Advice on treatment

[Jason Bryan]

We are redoing the well water treatment in the house we just purchased. Current setup has:

• Water inlet to Calcium Carbonate tank
• Flows to Katalox
• Flows to Softener

I replaced media in softener with SST-60 and replaced greensand with Katalox. Katalox is currently using PotPerm for regenerate. The house has some problems with H2S, planning to shock the well into the house to attempt to treat. Would also like to switch from PotPerm to Bleach for KL regenerate. So, immediate questions are:

• Advice on this approach? Looking at continuous regeneration with Stenner pump and holding tank. Is there something "better" anyone has used?
• Where to put the injection and holding tank? Before or after calcium carbonate? Could the calcium carbonate tank act as a holding tank? It is backwashed, but the flow rate is not proper and needs to be addressed, but looks like it has been this way since the system was installed.
• I have seen some material saying KL does not need chemical treatment, only backwashing. Thoughts on that?
• Do plan on putting a carbon filter in to remove chlorine, but am targeting for after the H2S issue is resolved...meaning, I'm fine with some residual chlorine in the system for a bit (and will bypass softener while it is in there) to sanitize the inside plumbing.

Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

1. KL needs a lot of flow for backwash. What diameter is your KL tank?
2. The way you have it, the KL backwash water will have to pass through the calcium carbonate tank. Is the pressure drop going to be too much?
3. Should the KL be before the calcium carbonate, or after. I don't know. https://www.watchwater.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/katalox-light-and-high-pH.pdf has pH occuring 30 times, but I still don't know whether it works better before or after the calcium carbinate.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

Calcium Carbonate goes before the KL, iron reduction systems typically work better with higher pH. What we really need to give you advice is a water report. Can you post your lab report?

 

[Jason Bryan]

Thank you all for your input. I've sent the water out for analysis but haven't gotten anything back. My own workup showed a pH of 6.4 with 3 grains hardness and iron 0.2 PPM. I'll post the lab results when I get them.

The current system is using old Fleck 5600 heads (the dial types). I don't think much has been done to maintain them; everything was pretty well clogged when I pulled the valves apart. They also had standard DLFCs in them with 1/2 inch pex to the drain. Fine for the resin, not so much for KL or CC. I replaced the DLFC with 5.0 for the KL. I don't think the 5600 is rated for the flow rates CC would need, so I left it alone. I figure it is a load of concrete in the bottom of that tank. I may switch out the head to something that can support the flow rates CC needs as part of this.

I don't have any information on the well pump. I've measured it pulling 1400 watts while running. I think that puts it a little over the 1.5HP range, with a lot of assumptions about its efficiency. Don't have any flow rates, there aren't any spigots after the pressure tank, and the only one inside is mashed to the floor. I plan on installing some once I get the chlorine injection figured out.

 

[Reach4]

They also had standard DLFCs in them with 1/2 inch pex to the drain. Fine for the resin, not so much for KL or CC. I replaced the DLFC with 5.0 for the KL. I don't think the 5600 is rated for the flow rates CC would need, so I left it alone.

8 inch tank? If 10 inch, you could just take the DLFC out. KL needs more backwashing flow than carbon.

 

[Jason Bryan]

10 inch. Sorry, CC=Calcium Carbonate.

I _THINK_ there is a 7.0 button for the 5600...decided not to overdo it, but removing it may not be a bad idea...

 

[Reach4]

10 inch. Sorry, CC=Calcium Carbonate.

I was thinking catalytic carbon or Centaur Carbon-- what my iron+H2S system uses. My 5600SXT draws from a solution tank with bleach solution during the regeneration, and rinses that out before going back into service. KL could benefit from a solution tank with bleach solution.

Anyway, you would like about 8 gpm for KL with a 10 inch tank -- about what a 5600 will do with no DLFC.
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/fleck-5600sxt-or-5810sxt.74535/

 

[Jason Bryan]

Yes, that's what I'd like to do here. But instead of using bleach during regeneration, I'd like to use a constant injection with maybe a holding tank (if the CC wouldn't be a good holding tank). Just not sure if I should inject before or after the calcium carbonate. It's laughable because there is a 5600 on the CC tank with a 1/2 inch drain line. Neither the 5600 nor the 1/2 inch line will support the flow rates the CC needs (its a 12 or 14 inch tank) during backwash.

Really, I'd like to leave a little chlorine in the line to keep the house clean before installing a carbon filter later this year...but it may be okay to just use bleach during regeneration. If I went that route, I'd probably need to switch out the head or rebuild the current one. How long are you doing the rinse with bleach?

Also, I found the inspection report which confirms most of my numbers, but there are some oddities on there:

Total Chlorine: 2
Cyanuric Acid: 30-50

Any thoughts on how Chlorine and Cyanuric acid got in a well? Knee-jerk is the previous owners threw pool chlorine tablets down the well (we also have a pool, wonder if they just used end of season chlorine in there)?

 

[Reach4]

Really, I'd like to leave a little chlorine in the line to keep the house clean before installing a carbon filter later this year...but it may be okay to just use bleach during regeneration. If I went that route, I'd probably need to switch out the head or rebuild the current one. How long are you doing the rinse with bleach?

I am actually using the rapid rinse for the rinsing.
BW 10
BD 4 brings in (15/11)=1.37 gallons of solution each time.
RR 5
BF 0

 

[Jason Bryan]

Thank you! Household strength bleach? About how often?

 

[Reach4]

Thank you! Household strength bleach? About how often?

I use one bottle of Aldi almost-a-gallon 8% every 33 days. Top up 15 gallon solution tank with soft water. Regens every 3 days. 33 days was just how long it happens to take to suck out the solution tank. Computer calendar reminds to fill solution tank the day after the 11th regen, and I have 2.5 days to attend to that. I suspect I have a white injector.

Used to use gallon of 6% bleach, because that is what was on the shelf. Not critical dosing.