Should I regen while irrigation is running?

[White Shadow]

Quick question for the experts:

I just had both an Iron Breaker and a water softener installed in my new house. The raw well water tested a little over the allowable limit for iron and the hardness I think was around 9 grains per gallon according to the guy who installed the water treatment equipment. I think this set up will work well for me.

Here's the question: According to my water guy, the iron breaker will regen every 5 days and will take about 45 minutes for the regen cycle. The water softener regenerates based upon water usage. I think I can get about 3200 gallons of water before it regenerates. That might last me around 4 or 5 weeks. My irrigation system, due to the hot weather and weeks of very little rain, is now set to run two back-to-back cycles, one starting at 9pm and running until 1am and the next one starting at 1:30am and finishing at 6:30 am. From what my water guy tells me, I shouldn't have the irrigation system running while either the softener or the iron break is regenerating. So what's the harm? He tells me that full water pressure should be available when the softener and iron breaker are in regen and the irrigation system running will have a negative impact. Is this correct?

I also have a 1.5 HP well pump (on a well that's only about 160' deep) and I'm running a cycle stop valve right before the pressure tank. Does that make any difference? From what I've seen the pressure tank always seems to have rock steady pressure no matter the water demand ever since I installed the cycle stop valve. I'm wondering with my set up if I'd be okay with the irrigation system running while the units are regenerating. Can anyone offer some insight? The easy answer is to just move the irrigation cycles, but my landscape guys keep telling me that it's not good to water during the day because too much water gets lost to evaporation and not enough water gets down to the roots of the grass.

 

[Reach4]

one starting at 9pm and running until 1am and the next one starting at 1:30am and finishing at 6:30 am.

You could have the iron filter regens scheduled for 1:01 am. The iron filter is going to use more water for regen than the softener. I have not tried to learn about your backwashing iron filter. Some take a lot more water than others, but the 1:01am start should allow lots and lots of water. That regen might be over in 10 minutes.

You are probably fine with the softener triggering while the irrigation is running. The pressure should stay at 30 PSI or more if you want to be sure the softener has enough pressure.

 

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[ditttohead]

The iron breaker s a AIO style system so it has a draw time of about 30-40 minutes. This draw time is at a slow flow rate, same as the injector flow rates so it depends on the injector size.

 

[Reach4]

The iron breaker s a AIO style system so it has a draw time of about 30-40 minutes. This draw time is at a slow flow rate, same as the injector flow rates so it depends on the injector size.

Is that maybe preceded by a few minutes of backwash at a higher rate?

 

[ditttohead]

Correct, Backwash, Air Draw, fast rinse, then back to home.

 

[Reach4]

Correct, Backwash, Air Draw, fast rinse, then back to home.

Ahh... Got it. You were pointing out that you could not fit the backwash and fast rinse into the same 1/2 hour window.

 

[White Shadow]

So if I know that my pressure tank will maintain at least 30 psi with the water system in Regen while the irrigation system running, I should be ok?

 

[Reach4]

So if I know that my pressure tank will maintain at least 30 psi with the water system in Regen while the irrigation system running, I should be ok?

Yes.

 

[White Shadow]

Yes.

I watched my pressure tank gauge while the Iron Breaker was backwashing. The gauge went down to 40 psi and then the well pump kicked on. The pressure rose to about 60 psi and stayed right there for the rest of the 10 minute backwash cycle. I'm guessing that's due to my cycle stop valve.

After the backwash, it went into a 40 minute regenerant draw. Then it went into "softening" mode (I guess my controller is also used for water softeners) which really seemed to be nothing but filling up the tank and took maybe one minute.