Installing a Chem-Free iron filter. Thoughts? Tips? Suggestions?

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AlleyAndy

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The well water at our 15-year-old house has high iron content, so we can't drink it, and it leaves rust stains on all of the fixtures.

We had a number of people come in to propose a solution, but none seemed sure or confident of how to cure the problem.

Through a contact at a nearby municipal water treatment plant, I was introduced to the Aqua-Pure (Cuno) APIR100M Chem-free Iron Removal System. Finding nobody who was willing to install one, my wife purchased the APIR100M, hydrocharger, a Q42V galvanized tank from Quick Tanks, and an Ametek (U.S. Gauge) model WJ air volume control.

We already have a Well-Rite WR240R pressure tank installed, which is working fine.

I received a one-page sheet from Aqua-Pure that shows that this should be installed as follows:

Well -> Hydrocharger -> Galvanized Tank -> Well-Rite tank -> Aqua-Pure Filter -> To house

My understanding is that the Hydrocharger injects air into the incoming water which then flows into the galvanized tank where the iron reacts with the oxygen in the injected air, and the iron is later removed by the Aqua-Pure filter.

I was also told that the air volume control, which is installed about halfway up on the galvanized tank, would purge off the air previously injected by the hydrocharger.

Since I'm connecting copper tubing to the galvanized tank, I planned to come off the galvanized tank with a 2" galvanized nipple to a galvanized tee. The incoming will be plastic well pipe to a brass barb fitting, brass threaded union, brass nipple, hydrocharger, and brass nipple to the galvanized tee. On the outgoing, from the galvanized tee to a brass nipple to a brass tee with a drain valve and a brass nipple to a copper fitting, then on to the rest of the system.

Here's what it looks like:

2015-07-27-14.20.29.opt.jpg

My questions:

1) The fitting on the galvanized tank is 12" from the bottom. Won't the galvanized tank just end up collecting a lot of iron and sediment on the bottom, with no way to flush it?

2) Why don't they have the Aqua-Pure filter right after the galvanized tank, to remove the iron before it's stored in the Well-Rite tank?

3) Is the setup on the galvanized tank sufficient to avoid any problems going from the galvanized tank to copper house plumbing?

4) Is there any benefit to adding a cartridge filter anywhere in this setup? I have a dual-cartridge setup that was never installed, with two large 4" filters, one with smaller micron filter, to create a two-stage coarse/fine filtering.

5) Will the years-worth of iron that's no doubt in the water pipes ever flush out, or am I doomed to forever seeing rust in all the fixtures? I'll be flushing the water heater and existing Well-Rite prior to installing the iron filter.

I would appreciate any comments, suggestions and concerns about this setup.

Thanks!
 

Reach4

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It is important that the pressure switch be very close to a pressure tank. You don't want any filter element that might clog between the pump and the pressure gauge.

I would replace that galvanized tee with a schedule 80 CPVC tee but brass should be OK too. I don't think you want the steel fitting hooked right to copper.

http://www.grouponene.com/IN318_-_APIF_MANUAL.pdf has lots of pages. Page 3-1 seems to show the classic pressure tank going first. That lets you feed the water to the lawn before the iron processing. I think I would go to that order.

Where it says "Iron free water" is where you can have a tap for drinking water in case you want to have mineral water to drink.

I would put a cartridge filter after the APIF system. It may not have much to do, but it will serve as a final filter and a check on the things before.

I would still sanitize my system. http://www.moravecwaterwells.com/index.php/maintainance/disinfection-and-testing is the method I like.

I am not a pro. I think you will have a nice system.
 

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VAWellDriller

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You have not plumbed the gal tank correctly..... the tank should have (3) 1.25" fittings.... two on one side and one on the opposite side. You want to force the water (and air) through the tank- You have your T assembly what is the tank inlet, the outlet should be on the opposite side and much lower, and that is where you continue the plumbing to the other equipment.
 

AlleyAndy

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Hi VAWellDriller,

Thanks for the response!

The galvanized tank has only two 1.25" fittings as shown in the photo, though tere is one 1" fitting on the very top of the tank.

I was thinking the same thing, that the water/air should flow through the tank.

But then again, the bladder tank has only one fitting, with a tee for the in, out, pressure switch, pressure gauge, and drain valve.

It wouldn't make sense to me to use the 1" fitting at the top of the tank for either the in or out, since the top of the tank should end up with the air pocket.

So, what to do when there's only two 1.25" fittings?

Thanks!
 

AlleyAndy

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Hi Reach4,

Thanks for the info.

I actually did see that installation diagram, but it seems to be for a slightly different situation than the one I have.

I'm adding a galvanized tank because of high iron content, and not to accommodate high un-filtered water usage, such as sprinklers.

In my case, I was told not to add the second pressure switch and solenoid valve, so that diagram doesn't seem to fit.

The folks at AquaPure had sent me a different diagram, which showed the galvanized tank, and that's what I was following.

Thanks!
 

VAWellDriller

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Hi VAWellDriller,

Thanks for the response!

The galvanized tank has only two 1.25" fittings as shown in the photo, though tere is one 1" fitting on the very top of the tank.

I was thinking the same thing, that the water/air should flow through the tank.

But then again, the bladder tank has only one fitting, with a tee for the in, out, pressure switch, pressure gauge, and drain valve.

It wouldn't make sense to me to use the 1" fitting at the top of the tank for either the in or out, since the top of the tank should end up with the air pocket.

So, what to do when there's only two 1.25" fittings?

Thanks!
New one on me.... every gal tank I've ever seen has (3) 1.25" fittings..... in, out, and AVC.
 
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