need to raise pH for softener to work?

[johnnymac]

still looking for input on my last post but wanted to know if i need to raise my pH ( at 6.6) before the water softener in order for it to remove very high iron & Manganese. water is very hard but no chlorine. if i do, is calcite the best option & what size ?
john

[samdog]

Yes, it is important to install an Acid Neutralizer upstream of the softener in order to make the softener function optimally.

Ferrous iron (dissolved, clear) is oxygenated by the neutralizer's calcite into ferric iron floc, which can then be filtered by the softener media. Otherwise dissolved ferrous iron tends to pass right through, where it becomes oxygenated by air contact and visible in your toilets and such.

For high iron content use a calcite/corosex mixture of about 5/1 or 4/1 in the neutralizer. Ask local water guys what mixture works in your area. Look for one of the neutralizer sizing programs on line.

For the softener; use quality salt and pour a half cup of Iron Out dissolved in water into the brine tank before regeneration.

Get a pH test kit and TDS meter so you can measure what your success.

[Andy CWS]

Ferrous iron (dissolved, clear) is oxygenated by the neutralizer's calcite into ferric iron floc, which can then be filtered by the softener media. Otherwise dissolved ferrous iron tends to pass right through, where it becomes oxygenated by air contact and visible in your toilets and such.

Are you sure about this? ...a softener will remove ferric iron and ferrous iron will pass through? Could you clarify that, please.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[samdog]

Yes, the ion exchange water softener can remove small amounts of ferrous iron. How much depends on the quality, size and type of bed resin. But this isn't the softener's primary purpose and it can quickly be restricted by iron build-up.

The softener's iron performance can be optimized with an upstream calcium carbonate neutralizer, which aids in precipitating ferrous iron and mechanically filtering both that and ferric iron floc, thus protecting the softener from some of it.

Of course the calcite must be dumped periodically, but it's cheaper and easier than fixing a clogged ion exchanger.

A sediment filter ahead of the neutralizer also aids greatly in capturing ferric iron.

[Gary Slusser]

He didn't say he had any ferric iron.

At 6.6 pH I would not suggest an AN filter. And I wouldn't use a prefilter in fornt of a backwashed AN filter and I wouldn't sell an upflow AN filter becasue they need a prefilter.

With special resin and a Turbulator I use softeners alone for up to 13 ppm of ferrous iron.

[Andy CWS]

Ferrous iron (dissolved, clear) is oxygenated by the neutralizer's calcite into ferric iron floc, which can then be filtered by the softener media.

Maybe I am confused. Is he not commenting that ferric iron is formed, here?

[Gary Slusser]

Where do you see he has ferric iron in his water?

The ferric iron created by increasing the pH in the AN filter is backwashed out of that filter so it doesn't get into the softener.