When we bought our house last year we had a sulfur problem. The previous owner had an old ozone system installed with a large carbon tank, which was long overdue for maintenance. Well water sulfur level was 10ppm; after treatment, the sulfur level was 3ppm. There was some black "sludge" inside of our toilet tanks.
About 6 months into owning a home, we had a Water Right Impression Plus Ozonator system with new catalytic carbon, as well as a 20" Big Blue carbon filter immediately downstream. We've had it overall about 1 year, and it works great, except about every 3-4 months we have to remove the Big Blue filter, dump some chlorine in there, run the water through house until we can smell chlorine out of every faucet, and reinstall a new carbon block filter into the Big Blue. We don't have to chlorinate at all prior to or around the ozone system at all, as it does a great job in that area.
Here is the system in a nutshell:
Well --> Pressure tank --> Ozone system with catalytic carbon --> Big Blue carbon filter --> water softener --> house
The problem we found that since the previous owners neglected the water system for so long, and were "okay" with a 3ppm of sulfur in the system, there's the same black sludge within all of the PEX water lines in the house. So even though the current system is working great at getting rid of the sulfur after the well, the bacteria within the PEX lines grows every few months, we'd get the sulfur smell, and we have to chlorinate.
We started to look into injection systems to clean (and keep clean) JUST the PEX pipes so we don't have to do the process above every few months. We talked to the folks who are supposed to be the best in the business locally (well drilling company who has done all of the work for this house for the last 18 years), who recommended a hydrogen peroxide system. However, after researching, it seems like this system would go with the ozone system, so any residual hydrogen peroxide would be cleaned by the Big Blue carbon filter. We don't need any more water cleaning near the Ozone system, just in the water lines. The installer said it would probably not be a good idea to install it after the Big Blue filter.
Another option is a chlorine injection system, although I'm not sure if it can be installed AFTER the Big Blue? I don't want any cholorine going through our carbon filters. In my mind this would solve the problem, as it will keep a small amount of chlorine in the PEX lines at all times, preventing the bacteria from growing. The installer said that long-term chlorine injection may harm hardware/lines..
Recommendations? The goal is to stop the PEX lines from growing sulfur-causing bacteria.
Thank you!!
About 6 months into owning a home, we had a Water Right Impression Plus Ozonator system with new catalytic carbon, as well as a 20" Big Blue carbon filter immediately downstream. We've had it overall about 1 year, and it works great, except about every 3-4 months we have to remove the Big Blue filter, dump some chlorine in there, run the water through house until we can smell chlorine out of every faucet, and reinstall a new carbon block filter into the Big Blue. We don't have to chlorinate at all prior to or around the ozone system at all, as it does a great job in that area.
Here is the system in a nutshell:
Well --> Pressure tank --> Ozone system with catalytic carbon --> Big Blue carbon filter --> water softener --> house
The problem we found that since the previous owners neglected the water system for so long, and were "okay" with a 3ppm of sulfur in the system, there's the same black sludge within all of the PEX water lines in the house. So even though the current system is working great at getting rid of the sulfur after the well, the bacteria within the PEX lines grows every few months, we'd get the sulfur smell, and we have to chlorinate.
We started to look into injection systems to clean (and keep clean) JUST the PEX pipes so we don't have to do the process above every few months. We talked to the folks who are supposed to be the best in the business locally (well drilling company who has done all of the work for this house for the last 18 years), who recommended a hydrogen peroxide system. However, after researching, it seems like this system would go with the ozone system, so any residual hydrogen peroxide would be cleaned by the Big Blue carbon filter. We don't need any more water cleaning near the Ozone system, just in the water lines. The installer said it would probably not be a good idea to install it after the Big Blue filter.
Another option is a chlorine injection system, although I'm not sure if it can be installed AFTER the Big Blue? I don't want any cholorine going through our carbon filters. In my mind this would solve the problem, as it will keep a small amount of chlorine in the PEX lines at all times, preventing the bacteria from growing. The installer said that long-term chlorine injection may harm hardware/lines..
Recommendations? The goal is to stop the PEX lines from growing sulfur-causing bacteria.
Thank you!!
