for the backwash cycle, but ended up being clogged with bacteria growth. One of the closest neighbors had one that was supposed to be good for 3 years and was ruined in 3 months and the manufacturer claimed the levels had increased since the water test or the backwash cycles weren't happening frequent enough. Either way they opted out of providing warranty for it and she was left to buy a new system from another vendor. I've also heard more bad about most things than good, which is why I'm nervous about the investment and thought I'd reach out here and see what everyone else was doing and their associated costs in doing it.

 

[schmism]

standard sand filter for a pool for iron. water softener and carbon filter for after treatment. RO filter for drinking water.

 

[mrmikey]

All I've got on mine is a 20 micron 75 gpm filter that the water goes thru first for the big limps lol then to a smaller 5 micron filter with an UV light, serves me well so far and I don't have to change the filter every month, the big ones got the volume and the coarse filter, the smaller takes out the fines. Sulphur smell, I do have it but not bad enough to spend thousands of dollars to get rid of it...Mike

 

[wjmst]

What type of system depends on the type of water you have. I have a simple carbon filter from water to filter out the sediment (5 micro). I also recently installed a soda ash injection system to increase the ph of the water.

My parents have totally orange water from the well. It runs through a water softener and cleans it up nice. Destroys the water softener in about three years, but it works.

 

[Deere Dude]

My last two homes had wells and the water tasted pretty good. I just wanted the sediment out, which there wasn't much anyway.
I just ran the 1" pipe that came into the house and hooked up two $40 whole house filters in series.

I put 5 micron filters in both and changed them once a year. For all the toilets and sinks and dishwasher I branched off after the filter with a water softener, but any hard water was run through the filters.

I decided to change both filters once a year even though the second filter didn't much for sediments in it.
I liked the taste of the minerals in the water and didn't like the bland taste of fully purified water just as much as I don't care for bottled water.
The filter elements cost only $20 a year to replace.

If I have a good well and like the taste, that is what I would do again.