AIO system causing hard water

[Larrypac]

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I installed an AIO system from Softpro last weekend to mitigate a high level of manganese. The water continued to taste bad so I did a water test. The manganese was lowered to below the level of concern but the water was at 8GPG hardness. Prior to the system, hardness was at 25 mg CaCO3, which if my research is correct is 1.4 GPG. First, am i correct that 25 mg CaCO3 is not hard water? And second, is there any reason an AIO system with Katalox (Light, I think) would raise the hardness? The vendor told me that it would raise the PH at first but I'm not totally clear on the relationship, if any between PH and hardness. Vendor said on Thursday that he saw no reason that hardness should be increased but he would contact the manufacturer and get back to me on Friday. he did not get back to me. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, LP

 

[Reach4]

IMO, 1.4 GPG does not call for a softener. It doesn't matter to me that some call 1 grain of hardness as hard. Most people with 7 gpg don't feel the need for a softener. I would draw my line at about 3.

How are you measuring hardness?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Larrypac]

IMO, 1.4 GPG does not call for a softener. It doesn't matter to me that some call 1 grain of hardness as hard. Most people with 7 gpg don't feel the need for a softener. I would draw my line at about 3.

How are you measuring hardness?

After installing an AIO system, the water tasted bad so I took a quart of water to a local company that does water treatment systems and the test came back at 8GPG. Our water prior to the AIO system was at 1.4GPG

 

[Bannerman]

The main minerals which cause water hardness are calcium and magnesium.

You said you installed an AIO (air injection oxidation) filtration system to remove manganese, but you didn't specify for certain ('I think') which filtration media is utilized to remove the oxidized manganese. Perhaps the backwash flow rate currently utilized for that filtration media is insufficient, and is resulting in a residual of oxidized manganese continuing to remain within the media.

What is the dimensions for the media tank? Knowing the tank size, we can calculate the recommended backwash rate for Katalox Light or other media as applicable

You stated 2 different hardness measurement scales.
Total hardness is the correct measurement method when considering whether a softener will be beneficial, such as determined with the recommended Hach 5B Total Hardness test kit which provides results directly in grains per gallon.

Many other hardness test methods do not necessarily measure total hardness, but only a portion of hardness equivalent to a specific quantity of calcium carbonate.

Since water softeners will typically remove hardness to less than 1 GPG, total hardness in excess of 1 GPG is technically considered hard. While many will not consider softening unless hardness is significant enough to cause scale or performance issues, there have been studies referenced previously in this forum which indicate measurable benefits to softening when hardness exceeds 3 GPG.

 

[Master Plumber Mark]

Our town has 20 parts hard water so your water is pretty good

 

[Larrypac]

The main minerals which cause water hardness are calcium and magnesium.

You said you installed an AIO (air injection oxidation) filtration system to remove manganese, but you didn't specify for certain ('I think') which filtration media is utilized to remove the oxidized manganese. Perhaps the backwash flow rate currently utilized for that filtration media is insufficient, and is resulting in a residual of oxidized manganese continuing to remain within the media.

What is the dimensions for the media tank? Knowing the tank size, we can calculate the recommended backwash rate for Katalox Light or other media as applicable

You stated 2 different hardness measurement scales.
Total hardness is the correct measurement method when considering whether a softener will be beneficial, such as determined with the recommended Hach 5B Total Hardness test kit which provides results directly in grains per gallon.

Many other hardness test methods do not necessarily measure total hardness, but only a portion of hardness equivalent to a specific quantity of calcium carbonate.

Since water softeners will typically remove hardness to less than 1 GPG, total hardness in excess of 1 GPG is technically considered hard. While many will not consider softening unless hardness is significant enough to cause scale or performance issues, there have been studies referenced previously in this forum which indicate measurable benefits to softening when hardness exceeds 3 GPG.

Thanks for the detailed post. Would have replied earlier but I was waiting for a notification that someone had posted but got none. The media is 1 c.f. of Katalox light. Our well produces 5 GPM, which was supposedly the minimum for the 1 c.f. system. The tank is 9"x48". Attached below are 1. the test done before the AIO install. 2 and 3 are a test done by a local water treatment company of the untreated well water and treated water from the kitchen faucet