Trying to choose between water conditioning options

[sjc07]

We're on well water and have been putting up with some issues for a few years -- e.g. green/blue stains in the tubs and showers, murky tan colored water sometimes (especially after the main water has been shut off and turned back on). I finally got 3 plumbing/water treatment companies to come give estimates on solutions but they each diagnosed different degrees of problems and recommended something different. Would appreciate some opinions on what's best.

Company #1

• Diagnosis: pH 6.5, hardness: 2, iron: 1
• Recommendation: 2.5 cubic ft. downflow acid neutralizer (Impressions) plus 48,000 grain softener

Company #2

• Diagnosis: pH 6.0, hardness: 2, iron: 0
• Recommendation: 1.5 cubic ft. downflow acid neutralizer (Entek)

Company #3

• Diagnosis: pH 6.25, hardness: 5, iron: "a lot"
• Recommendation: 2.5 cubic ft. downflow acid neutralizer (Hydrotech) and softener and iron filtration system

The reps from each company seemed to use the same type of water test where they used test tubes to take water samples and added drops of other solutions to them. I also did my own water test using one of those kits you buy online and have to send samples to a lab and wait for results. From Karlabs specifically if that helps. They provided a long list of measurements but here are some that seemed most relevant:

• pH 6.7, iron 0.2 mg/L, copper 1.55 mg/L, hardness 33 mg/L or 1.9 gpg, Corrosivity Index (Ryznar) 11.6, Total dissolved solids 78 mg/L

Questions
1) I realize we definitely need an acid neutralizer. Which size and brand is best? We have 6 people in our household if that helps.
2) Do we also need a softener and/or iron filtration system?
3) For the acid neutralizer, one company said in addition to annual refills the tank would have to be replaced every 3-5 years due to buildup while the other companies only mentioned the annual refills. Is the tank swap out really necessary?

Thanks!

 

[ABSOLUTE WATER NJ]

You only need a 2 cu/ft neutralizer I would get a back washing one and 1.5 cu/ft water softener. the water softener will remove that little bit of iron. If you have jet pump you may have problems because you need 7 gallons a minute to back wash. If you have a submersible pump you should be fine. Dont get an upflow neutralizer.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

I would avoid #1 and #3, they use almost exclusively Chinese knock off systems. Not sure about #2

I would recommend a 13x54 Calcite backwashing system with a dome hole to accommodate easier maintenance. If the systems are adequately backwashed, the tanks do not typically need replacing, just refilling. A softener after the calcite system will likely be desired but not an absolute necessity. The calcite system will also probably reduce the iron to extremely low levels.

 

[sjc07]

You only need a 2 cu/ft neutralizer I would get a back washing one and 1.5 cu/ft water softener. the water softener will remove that little bit of iron. If you have jet pump you may have problems because you need 7 gallons a minute to back wash. If you have a submersible pump you should be fine. Dont get an upflow neutralizer.

I would avoid #1 and #3, they use almost exclusively Chinese knock off systems. Not sure about #2
I would recommend a 13x54 Calcite backwashing system with a dome hole to accommodate easier maintenance. If the systems are adequately backwashed, the tanks do not typically need replacing, just refilling. A softener after the calcite system will likely be desired but not an absolute necessity. The calcite system will also probably reduce the iron to extremely low levels.

Thanks for the advice. It sounds like I should go with #2 (the Entek which is supposedly 100% USA-made), but I have some follow-up questions. The company that's providing it offers it in 2 sizes: 10x54 (1.5 cu. ft) and 12x52 (2.0 cu. ft). Based on your comments, I'm surprised that they recommend the smaller one for our house, even though we have a 6 person household. I'm definitely no expert on this topic, but wouldn't the smaller one mean the recharge media has to be refilled more often? They're estimating 1 refill per year with the smaller tank. I don't mind paying more for the larger tank upfront if it means going longer between refills and therefore a lower overall cost down the road. Just wanted to confirm with you guys that that's the case before I put in the order for the larger tank.

In addition to the refill visits, they also said the tank would have to be swapped out to completely replace the media every 3-5 yrs. Is this really necessary? For what it's worth, the Entek is a downflow with dome hole and uses a Calcite/Corosex blend. The spec sheet also shows the following general operating details (not sure which ones are the most important): bed depth is 24"-30", backwash rate is 10-12 GPM/sq. ft of filter area, service flow rate 5-6 GPM/sq.ft of filter area. More specifically, the 1.5 cu. ft model has a flow rate of 9 GPM and the 2.0 model's flow rate is 12 GPM. We have a submersible pump if that matters.