Thursday, November 21, 2013

I Have Acidic Water AND High Levels of Iron!

Hello,

I'm looking for an iron filter that I can use with water pH of 6. I already have spin-down and sediment filters.

Thanks,

Jeremiah M.

Jeremiah, 

There are a couple of different options that would suit your application.  One is to use a Terminator Plus iron filter, which uses an air injector venturi (a constricted tube that creates a vaccuum to introduce liquids or gases to a flowing water stream) and has a mixed bed comprised of gravel, calcite, and Birm filter media that will neutralize your water before filtration.


These systems don't use a top fill plug, so you'll have to remove the control valve when you want to add more media, though this isn't terribly hard.  Another drawback is that the air injector venturi can cause pressure loss and become fouled by iron over time; you'll have to perform some routine maintenance to keep the system in peak operating condition.  The diagram below illustrates a typical air injection system installation:

Click to enlarge
A more powerful system that will be more effective at removing iron and require less maintenance is the Birm blend iron filter with Maxi-Vent air compressor.  These iron filter systems address the problems of the Terminator Plus filters, as they do have a top fill plug plus a separate air compressor tank instead of a venturi air injector.  See the diagram below for an illustration of a typical Maxi-Vent installation:
Click to enlarge
If you don't mind injecting your water with chemicals, you might also consider using a chlorine injector or soda ash feeder to oxidize your water instead of an air injector or compressor.  This configuration would be best served by a carbon filter at the end to remove the chlorine from your water.  

If possible, it is beneficial to use a separate calcite neutralizer instead of a Birm blend, as it would only require adding new calcite every 12-18 months, instead of every 4-6 months.  But if you want just one system to take care of your iron and acidity, we recommend the Birm blend iron filter with a Maxi-Vent air compressor.

Any one of the treatment methods mentioned here should solve your problem.  We hope this information will help you make the right choice for your application.  If you have any further questions or comments, please e-mail us at support@cleanwaterstore.com, leave a comment on our Facebook, or use our online contact form.  Thanks for the letter!