Can I Use Calcite to Neutralize the pH of Acidic Rainwater?

Hello,

We live in a remote part of Alaska.  Our rainwater in our cistern has a natural ph of about 5.1.  This is causing copper to leach into our water.  Testing shows it to have 1.7 mg/L in the cold water, and 5.5 mg/L in the hot water.  We are a family of 4 and use little water.  We have a composting toilet, that doesn't use water and we live off grid, with solar power and a generator.  We need a system to raise the ph to neutral.

Thanks,

Sean N.

Sean,

A calcite blend neutralizer will fix your problem.  We have helped many customers on rainwater with the same problem, and this always fixes it.  For your application we recommend a manual backwash calcite blend neutralizer, which will allow you to avoid running unnecessary backwash cycles, saving energy, water, and money.  

Using Alum and MangOX to Remove Turbidity

Hello,

I have turbidity in my well water. I saw one of your articles using Alum injector and a mangox filter. Is this a good solution? Test from the well driller was 1.85 for turbidity.

Thanks,
Dan K.


Hello Dan,

Yes, an alum injector and MangOX filter will remove turbidity from your water very well, though we recommend using a sediment backwash filter instead, unless your water also contains iron and manganese.  

What Are the Potential Problems with Using a Calcite Only Acid Neutralizer?

Dear Merchant,

What are the potential problems with using a calcite only acid neutralizer for my well water.  Here are the current specs:

pH - 6.2

Hardness - 148 mg/L

Total Dissolved Solids - 388 mg/L

Thanks,

John S.

John,

Alkalinity, pH, total hardness, and total dissolved solids all play a role in whether water will be corrosive to pipes, or form scale deposits in pipes.  The goal is to have neutral pH water with little or no scale formation, and no corrosion.

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.

What About Salt-Less Water Conditioners?

Hello,

We are experiencing sulfur odor in both our hot and cold water.  I chlorinated the well a week ago and it cleared up the odor until today when it has returned.

I am looking to treat the water for rotten-egg odor and hardness with low yearly maintenance requirements.   My well output is 6 GPM.  What are the options for removing the sulfur odor and hardness?  What about a saltless water softener?  Is this a good solution or is the water too hard?

Thanks,

Britton B.

How To Replace Culligan Air Compressor Iron Filter System

Hello,

I'm replacing a 20 yr old Culligan Iron Tank compressor air injected.  Probably will replace old softener but would rather not use one. Know I need to also raise the ph with neutralizer.  We notice the pre-filter cartridge turns black quickly.  Our average daily usage is about 150 gallons of water.  Water has metallic taste without water softener in service.  

Thank you,

Jon P.

Should I Install a Neutralizer Before or After an Iron Filter?

Hello,

We are looking at adding a neutralizer to our current water system. We have a private well which feeds a pressure tank. After that we have an iron curtain to remove the iron and then a water softener. Where in this configuration does the neutralizer go? 

Thanks,

Donald E.


Donald,

The neutralizer should be installed before your iron filter and water softener.  Here is a diagram that illustrates how such an installation might look:

Can I Install a Chlorinator in My House?

Hello, 

I am on a community water system and want to chlorinate the water as it enters my home. I cannot access the well or well pump, so I need a system that would operate by a flow switch, is that correct?

Phil P.

Tulsa, OK

Phil,

What you need is a proportional feed chlorinator.  A proportional-feed system allows the chlorinator to be installed after the well pressure tank, for instance on the pipe leading to your house, and would be very easy to install and operate.

How to Filter Water After It Has Been Chlorinated

Hello,

I recently moved into a new house that has a chlorination system already installed.  Should I continue using it? Is it an effective method of killing bacteria in my water?  And how can I remove the chlorine after chlorination, so that I don't taste and smell it in my water?

Thanks,

Arlene P.


Arlene,

This is a good question.  Chlorination can be a very effective treatment method for bacteria and odors, and a good pre-treatment for filtering iron and manganese particles.  However, chlorination can cause problems for users on septic tanks, as the chlorine will kill the bacteria in the tank and cause the system to back up.  Besides septic tank users, many people are simply turned off by the idea of bathing in and drinking chlorinated water.  Fortunately, filtering chlorine from your water is as easy as installing a carbon filter after your chlorinator.

Can I Use a Salt-Free Conditioner to Protect My RO Membrane?

How effective is the salt free system at protecting from fouling or scaling of RO membranes?  [My water has] TDS of ~950 and hardness 12 gpg.  Can this be used instead of an anti-scalant injection system to protect RO membranes from premature failure? I really don't want to use a water softener in front of the RO system. I am looking for alternatives if they are not a compromise. Thank you very much!!

Brian D.
St. Louis, MO

Treatment for New Wells

Hello,

I have a newly driiled well that has not been connected to the house system yet. It is drilled through solid limestone to a pocket approx 150' deep. I have pumped it for 20+ hours and have plenty of water but it still has some disolved mud. It was tested and the iron is 2.8/million, hardness is 23 grms/ gal and PH is 6.8. What should I use to treat the water?

Neal H.


Neal,

Thanks for contacting us.  It's very common for water from a new well to contain a lot of drilling mud and sediment at first.  For your application we recommend

How Can I Determine My Well Pump's Flow Rate?

Today's post isn't a reply to a reader letter, but a short guide intended to answer a question that we often get from well water users: "How can I determine my well pump's flow rate?"

Knowing your well pump's flow rate is crucial when purchasing or installing water treatment systems, as they come in many different sizes and will have different operating requirements based on your flow rate.

How to Make Cloudy Water Clear Without Chemicals

Gerry,

We moved into a new construction home in March and have been dealing with cloudy water ever since. We had culligan come out and they said it was very fine clay sediment. (we have a water softener through them)The only solution they had was adding something to the water to make the particles bigger and easier to trap with filter. I really don't like the idea of adding something to our water. We have a big blue filter and I buy the .5 micron filters, change it weekly and the water is still rarely clear. I hate giving my kids baths in that cloudy water...I feel like we aren't really getting clean because we are bathing in dirt. Please help! Do you know of a solution?

Thanks,

Carol
Springfield, MO

What is the Difference Between Fine Mesh Resin and Standard Resin?

Hello,

I’m getting ready to order my water softener from you, but just had another question. Should I get standard or fine mesh resin with my softener? My iron is 2.6ppm and wasn’t sure which way to go.

Thanks!

Cody

Cody,

Generally we recommend an iron filter for iron removal, but if your iron is ferric (rusted) and not ferrous (clear) and your water's pH is around 7.0, you can use fine mesh resin in your softener.  The difference is that fine mesh resin will be a bit more effective at removing iron than regular resin. 

The Skinny on Pipe Sizes

Dear sir,

I see that water treatment systems come with different size pipe connectors, such as ¾”, 1”, 1-1/4” etc.  I have no idea what size our pipes are, how do I find that out? Do I measure the outside diameter of the pipe?  I plan to install a whole house water filtration system to filter chlorine and sediment from our tap water.

Bob

Indianapolis, IN

Bob,

Good question.  Pipe measurements can be tricky, as their sizes don't always correspond to their exact dimensions.

Who Can Install My Systems?

Today's letter is a continuation of yesterday's question.  We thought it was a good one, about a topic we haven't addressed in a while, so we wanted to share our answer:

Gerry,  

Who is certified to install these systems in my area? 

Thanks,  

John
New Brunswick, Canada 

Purifying Brackish Well Water

Gerry,

I live in a coastal area about 200 feet from a river fed by salted coastal water.  Have seawater seeping into my well water since drilling was done to install geothermal closed loop system.  Drill holes are 300 feet deep x 3 for 6 ton heat pump.  I do not have a recent water analysis at this time.  What I can say is that we can drink the water but it has a slight salty taste to it.  As for gallons per day, just 2 retired adults in household.  No irrigation or gardening....mostly for inside the home.  What can I do to purify my salty well water?

Thanks,

John
New Brunswick, Canada

John,

For brackish waters like yours we recommend a reverse osmosis filtration system.

Why Doesn't My Greensand Media Last?

Hello,

I have had a greensand filter for years but the greensand only lasts for a year or two before I need to replace it.  Recently I found out that my water is acidic, with a pH of about 6, and was told this was one reason my greensand media is not lasting very long.  We also have some rotten-egg odor, and the greensand filter has to use a lot of the permanganate powder in order to keep up with the odor.  What do you suggest?

Danny

Gaithersburg, MD