Ye ole well water stank

[YesDeere]

Probably been discussed before. But I'm looking for some opinions from people that have been there and done that.

The well is just shy of 25 years old. The water is traditionally full of iron and generally not great. I have an in line 20" water filter then it goes to the water doctor treatment with salt and 2 tanks. This is usually fine. But lately I have been struggling with the smell. Possibly due to the wettest summer since I have lived there (9years). My filter now is getting black and smells. What research I have some points to manganese. Why now? Was always red/brown with iron before.

I have shocked the well several times before and just recently with bleach. Usually take the lid off, put bleach in and let it circulate for 6 or so hours. After I bypassed my treatment system of course. Then let it run off until I detect no bleach. Worked great in the past, now not so much.

I used to go for 3-6 months between filter changes. Now it's 3-4 weeks. Any input would be great, thanks in advance!

 

[rekees4300]

What research I have some points to manganese.

It's inexpensive to have your water tested to determine what's in it. There are websites that sell kits that are used to send in water samples for testing. We had a manganese problem from our pond water. After washing clothes they had visible black stains. Toilets also had heavy black stains. We installed a water softener and that solved the problem.

 

[YesDeere]

I bought a kit and I will try it. I am still wondering why it is happening now out of the blue. My filters have never been black until may or so.

 

[Bill 55]

My well did that after a really dry summer. My problem was sulpher. I had it cleaned a couple of times before we moved. They pulled the jet and dumped muratic acid in and then bailed it dry. It would then be good for a couple of years. Nobody in that area had good water. Lots of it just was not fit to drink

 

[oliver2255]

midwest labs is the best place to have it tested.. i would refrain from drinking because it might be nitrogen problem. and a reverse osmosis system might be good also.. also if you are going to have it tested. before you do it go to an outside water hydrent and take either a butane torch or acytiline torch and flame the hydrent end and inside to prevent contamination from outside germs and then you are getting the cleanest sample you can.

 

[eddie48]

We have had good luck with a simple aeration system that injects air into the water as it is pumped and then runs it through a sand filter. Oxidizes the Iron sulfide (or sulfite or something like that) and turns it into rust which is trapped in the filter. Then the filter backflushes automatically once in a while. Haven't had any mineral or smell problems since we installed it. You do need to test, first. Different minerals need different kinds of sand.

 

[YesDeere]

I just went to the water doctor today and picked up some more filters. The system I have is mainly for iron. When it was setup we had no sulfur problem here. So the aeration wasn't added. It another $1000 if I want to add it now.

They also said changing filters shouldn't make it smell better. But it does. I am going to just have them test it I think. I really hate to put any money in this. It's 10 years old and life expectancy is 15-18 according to them. I want to build here next year so I was going to replace it all.

Here's a pic of new and old filter. Pretty rough. That's 3 weeks.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

 

[teejk]

Get it tested!!! Something isn't right there for that filter to be that black (can I say black anymore???) in 3 weeks. We live in a high iron area and my filters are bright orange after about 3 months.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I don't have much more to offer to help your situation, other than no filter should look like that after 3 weeks, you have something else going on. I am going to ask something disgusting based on the color, is there any chance your water is close to someones septic / leach?

On a personal, yet very disgusting story. We bought our house, the water flowed poorly and was full of iron and smelled. 3 days into having moved in, up shows the Sherrif. He informs us that it is beleived someone is buried on the property. We take it in stride.

Well, two months down the road, the neighbors make an appearance. We talk about all things, including the previous owner who was a bad dude. They tell us that the had killed his partner, and shoved body parts down the well. My wife begins to heave, and I stare blankly at the neighbors. In about 30 seconds I recover and am able to explain to both my wife and my neighbors it is not possible, the well head is only 1.25" pipe, and the hole is maybe 4" max. Unless he of course ground the guy up.

It was just the lack of use, and the usual debris falling in. A bit of pool shock and a day of bottled water and we were back to normal.

 

[teejk]

Heavy rains where livestock are near could be coliform (been there/done that...it turned the toilets black in a short amount of time). We dealt with it not knowing until we sold the house and had the water tested. Simple water testing should pinpoint it.