Black Water After Softener Install

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Matt Palmer

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Hi,

Having an issue with the new install of a Clack 1044 conditioner w/KDF, 10" BB conditioner housing, 5 micron filter. About two weeks after installation, I noticed a gray staining in the toilet bowls and then immediately noticed that the water for my kids' bath was blackish, almost as though a charcoal briquet had been crushed up (but leaving no sediment). Switching from a 20 micron to 5 micron pre-filter had no effect.

After determining that the black water was resolved by bypassing the softener, my installer treated the system with chlorine and said that the KDF was loaded with hydrogen sulfide and that I would need to add bleach to the system if the issue reoccurred.

Well, a week later, I'm already seeing the discoloration in the toilets and expect it to become more apparent in the bath water very soon. What is the correct solution here rather than the "band-aid" of treating the system with bleach every week or so? The KDF seems completely incapable of handling my sulfur issue for any reasonable duration.

Also, what should I demand of my water treatment company that tested my water, then recommended and installed the system?
 

ditttohead

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A "conditioner w/ KDF"? what is that?

KDF can handle a lot of contaminants including H2s, but it sounds like your water treatment requirements are more than the system you had installed can handle. This is one reason the "all in one" conditioners should be avoided except when the water quality is minimally bad.

In order to give you any advice, we would need to know what your exact system build is. Most "conditioners w/ KDF" are nothing mote than a carbon tank with some kdf inside. KDF does not work when it is mixed or added into a carbon tank. The KDF usually drop to the bottom and turns into a clump. In order for KDF to function properly, it must have a certain bed depth, contact time, and it must be backwashed frequently and at a high velocity. If your 10" tank was being backwashed properly in order to keep the KDF functioning properly, it would need to backwash at 15 gpm to the drain.
 

Reach4

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KDF is a brand of media and not a type of media. There is more than one kind. And amount would matter too. What is your "Clack 1024" conditioner made of? I don't think Clack makes a system called a "Clack 1024". It would seem that the system is not capable of handling your water.

Was the bypassing of the softener only done during the chlorine treatment?

I would ask the water treatment company what the water test results were. It seems strange that you did not mention a smell if your problem is hydrogen sulfide.

I would flush the old stuff out of the water heater. I understand that the cold water, such as to the toilets, carries black stuff, there is probably significant amounts built up in the water heater. I would sanitize my well with this method: http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/index.php/maintainance/disinfection-and-testing
That does not need doing every year.
 
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