Water Softener for Well

[hutt132]

Hi Everyone, I wanted to get some feedback on how to go about dealing with my hard well water.
My current setup is just a well feeding into an aerator tank. The water doesn't smell bad and I can drink it fine, but the hard water staining is really bad.
It's a 1 bathroom house, and I'm the only one in it for now.

I was thinking of getting the Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain with a Pentek 150237 #10 Big Blue Filter Housing before it with a larger micron filter to get the 'big' stuff out.
So it would be Aerator Pump -> Pressure Tank -> Pentek Filter -> Water Softener.

Are these products and layout a good choice? I'm open to recommendations.
I also heard it may be a good idea to put a finer filter after the softener too?

 

[Water Guy]

Hi Everyone, I wanted to get some feedback on how to go about dealing with my hard well water.
My current setup is just a well feeding into an aerator tank. The water doesn't smell bad and I can drink it fine, but the hard water staining is really bad.
It's a 1 bathroom house, and I'm the only one in it for now.

I was thinking of getting the Fleck 5600SXT 48,000 Grain with a Pentek 150237 #10 Big Blue Filter Housing before it with a larger micron filter to get the 'big' stuff out.
So it would be Aerator Pump -> Pressure Tank -> Pentek Filter -> Water Softener.

Are these products and layout a good choice? I'm open to recommendations.
I also heard it may be a good idea to put a finer filter after the softener too?

I would advise a comprehensive water test first. iron, manganese tds, pH etc

 

[Sponsor]

 

[hutt132]

I would advise a comprehensive water test first. iron, manganese tds, pH etc

Got my water tested.

231 tds
12 gpg
Less than 0.5ppm iron

 

[Water Guy]

Got my water tested.

231 tds
12 gpg
Less than 0.5ppm iron

by aerator, do you mean holding tank? pic? where did you take your sample from?

 

[Reach4]

Got my water tested.

231 tds
12 gpg
Less than 0.5ppm iron

Your plan works. A Pentek 4.5x20 housing does not cost much more, and will either have half of the backpressure or twice the cartridge life. However the sump weighs more when you unscrew it to change cartridges.

You normally feed the outside faucets with water before the filter, although a few also like to have one softened tap for outdoor car cleaning etc.

 

[Skyjumper]

hmm. I had a cartridge filter like that as the first element in the system and it was a disaster. impossible to keep clean with iron in the water. my iron was 6 times yours and with iron bacteria, so perhaps you will be fine. but why do you think you need it? it will do nothing to remove iron or hardness. the softener is all you need. your water is pretty good to start with, relatively speaking.

if you install the cartridge filter make sure you have some way to bypass it when you run out of cartridges or just get sick of dealing with it.

 

[Reach4]

hmm. I had a cartridge filter like that as the first element in the system and it was a disaster. impossible to keep clean with iron in the water. my iron was 6 times yours and with iron bacteria, so perhaps you will be fine. but why do you think you need it?

Sand and silt I would think. Do you think that a softener should be a front-end filter? My H2S+iron backwashing filter is my front-end filter, and then Pentair Big Blues. My cartridge housings are way overkill, because I ordered them before deciding to get the backwashing filter. Skyjumper, you might benefit from a good well and plumbing sanitizing come spring. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/

it will do nothing to remove iron or hardness. the softener is all you need. your water is pretty good to start with, relatively speaking.

if you install the cartridge filter make sure you have some way to bypass it when you run out of cartridges or just get sick of dealing with it.

While I agree that having a bypass on a cartridge filter is best, at least keep an extra o-ring on hand. Also, you can run the housing with no filter in place, if you have no filter or want no filtering other than letting heavy stuff drop into the empty sump. Do get some silicone grease to lightly coat the o-ring. You cannot run without an o-ring, and they can sometimes stretch enough that you cannot get them back in. A 5.3 ounce tube of Molykote 111 is probably a lifetime supply for you and a neighbor. https://www.danco.com/product/0-5-oz-silicone-faucet-grease/ is easily available locally, and 0.5 ounce is probably going to last some years for you.

 

[Water Guy]

hmm. I had a cartridge filter like that as the first element in the system and it was a disaster. impossible to keep clean with iron in the water. my iron was 6 times yours and with iron bacteria, so perhaps you will be fine. but why do you think you need it? it will do nothing to remove iron or hardness. the softener is all you need. your water is pretty good to start with, relatively speaking.

if you install the cartridge filter make sure you have some way to bypass it when you run out of cartridges or just get sick of dealing with it.

with 6 ppm you really should consider Cl injection combined with retention as it will be the best option for longevity and ease of maintenance. otherwise, most times but not always, half of the iron is ferric (iron II oxide) and half ferrous (Iron III oxide). if people with 4 to 5 ppm don't want chemical injection, I often suggest a poly spun 20" filter to remove the ferric iron, then an aio or aio3 unit to oxidize and remove the remaining ferrous iron. the filter size is important. I recommend a 2501, which is a dual gradient and has a 25-01 micron nominal rating. anything above 5ppm requires chemical injection imo

 

[Reach4]

I often suggest a poly spun 20" filter to remove the ferric iron, then an aio or aio3 unit to oxidize and remove the remaining ferrous iron.

Don't you think that the backwashing iron filter will serve to also filter out what comes in as ferric iron? I would follow that with the cartridge.

 

[Water Guy]

Don't you think that the backwashing iron filter will serve to also filter out what comes in as ferric iron? I would follow that with the cartridge.

possibly, but your overloading the katalox unnecessarily. I've had good results with the above. the 2501 will keep the pressure from dropping, but should be checked after 3 months to determine frequency of changes, when the center is reached it's done. I think where most people run into problems with pressure/flow issues is from using 10 mic or cheap wound filters.

 

[Reach4]

possibly, but your overloading the katalox unnecessarily. I've had good results with the above. the 2501 will keep the pressure from dropping, but should be checked after 3 months to determine frequency of changes, when the center is reached it's done. I think where most people run into problems with pressure/flow issues is from using 10 mic or cheap wound filters.

I am a little shocked that you would be backwashing a KL filter through a 1 micron filter. KL takes some significant backwash flow, and DGD 2501 filters make some significant backpressure. Have you put a pressure gauge at the input of the backwashing filter during backwash? I use a DGD 2501-20 currently, and was planning to just use a 5005-20 next time. I go well over a year between cartridges changes, but that cartridge is after my backwashing filter.

 

[Water Guy]

I am a little shocked that you would be backwashing a KL filter through a 1 micron filter. KL takes some significant backwash flow, and DGD 2501 filters make some significant backpressure. Have you put a pressure gauge at the input of the backwashing filter during backwash? I use a DGD 2501-20 currently, and was planning to just use a 5005-20 next time. I go well over a year between cartridges changes, but that cartridge is after my backwashing filter.

haven't check the pressure, but I backwash at 2 days and haven't had a problem with H2S or iron bleed through over many installs. I do however always make sure the PT at 40/60.

 

[Water Guy]

also keep in mind those are nominal ratings, not actual. so it likely isn't 1 mic, maybe more like 5 imo

 

[hutt132]

Your plan works. A Pentek 4.5x20 housing does not cost much more, and will either have half of the backpressure or twice the cartridge life. However the sump weighs more when you unscrew it to change cartridges.

You normally feed the outside faucets with water before the filter, although a few also like to have one softened tap for outdoor car cleaning etc.

I could go with the 20" Pentek 150233 then if you say it will have better pressure than the 10".

My idea was to have a ~20 Micron filter before the softener so sand and silt don't wreck it over time.
Then I was going to put a 5 Micron filter after the softener because I heard it could catch any resin that may make it out of the softener.

 

[Reach4]

I could go with the 20" Pentek 150233 then if you say it will have better pressure than the 10".

My idea was to have a ~20 Micron filter before the softener so sand and silt don't wreck it over time.
Then I was going to put a 5 Micron filter after the softener because I heard it could catch any resin that may make it out of the softener.

Put in a boiler drain valve after the filter. You can mount a GHT pressure gauge on that to know how much pressure is making it through. This will help let you know if the filter cartridge needs changing, and will let you decide if you want a different cartridge when you are ready to swap cartridges.

a larger micron filter to get the 'big' stuff out.

I was thinking you were thinking of 100 micron or 50 micron.

If curtiswater can backwash KL thru a front-end 1 micron nominal filter, you could go 5 micron before a softener (which takes about 33% as much to backwash as KL). I backwash my softener through a 1 micron nominal filter currently. However significant courser filtering has already been done before my one micron cartridge.

 

[Water Guy]

Got my water tested.

231 tds
12 gpg
Less than 0.5ppm iron

sorry got off topic some.lol your plan seems good. if your just looking to protect your equipment from sand, silt a 20 mic filter should suffice. add around 2 - 3ppm to hardness setting on softener for your iron. you could also benefit from a under sink RO, although you are within EPA recommended tds levels of 500 ppm max, an RO would bring you down to around 23 tds, which will make your coffee/ tea taste better.

 

[Reach4]

sorry got off topic some.lol your plan seems good. if your just looking to protect your equipment from sand, silt a 20 mic filter should suffice. add around 2 - 3ppm to hardness setting on softener for your iron. you could also benefit from a under sink RO, although you are within EPA recommended tds levels of 500 ppm max, an RO would bring you down to around 23 tds, which will make your coffee/ tea taste better.

My TDS is over 500, and I find no problem with that. On the other hand, I am confident I would not be happy with 0.3 iron.

 

[ditttohead]

Got my water tested.

231 tds
12 gpg
Less than 0.5ppm iron

Comprehensive. Meaning a full well test. The information you have is interesting but is the equivalent of an auto mechanic listening to your car over the phone and saying "its a great car!". A real test will give us an indication of what is going on. It will also look for many contaminants that can be harmful or difficult to remove etc. A real test should be done at minimum every few years or when you notice a change in the well. Here is a link to a real testing company. When you own a well, you have the responsibility of testing the water.
NTLWATERTEST

 

[ditttohead]

hmm. I had a cartridge filter like that as the first element in the system and it was a disaster. impossible to keep clean with iron in the water. my iron was 6 times yours and with iron bacteria, so perhaps you will be fine. but why do you think you need it? it will do nothing to remove iron or hardness. the softener is all you need. your water is pretty good to start with, relatively speaking.

if you install the cartridge filter make sure you have some way to bypass it when you run out of cartridges or just get sick of dealing with it.

A filter like that will reduce Ferric ion. Ferrous iron will typically pass through it. iron bacteria as you found out will make a mess of it.

 

[ditttohead]

I could go with the 20" Pentek 150233 then if you say it will have better pressure than the 10".

My idea was to have a ~20 Micron filter before the softener so sand and silt don't wreck it over time.
Then I was going to put a 5 Micron filter after the softener because I heard it could catch any resin that may make it out of the softener.

If the softener is a good quality unit (not the online low price junk) a post filter is not typically needed. I would recommend a simple Hydra before the softener as a junk catch, and possibly follow that with a 5 micron sediment filter BB 20" to catch ferric iron. Again, without a real water report, we are only wild guessing.