Monday, June 8, 2015

Can I Use a Water Softener to Remove Iron, Manganese and Hardness with One System?

I have very high iron, manganese levels, along with sulfur odors in my water. Is there any type of standalone water softener that could take care of these issues? The sulfur odor is weak, not that strong, but we do have hard water, with high iron and manganese. Thanks,

Joel               

Hi Joel,

We do not recommend a water softener alone to handle high levels of iron and manganese, particularly when odors are present.

A salt-based water softener most likely would not eliminate all of the iron and manganese in the water, and it definitely wouldn’t take out any sulfur smells. 

An excellent long-lasting and highly effective iron/manganese filter is the Air Charger Iron Filter.  This iron filter uses natural air to oxidize the iron and remove odors and does not require any chemicals.   This type of iron filter maintains an “air pocket” in the top of the tank while the system is in service.  When the iron filter is backwashed, air is drawn into the iron filter tank which creates a pocket of air at the top of the tank. As water enters the iron filter it passes through this layer of air and air is diffused into the water.

Following the iron filter, it would be best to install a softener in-line to take out the calcium hardness and prevent spotting and white scale and residue.  We like the 5900-E softening system, which is a modern, NSF-certified valve that is user-friendly and easy to set up and maintain. 
Check out the diagram and the products below:
5900-E softening system

Air Charger Pro-OX Iron Filter 2510-AIO 1.5 CF



Air Charger Pro-OX Iron Filter 2510-AIO 1.5 CF

Air Charger Pro-OX Iron Filter 2510-AIO 1.5 CF: The Air-Charger AIO Air Injection Oxidizing Filter, as a single tank system, is an efficient and cost effective system for the removal of iron and sulfur.

The Air-Charger AIO maintains an air pocket in the top of the tank while the system is in service.
As the water passes thru the air pocket, iron and sulfur are oxidized.
Check out this link for more details.
Softener 5900 Series




Softener 5900 Series, 48K Size
          
Includes 1 inch or 3/4 inch pipe connectors; by-pass valve; 1.5 cubic feet of high-grade softener resin; heavy-duty brine tank with salt-grid; and 165 Series NSF Certified digital metered-regeneration control valve.

Specifications and Features: High-grade softening resin for maximum performance. Filter tank is NSF certified: one piece seamless polyester construction for long life. Max pressure recommended is 100 psi.


10” x 48” Tank

Check out this link for additional details.