Well water has super-fine sediment

[jrsavoie]

years ago - on a different well - we had an iron filter with an aerator. must not have been very good quality. wE KEPT GETTING A LOT OF AIR IN OUR LINES. Our neighbor - a few miles down the road has or had a hydrogen Peroxide system

 

[DieselBound]

Any "good" system can be made bad if someone doesn't spec it out properly. With water treatment systems this is likely quite rampant as way too many people fail to properly assess the water's makeup to start with: "The major cause of problems are solutions." - Eric Sevareid

H2O2 is an excellent oxidizer. I use it: it's also necessary as a biocide, though it's less effective than other biocides (which is why a contact tank is necessary).

 

[Redlands Okie]

That daughter on the end of the municipal water line needs to have them flush the line out. And it needs to be done on a regular schedule. Then she needs to flush her lines out by running several faucets in the home and yard.

The government has strict rules on the water requirements and its likely that the local utility is not properly maintaining that line. Flushing lines out that do not have enough water use is pretty standard.

 

[jrsavoie]

That daughter on the end of the municipal water line needs to have them flush the line out. And it needs to be done on a regular schedule. Then she needs to flush her lines out by running several faucets in the home and yard.

The government has strict rules on the water requirements and its likely that the local utility is not properly maintaining that line. Flushing lines out that do not have enough water use is pretty standard.

Not quite sure who to get a hold of. She's been there fore about 15 years.

Nothings been done and we contacted what we thought was as many people as possible. Just gave up after a while

 

[HillStreet]

I have learned over the years to really get involved in the water treatment process by asking questions. One house I had did have a water filter installed ($2500) and it failed. After two months everything including laundry was stained. Second house was in Maine, and you would think Polar Spring, right? Not so, every evil thing was in my water. Installer put in a $6600 system which worked a little but still had some staining but the radon was gone. Third house is fine but water pressure lessened after install. Will increase and be good after that. Get a comprehensive test (here its $150) so you know what you are trying to fix.

One guy came to the house once to evaluate the water situation. He said he will not request certain tests because “sometimes you’re better off not knowing” ———— From a water filter contractor.

 

[jrsavoie]

We had a very fine particles in our water. Most filters would be clogged within a few days.
Under advice I installed a swimming pool filter (had to make adapters to match 3/4" plumbing) and that solved our problem.
The pool filter uses a fine mesh set into a plastic tube.
Generally I can go 3-4 months B4 needing to clean out the particles. Low pressure generally is my indicator.
I contemplated creating a 'back flush' setup but since it is only a 3-4 month event I opted not to.
I do keep a plastic bristle 'bottle brush' nearby to clean out the filter.
Naturally I installed shut off valves B4 and after the filter for easy access. Also a bleed off valve on the bottom of the filter housing.
Works great going on 20 years now.
Also have some 1/2 dz client/neighbors set up the same way.

Can you give me more details on this? Maybe a picture or 2?
Thanks

 

[jrsavoie]

Somewhere along the line, somebody asked for the dimensions of the Well Tamer - 2 tank backwashing filter - and a valve number. I posted the timer number before. I think the valve is GE osmonics Model# 263/440 iHV WO#4250539 Serial# 263335033314

both tanks are 44" tall. The larger tank with the timer is 10" diameter the smaller tank is 7" diameter

I still haven't had any water testing done.

I did talk to a good water guy - In California. Recommended by a good water company in Minnesota.

He recommended a backwashing 1 1/2 micron mechanical backwashing filter - Something I was looking into, but could not find a big enough unit.

Than an iron aeration filter - then on to my filter bank.

There was a little more to it than that - but that is a start.

 

[DieselBound]

Make sure your well pump wasn't set too close to the bottom of your well.

I'd sure get a well inspection and a water analysis done to find out what this stuff is.

People ought to pay heed to the above advice.

If you don't properly set a pump you'll get excessive amounts of sediment.

One way to try and resolve is to pump the heck out of it. Perhaps frack it, trying to open up different channels.

Settling tank might be the last, and only, recourse.

Tossing solutions at a problem without knowing exactly what's going on, however, is never the right way to resolve the problem.

Water test can provide turbidity numbers. Data/info is essential.

 

[oosik]

I can expand on my situation here. My "well" is a spring. It was found & established as a water supply in 1893 along with the homestead. We had this spring upgraded when we move here in 1982. Dug out with an extend-a-hoe and lined with 4' diameter, perforated, concrete rings. Area around the very bottom ring was backfilled with screened quarter inch gravel. Topped with a standard concrete reduced top and industrial grade fiberglass lid. Ground surface to the bottom of the spring is 18 feet. The water stands six feet deep in the spring.

Prior to being put into use we surged/purged the spring for four days - continuously. Six inch trash pump - pumping ~ 500 gpm. Made a surge tool - much like a toilet plunger. Long 2x4 with 12"x12" chunk of plywood nailed on the bottom. Every hour for about five minutes - plunge, plunge, plunge. Stir it up so the trash pump could pump it out.

After four days of continuous pumping & plunging - called it good.

BTW - the spring is massive. After four days of pumping - 96 continuous hours - water level had not dropped even a quarter of an inch.

After 38 years of use there is a quarter inch layer of silt in the toilet tank.

Suggestion - have a reputable well driller or engineer look at your situation. I might be helpful to have your well surged. It could pull out all the silt and leave material( heavy sand or gravel ) that would not be pulled into the water system.

 

[DieselBound]

I used a large (rented, trailer mounted) air compressor and blew out my 38' deep well (it had been unused/abandoned for about 10 years before I bought the place; and, the well head had been left OPEN!).

My well screen, according to records, is 6" x 3' (stainless). I believe I set the pump up above that by a couple feet: the bottom of the pump is at the 33' mark. A mistake that some people make is to have the pump set too low, down in the screen area, which tends to stir crap up because of the turbulence: I "think" that it's most extreme at pump start-ups. Another problem in this scenario is that it eats up pumps faster.

I'm lucky to have plentiful water (kind of hard not to with all the rain here!). There's a fish hatchery up the road. Their well is rated at 750 gpm.

Water supply and quality is important. Unless someone knows what they're doing (I have hundreds of hours in my personal learning) it's best to utilize professionals (for some testing and or operations it's nearly essential).