Well water - clogged screens on faucets and hot water heater

Alan L. · Mar 26, 2013

The last few years it seems all the faucets are getting plugged up and the inlet screen on the tankless water heater gets clogged up in just 3 or 4 weeks and I am constantly having to clean them. The washing machine gets to where no water will flow into it. I have to pull the hoses off and clean the input screens quite often. What I clean out of the filters is white, almost like cotton or cotton thread. The water is pretty soft and otherwise is fine.

I really don't want the expense of a whole house filter, but would like some kind of pre screen for the whole house, so all I have to do is clean that out and not everything else in the house. I see where you can get #140 mesh inline filters with 1.5" inlets for only about $60 and they claim anywere from 25 to 60 gpm. I am willing to invest more than that for a whole house solution, but really don't need the filter to take out microbles or anything really small.

Any ideas?

dstig1 · Mar 27, 2013

Whole house filters are cheap, especially if you are handy enough to install it yourself. There are different levels of filter efficiencies. so just pick a lower level one.

troutsqueezer · Mar 27, 2013

I think you answered your own question. I use a mesh filter for both inside and outside along with a sediment filter for inside only. So inside water runs thru two filters, one metal mesh in series with a paper/charcoal version (for finer filtration).

T Dew · Mar 27, 2013

I had a new well drilled for my garage and apartment above the garage about 9 months ago, and the sediment still hasn't totally settled in it. It does not get enough frequent use, so I have the same problem you have. I installed a cheap, whole house filter, and it made all the difference. I have to change the filter more often than I would like, but it keeps most everything out of the washer, heater, and upstairs fixtures. The sky is the limit on what you can spend, but for $50 bucks give or take you should be able to get something that will do the trick. Popping out a $2 or $3 dollar filter every few months is a lot easier than cleaning all of those screens.

WayneB · Mar 27, 2013

Like you we had problems in the past with our dug well so I went ahead and installed two filters in line with our cold water system, prior to the On Demand Hot Water unit. First filter is a sediment filter that is 5 micron variety.
From there it goes to a carbon filter that is mainly for taste as it removes them and the water taste great, from there it goes into a UV lamp to kill as much bacteria as possible.

I think you can find the filter housing at Home Depot or Lowe's and they also carry the replacement filters. I would suggest that you buy the ones that have a shut-off built in as it makes changing the filters fairly easy. Figuring out when to change the filters is your next step and all I do is when I notice the pressure going down at the tap I know it is time to change the filters. I normally change both at the same time, but you might find you only have to change the sediment and then change the carbon one maybe every second or third change cycle. I only say this as I do not know the condition of your water. You could go one step further and add a flow meter on the piping coming out of the final filter and as the pressure drops you will know it is time to change the filters.

I have been buying filters and UV lamps on line as they are cheaper that way and if I order enough in advance then I am ready when things go south on us.

I stuck with the surface well for all these years because the water quality is good and not as much iron in it as all of the people around us that elected to drill wells. Most are down more than 400 feet and at todays drilling cost that isn't cheap either. We end up watching the water usage during the summer months though.

I buy allot of the stuff form Ohio Pure Water Water purification, replacement filter cartridge, iron removal system, Fleck control valve

Way back when I purchased our Sterilight Ultraviolet Disinfection system from them and just stuck with them as they have always treated us fairly.

You can also find most of the sediment filter housings and filter elements on line at places like Ebay.

Just my two cents

Wayne

Here are a few pictures of the system that we installed at our summer home (camp) I made it easy to blow out for winterization by adding several cut-offs, a few purge fittings and what have you.
I got carried away with all of the fittings, but felt if I had to change out a filter housing I would not have to cut the pipes, plus I had most of the fittings already so it was a zero cost for me.

sal64 · Mar 27, 2013

hello i had the same prob this is what i bought you put it in the main cold water line comming from your tank you can install it with shark bite fittting so you dont have to sweat any pipes.mcmaster-carr polypropylene t-strainer part# 98775k46 .

dmccarty · Mar 27, 2013

We have high mineral content in our water and we have plugging issues as well. I have thought about a whole house filter and I think it is the best answer.

For those with a filter, did you see a loss in pressure when the filter is clean? I am worried that the filter will cause a pressure drop even when it is new.

Later,
Dan

sal64 · Mar 27, 2013

yes i tried a hole house filter first. it made my pressure drop to much so i switched to the t-strainer,it workes very well i clean it about twice a yr.

Soundguy · Mar 27, 2013

right off the feed line of my well i have a sediment filter.. it is washable. every 6 month i unscrew it.. wash the container cavity and the screen, put some faucet greas on the oring and screw back in...