When we bought our Central Ohio farm a year ago, it had a drilled well at least 60 years old with the pump, pressure tank and associated mechanics in a below-ground pit. From there, a 200-foot+ line went to the house, where it went through a 12-year-old Culligan water softener. Iron staining and flavor were the problem with the water output from the Culligan unit. To his credit, the local Culligan repairman said there was no reason to replace it. He tested the untreated water for iron, said it was within the capability of the softener, serviced it, advised the use of Iron Out, and that was it.
Except for the iron flavor and the iron content, which remained noticeable and unacceptable. I had previously tried "shocking" the well with chlorine, but after a couple of weeks of improvement, prior conditions returned.
The obvious solution was to install a sophisticated iron filter before the softener. But that required the pressure tank to be nearby, in the basement, and the well was too far away for that. Also, major changes would have required bringing the old well up to code by raising its mechanics to ground level.
It proved more cost-effective to have a new well drilled near the house, which we did. That water tested negative for bacteria but not surprisingly had a good slug of iron, like all the water in this area.
Once the new line was in the house, the driller hooked it first to a sediment filter which, to my surprise, hasn't had to do much work in spite of the sandy shale in which the new pump is sitting.
From there, it goes to the pressure tank, and then to a Provectr AF-10P, a two-tank system for removal of iron (and manganese and sulfur) from the water. First piece is a venturi/nozzle that oxygenates the water. That's said to convert dissolved into suspended solids that can be filtered out more easily. (It also requires good pressure, which is why this tyhpe of iron filtering system must be near the pressure tank.) Next, it goes to the aerator/precipitator tank, at the bottom of which are "plastic aeration orbs that become coated with contaminants that have been separated from the water through the oxidation process" and "which help solidify unoxidized contaminants," according to the brochure. From the bottom of that tank, the water, with a lot of what would otherwise be undissolved contaminants now in particulate form, goes to the filter tank, where a blend of media filters contaminants (most notably the physical particles produced by the oxidation process) and raises the pH of the filtered water.
The big question always: maintenance. This system backwashes automatically. The manual suggests checking the pH neutralizer portion of the media twice a year, and also gives instructions about putting chlorine through the system when it needs to be cleaned. The driller suggests simply inserting chlorine via the sediment filter housing.
The treated water from the iron filter goes to a two-tank, demand-regeneration water softener.
I had the driller put in a T fitting between the iron filter and the softener, so I will be able to tap off drinking water that will still have calcium and magnesium in it.
As far as I was able to tell from my research, this kind of system is as close to automatic and maintenance-free as they get. The downside: an iron filter of this sophistication costs virtually the same as a top-quality water softener; each is about $1000. But in addition to the convenience factor, it will greatly extend the life of the beads and mechanics in the softener, which no longer has to deal with high levels of iron and manganese and sulfur.
In our case, we saved a fair amount on labor by having it installed at the same time as the new well. Speaking of which, I would strongly recommend that a "hydrant" be installed there for less than $100. It's great for accessing untreated well water for gardening, watering, etc.
