Feric Iron in Water

[ROMANORA]

I have an Ironsoft water softner that takes out the ferrous iron from my water. After about 6 months, I noticed our white clothes turning brown. I had tje water tested and was told that I have ferric iron in my water. I was sold another softner that had a KX MATRIKX + CTO/2 Carbon Block filter on it. (The Workhorse 10" Big Blue filter) The material from the manufacture say this filter should be changed every 6 months to a year depending on water quality. After about 4 weeks of use with a new filter, my water pressure drops to zero, and I have very little water coming through the system. I have been changing this filter every month. My well is 600' ft deep and gives me 3 GPM. I put in a new 86 gal pressure tank to ease the burden on my well pump. I am still having problems with the system and last night the water stopped running. I had to remove the filter so I would have water. ANy suggestions on how to solve my problem?

[Gary Slusser]

A carbon block is a very bad choice when wanting to remove ferric iron; or any other type 'dirt'. They block up way too frequently, as you see.

If your water is visibly clear, there is little to no ferric iron in your water. There can be any amount of ferrous iron in it and usually softeners can not remove more than 5 ppm consistently without causing them problems.

I think you were sold a new softener when you didn't need a new one. And then you were sold this carbon block filter which is misapplied. So get a water analysis done at a lab or do your own testing by buying a DIY test kit for iron, hardness and pH at least. And then post the results.

[Andy CWS]

I have an Ironsoft water softner that takes out the ferrous iron from my water. After about 6 months, I noticed our white clothes turning brown. I had tje water tested and was told that I have ferric iron in my water. I was sold another softner that had a KX MATRIKX + CTO/2 Carbon Block filter on it. (The Workhorse 10" Big Blue filter) The material from the manufacture say this filter should be changed every 6 months to a year depending on water quality. After about 4 weeks of use with a new filter, my water pressure drops to zero, and I have very little water coming through the system. I have been changing this filter every month. My well is 600' ft deep and gives me 3 GPM. I put in a new 86 gal pressure tank to ease the burden on my well pump. I am still having problems with the system and last night the water stopped running. I had to remove the filter so I would have water. ANy suggestions on how to solve my problem?

A few questions first: Waht are your water test results? What size is the softener? What make and type (demand / timer) is the valve?

Any filtering system must have adeqaute flow and be properly applied. I don't recommend carbon block filters on well water appliactions due, in part, to their small pore sizes. There are other reasons why this is not a good idea, too.

Eventually, the resin will become fouled and the softener starts to die. The guy who came to your home should have understood the circumstances by personally testing more than just hardness and iron, if that's all he did.

How did you calculate the flow rate? Was this through the system or at the well? 3GPM is very slow and most backwashing equipment will require more to work effectively. Yes, a larger pressure tank might help until the pump kicks in and then you are starved for flow.

Try changing the carbon block with a 20-micron pleated filter (some are reusable) and add a little resin cleaner to the brine drum.

If you are still with us, let us know what you have done to solve the problem.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II