Volvofan
New Member
Greetings, all. Thanks for all the great info being shared on this forum. After a fair bit of research on this and many other sites, I've hit a bit of a wall and need some experienced advice:
SITUATION: hard water and chlorine are causing taste/odor/drink ability issues and significant scale buildup on plumbing fixtures.
MISSION: Economically filter and condition (without salt) at point of entry, with a possible additional filter for drinking water. Maintain satisfactory pressure and flow rates (8-12 gpm) for an active family of four throughout the life of the filters.
EXECUTION: Experienced DIYer. Space constrained... would like to install this under the entryway stairs of our split level, with a max headroom of only about 42 inches. 1" supply line. Plan to use KDF-55 and GAC (open to suggestion on brand and micron size) followed by anti-scale media (open to suggestions on type/brand... Approx 25 grains of hardness). Will put a .5 micron carbon block filter on line to fridge/icemaker as well. Looking for a maintenance schedule (for the POE ones) of quarterly backwashes and no more than annual filter changes. Can field-fabricate all necessary plumbing for shutoff, bypass, and manual or automatic backwash. Considering the following courses of action:
1: A pair of dual BB 4.5 x 20 filters running in parallel to sustain flow rate. GAC/KDF cartridge followed by anti-scale cartridge. Pros - inexpensive, many cartridges to choose from, no worries about space constraint. Cons- Lower flow rate (8gpm max?), less filtration area so less contact time (GAC/KDF filters would have about .15 cu ft each), and backwashing is less effective on cartridges vs. free media.
2: Two 10 x 35 tanks in series (perhaps with a BB KDF-55 4.5 x 20 filter first?)... One GAC then one anti-scale. Pros- simpler install compared to parallel, greater filtration cu ft, more effective backwash, cheaper replacement media in the long run, perhaps longer maintenance interval? Greater flow rate? Unsure of how to figure this fornthese tanks. Cons- probably more expensive, height may be a factor, especially for automatic control heads. Would like to use Watts Vortech tanks, I think.
3: Other options I am missing? How would you do it?
SERVICE AND SUPPORT: Estimated budget of $750-1500 for major components. Many plumbing fittings, valves, and pipe already on-hand.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: N/A.
Thanks in advance for any assistance or advice you all might provide!
-Jon
SITUATION: hard water and chlorine are causing taste/odor/drink ability issues and significant scale buildup on plumbing fixtures.
MISSION: Economically filter and condition (without salt) at point of entry, with a possible additional filter for drinking water. Maintain satisfactory pressure and flow rates (8-12 gpm) for an active family of four throughout the life of the filters.
EXECUTION: Experienced DIYer. Space constrained... would like to install this under the entryway stairs of our split level, with a max headroom of only about 42 inches. 1" supply line. Plan to use KDF-55 and GAC (open to suggestion on brand and micron size) followed by anti-scale media (open to suggestions on type/brand... Approx 25 grains of hardness). Will put a .5 micron carbon block filter on line to fridge/icemaker as well. Looking for a maintenance schedule (for the POE ones) of quarterly backwashes and no more than annual filter changes. Can field-fabricate all necessary plumbing for shutoff, bypass, and manual or automatic backwash. Considering the following courses of action:
1: A pair of dual BB 4.5 x 20 filters running in parallel to sustain flow rate. GAC/KDF cartridge followed by anti-scale cartridge. Pros - inexpensive, many cartridges to choose from, no worries about space constraint. Cons- Lower flow rate (8gpm max?), less filtration area so less contact time (GAC/KDF filters would have about .15 cu ft each), and backwashing is less effective on cartridges vs. free media.
2: Two 10 x 35 tanks in series (perhaps with a BB KDF-55 4.5 x 20 filter first?)... One GAC then one anti-scale. Pros- simpler install compared to parallel, greater filtration cu ft, more effective backwash, cheaper replacement media in the long run, perhaps longer maintenance interval? Greater flow rate? Unsure of how to figure this fornthese tanks. Cons- probably more expensive, height may be a factor, especially for automatic control heads. Would like to use Watts Vortech tanks, I think.
3: Other options I am missing? How would you do it?
SERVICE AND SUPPORT: Estimated budget of $750-1500 for major components. Many plumbing fittings, valves, and pipe already on-hand.
COMMAND AND SIGNAL: N/A.
Thanks in advance for any assistance or advice you all might provide!
-Jon