Installing softener; redesigning my system?

[Jaylivi]

After my pressure tank, I have a 20" BB sediment filter, carbon filter and iron filter that is followed by a UV filter.

I will be adding a new softener (Fleck 5600sxt), and a larger xtrol pressure tank, and have two questions:

1. Can I keep my current pressure tank, which is small but only 2.5 years old (installed by previous owner), and add the larger unit downstream of it? I like the additional capacity, but don't want headaches.

2. Is this how you would assemble my system: Pressure tank (s), sediment filter, softener, carbon, iron, uv.,

or, should I put both the sediment and iron filters upstream of the softener?

or, should I stop writing bc I'm way off?

Advice is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

1. Yes. The piping between pressure tanks should not have a lot of pressure drop.
2. If the iron filter is a backwashing filter, it would usually go right after the pressure tank. It would not only handle iron and more, it would serve as a front end sediment filter that gets backwashed. If your iron filter is a cartridge unit, I don't know. I don't see why you would not want your cold water to go through the UV, since cold water is what you would normally drink and brush teeth with.

Also, if you have the UV, it would seem to be nice to not have any SRB or IRB re-entering the water heater after you sanitize your whole system with chlorine.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Bannerman]

By an iron removal filter, I'm assuming this to mean a back-washing media filter. FYI, the newest and most effective iron reduction media now recommended is Katalox Light. That media is also a very effective sediment filter and for sulfur odor. Cartridge filters are typically not recommended for point-of-entry applications.

The UV sanitizer should be the last device in the system preceded by the softener but if an oxidant such as chlorine is not being used, a back-washing carbon filter maybe located directly after the softener.

If the softener is located before the iron filter, then the softener will be exposed to iron and will be performing the bulk of iron reduction which then negates the purpose of the iron filter. As advised, the iron filter is normally first unless an acid neutralizer is needed. Iron reduction is usually most effective after the water's pH has been adjusted.

 

[Jaylivi]

Thank you for the advice.

The iron, as well as the carbon is just a BB cartridge. I installed them during a gut job to help me out for a while intending to upgrade when I had time and more knowledge. The house had sat empty for two years, and I received advice from someone here that I should pump a lot of water out of the well since it hadn't been used, and then test it again. The iron dropped from 2.61mg/l to .023mg/l... but unfortunately, I added my current setup, which includes the iron filter, prior to testing the second time so I don't know which caused the drop. Maybe both?

I thought that I would keep my current setup, add the softener and then test again to see what happens. I do still have 213 mg/l of sulfates, but haven't had any smell issues since doing a quickie shock chlorination of my system a few weeks ago, and adding the UV light.

As I understand it from your comments, the iron cartridge filter AND the softener may be redundant - perhaps I should eliminate the iron filter, or alternatively I could put the iron filter in front of the softener, followed by the carbon filter?

And just to confirm, stacking the pressure tanks one downstream of the other is ok? Thanks guys.

 

[Bannerman]

As I understand it from your comments, the iron cartridge filter AND the softener may be redundant

No, I didn't say that. What I did say is the iron reduction should be performed before softening. If the softener is reducing iron by being located before the iron filter, then the iron filter is not doing the job it was installed to perform. While a softener can reduce/remove iron, it is not the most efficient method. A softener will also not reduce sulfur smell whereas that is an added benefit with iron reduction media.

I looked at your prior posts as you did not state your hardness level in this thread. As your hardness level is approx 19 gpg, you will definitely benefit with a softener do the job it is primarily intended to perform.