2510SXT Katalox Filter AIO - Air Intake Weak/Not Working

[iblackihiawk]

Previous thread for reference:

Katalox Backwash How High Lift

I recently got a Katalox Light filter 2510SXT Fleck When I watch it backwash which I can kind of do through the white wrapped tank, only like one side of the katalox is getting lifted and its only being lifted like 3-4 inches up sort of bubbling/flying up. Does that seem right or should the...

terrylove.com

Here is my water test I never posted. I had the water at my tap tested and everything was essentially perfect except that the milky water bothers some people from the air being entrapped which clears up after 20-30s sitting in a cup, but it still bothers people. Also oddly when I wash a car and I don't dry it, it sort of leaves a film/white film which I'm not sure what that is honestly.

My filter has been working great until recently, the backwash and the rapid rinse sound great, but when it gets to the airdraw it is definitely not working/pulling much air. It is barely pulling any water out and the sound is very weak like it cannot pull anything out. It used to be a decent flow out and now it is trickling out.

I haven't pulled the entire thing off yet, but I did check the filter for the air valve on top that is easily accessible and cleaned it out and its nice and clean now, but that didn't resolve anything.

At first I thought it was the media, so I bleached it for around 12 hours and backwashed it probably 6-7 times for 15 minutes and also allowed some Iron Out to also soak in the tank for 12 hours before backwashing for around the same amount. I think it actually made it worse and the air getting is is much weaker than before I did that (I'm assuming I cleaned the media and whatever buildup added to the issue.

Any ideas on what this is? Do I need to completely tear down and replace spacers and o-rings or does anyone have any other ideas. I was thinking maybe the diffuser is clogged, but not sure.

I do find it pretty wild that it would be clogged THIS quickly. Our home does use a LOT of water compared to others so that could be it and I do have it backwash daily which has worked great.

I do have Iron Bacteria when I had the water tested and I'm assuming that is accelerating the issue rapidly. If anyone has any ideas on how to take care of this (I did look at Reach4's bleach thread) which seems pretty difficult to do honestly...I will do it. Also if anyone had thoughts on this bacteria with Katalox.

Again, it worked great until this point, and I will do a full teardown regardless to try to fix it, but if someone has another idea let me know (I actually have 2x 2510SXT'since my last tank got turned into cement and I believe the valve is perfectly fine).

 

[Bannerman]

It seems that the injector is clogged so it will need to be removed to clean it.

The injector acts as a venturi. Slow rinse water flow through the center of the injector, creates suction on the injector housing's side port which causes air to be drawn in which is then mixed with the rinse water that is passing through the injector and flowing down through the media. The injector comprises of multiple pieces which each must be removed to clean.

The video below, provides the details for cleaning the 2510 injector. Although the video mentions drawing 'brine' for a softener, the procedure will be virtually identical for your AIO control valve.

As your air inlet port likely is equipped with a check valve to allow air to enter but to prevent water from exiting, suggest also removing and cleaning the check valve while cleaning the injector.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[iblackihiawk]

It seems that the injector is clogged so it will need to be removed to clean it.

The injector acts as a venturi. Slow rinse water flow through the center of the injector, creates suction on the injector housing's side port which causes air to be drawn in which is then mixed with the rinse water that is passing through the injector and flowing down through the media. The injector comprises of multiple pieces which each must be removed to clean.

The video below, provides the details for cleaning the 2510 injector. Although the video mentions drawing 'brine' for a softener, the procedure will be virtually identical for your AIO control valve.

As your air inlet port likely is equipped with a check valve to allow air to enter but to prevent water from exiting, suggest also removing and cleaning the check valve while cleaning the injector.

Yeah this was the first thing I did last night and cleaned it really well didn't seem to help at all and I didn't see any plugs in it.

It got worse after cleaning the media with bleach and iron out almost like I clogged something even more.

Any other ideas?

 

[Bannerman]

Check entire length of drain line for blockage. Water can't flow into the unit if it can't flow out.

In your 1st post, you only mentioned cleaning the screen, not the injector.

 

[iblackihiawk]

Check entire length of drain line for blockage. Water can't flow into the unit if it can't flow out.

In your 1st post, you only mentioned cleaning the screen, not the injector.

Oh I took that entire top part and screen and all the little pieces on there and washed them brand new. I blew threw them all and there was very little resistance and it seems to work fine

The actual drain line if you mean from the tank works fine when I backwash with no problems.

I guess it's possible after I take the actual top part off that they show in the video that the holes that you drop it into and line up with are blocked but it's pretty hard to clean without completely taking the valve off.

I'll do that this weekend but was wondering if it could be anything else simpler.

 

[Bannerman]

Its possible that the inside of the injector body is caked with sediment or ferric iron and may therefore not allow the injector to function as it should. To clean the interior and water pathways, will require again removing the injector to use an ear swab or small soft brush. Probably easiest to clean the injector body after removal from the control valve as shown in the video.

If your unit is equipped with a check valve on the air inlet port, you might try temporarily removing it and then run a regeneration cycle to determine if the situation is improved. While a partially blocked air inlet check valve should not impact the flow of water through the injector, if removing the check valve results in less flow restriction for air to enter, the sound of the additional air flowing into the tank, could lead you to think there is a greater amount of water flow during the Draw cycle.

Without a check valve in place, you may experience some water discharge from the air inlet port, near the end of the regen cycle.

If none of the suggestions pan out, it may require a seal & spacer kit, and possibly a new piston to rebuild the control valve.

 

[Reach4]

delete

 

[iblackihiawk]

So took it apart today.

The basket/diffuser at the top was caked on near 100% with iron/iron bacteria I didn't get a picture I forgot before I cleaned it off with a toothbrush and some iron out...It was really really blocked, almost nothing could get through it. It is brand new now.

The other thing was the check valve looked like this:

It barely opened closed.

I didn't take apart the packing/spacers.

I ran into another complication with it being so caked on the tube pulled up with the diffuser. I searched the forums and found you can run a garden hose full blast through it (I duct taped it to the top) and I got it back in.

Overall seems to be running much better.

I think the combination of the check valve being gunked up + the diffuser basket which I think got worse when I cleaned the media with bleach/iron out, caused the issue. We will see how it goes, but the first backwash/cycle went well.

If anyone has any solutions besides completely bleaching/disinfecting my whole well to kill the iron bacteria, let me know, otherwise it looks like I'll need to clean this out on a 6mo-8mo basis.

 

[Bannerman]

To me, the accumulation appears to be oxidized ferric iron solids, not necessarily iron reducing bacteria.

+ the diffuser basket which I think got worse when I cleaned the media with bleach/iron out

Are you referring to a screened basket at the top of the tank, attached to the control valve? If so, an upper basket is not normally utilized or recommended for an iron reduction system, due to the heavy ferric iron particles which will accumulate and will often clog the screen.

For iron reduction systems, an umbrella diffuser located below the tank opening, attached the riser pipe may be utilized, to spread out the incoming water flow across the tank diameter above the media.

To view a photo of an umbrella diffuser and support ring, see part number 27-105UMB shown on page 140 within the catalogue linked below.

Impact Water Products

 

[iblackihiawk]

To me, the accumulation appears to be oxidized ferric iron solids, not necessarily iron reducing bacteria.


Are you referring to a screened basket at the top of the tank, attached to the control valve? If so, an upper basket is not normally utilized or recommended for an iron reduction system, due to the heavy ferric iron particles which will accumulate and will often clog the screen.

For iron reduction systems, an umbrella diffuser located below the tank opening, attached the riser pipe may be utilized, to spread out the incoming water flow across the tank diameter above the media.

To view a photo of an umbrella diffuser and support ring, see part number 27-105UMB shown on page 140 within the catalogue linked below.

Impact Water Products

Yeah it's the diffuser I don't have the basket it's the one that sits inside.

It was a slippery slimet mess.

I know I for sure have bacteria from the test but you are probably right on the control valve. That iron was rock hard.

 

[ditttohead]

IO and iron again

AIO3 with ozone

 

[ditttohead]

AIO and bacteria is a bad combo and should never be mixed... AIO3 is barely acceptable and can reduce problems but chlorine injection or ozone injection is recommended at minimum with some contact time.

 

[iblackihiawk]

AIO and bacteria is a bad combo and should never be mixed... AIO3 is barely acceptable and can reduce problems but chlorine injection or ozone injection is recommended at minimum with some contact time.

How would I go about going with an AIO3?

Is this something I can do with my current valve head or not?

If not I would likely switch to it in the future, I don't really want to have to do this yearly, but its not the end of the world.

If you have recommendations on the setups I could go with let me know.

The diffuser looked similar to your first picture btw, but it did come off pretty easily. I'm assuming once I bleached and iron outed the media inside and backwashed it completely blocked it off.

Thanks.