Help with.. black sediment?

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Could use some thoughts on this.
customer complained of foul odor and black sediment. no iron, .02 ppm Manganese, Coliform positive. Slight H2S hot and cold (tankless WH). Installed 75/25 mic filter, clack ozone unit (programmed properly, 9.6 GPM backwash button, 3/4 pex drain line, 1.5 CF KL, and 6gpm UV. Pressure tank is old but works fine and is at 40/60 with 37 psi. I normally clear the sediment from old PT by filling it for a couple seconds, drain, repeat till clear, then put the unit in service. he has no drain down on his PT, so I filled the filter housing with chlorine and bypassed the tank. I ran the tub and a lot of black sediment came out. it ran clear and I had him put the tank in service the next day. he's now complaining the black sediment is back. I see this as an impossibility that it's getting through the 75/25 mic and 1.5 CF KL. I'm thinking maybe it's KL? could use some thoughts on the subject. I should also mention he has galvanized coming from the well. He now wants me to sell him a PT.
 
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Reach4

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It could be sediment from the WH. Iron sulfide precipitate is black.

Try flushing the WH, and pay attention particularly to the first water out. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....o-flush-a-hot-water-heater.79444/#post-576623 post #7.
I should also mention he has galvanized coming from the well. He now wants me to sell him a PT.
PT-- pressure tank. Hmmm. Guess he suspects the diaphragm is disintegrating.

Well and plumbing sanitizing might help, but my method is too long for expensive hours. Maybe you could streamline it. I put a 20x4.5 cartridge filter in line with my recirculation water ( I have an extra housing). My two previous times I put in a used cartridge in that housing. I just bought a washable pleated one I will try this next time. In my case the cartridge catches some orange stuff -- not a lot.
 
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It could be sediment from the WH. Iron sulfide precipitate is black.

Try flushing the WH, and pay attention particularly to the first water out. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....o-flush-a-hot-water-heater.79444/#post-576623 post #7.

PT-- pressure tank. Hmmm. Guess he suspects the diaphragm is disintegrating.

Well and plumbing sanitizing might help, but my method is too long for expensive hours. Maybe you could streamline it. I put a 20x4.5 cartridge filter in line with my recirculation water ( I have an extra housing). My two previous times I put in a used cartridge in that housing. I just bought a washable pleated one I will try this next time. In my case the cartridge catches some orange stuff -- not a lot.
it's a tankless. I'm honestly not familiar with them. he says it's in the hot and cold.
 

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I agree with you on iron. How is it getting through though? maybe it's stripping off the house lines? I'm at a loss thinking about it.
 

Reach4

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I should also mention he has galvanized coming from the well. He now wants me to sell him a PT.
Ferrous iron goes right through cartridge filters. Sulfate goes through filters IRB uses iron and sulfate to make iron sulfide. There can be other products. I know magnesium anodes help promote the reactions. I am not expert, but I have read what I can because I am interested.

Maybe UV would be useful to kill all bacteria at the point of the light. That would include IRB and SRB. After the light is working, you would need to sanitize everything downstream of the UV.
 

ditttohead

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Sounds like old plumbing, clean water, this equals dirty water. You can do a couple of simple tests. Run the water at high velocity for ten minutes to the tub then test to see if the color goes away. Then do a short run to the tub in the morning after the water has been sitting in the pipes overnight. If you see a difference, then it is simply the clean water cleaning the pipes and there is basically no solution other than time and patience. You could attempt acid cleaning the pipes after the water treatment equipment, but this is obviously not highly recommended.
 

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It could be sediment from the WH. Iron sulfide precipitate is black.

Try flushing the WH, and pay attention particularly to the first water out. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....o-flush-a-hot-water-heater.79444/#post-576623 post #7.

PT-- pressure tank. Hmmm. Guess he suspects the diaphragm is disintegrating.

Well and plumbing sanitizing might help, but my method is too long for expensive hours. Maybe you could streamline it. I put a 20x4.5 cartridge filter in line with my recirculation water ( I have an extra housing). My two previous times I put in a used cartridge in that housing. I just bought a washable pleated one I will try this next time. In my case the cartridge catches some orange stuff -- not a lot.
I originally told him I do PTs as well in case his was compromised when I adjusted it. it was fine. I told him that. I also told him he could use a drain down. He's somehow under the impression a new PT will solve the black sediment problem.
 

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Sounds like old plumbing, clean water, this equals dirty water. You can do a couple of simple tests. Run the water at high velocity for ten minutes to the tub then test to see if the color goes away. Then do a short run to the tub in the morning after the water has been sitting in the pipes overnight. If you see a difference, then it is simply the clean water cleaning the pipes and there is basically no solution other than time and patience. You could attempt acid cleaning the pipes after the water treatment equipment, but this is obviously not highly recommended.
Thank you. that's a simple test. I suspect it is exactly that. The customer can be vague, so I'll get a look Thursday. Here's a pic.

20210501_161507.jpg
 

Reach4

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That is a UV, right? Do you need to re-sanitize each time there is a power outage?
 

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yes it's a Viqua UV. no, I just change the bulb yearly
I would consider sanitizing the plumbing including the WH and all pipes and faucets, and path to dishwasher and washer and humidifier and fridge. UV will kill new stuff coming in, but it will not kill established colonies downstream.
 

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I would consider sanitizing the plumbing including the WH and all pipes and faucets, and path to dishwasher and washer and humidifier and fridge. UV will kill new stuff coming in, but it will not kill established colonies downstream.
ya. I shocked it with CL prior
 

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You really shouldn't use pex directly off of the UV like that. UV will damage pex. Best to use a section of copper off of the UV then transition to pex. Also the UV housing is mounted upside down.
 
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You really shouldn't use pex directly off of the UV like that. UV will damage pex. Best to use a section of copper off of the UV then transition to pex. Also the UV housing is mounted upside down.
UV only accelerates chlorine degradation in pex. The UV can go any direction. the key is to make sure you have the room to get the bulb out. tight space under the stairs. Your installation space limitations will dictate how the layout best fits.
 
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