Assistance with Whole House Water Treatment

[Networkwasher]

I'm piecing together a value-driven whole house water treatment system and could use some assistance with the final details. I currently have:

5-Stage RO System feeding refrigerator water dispenser (INSTALLED)
40k grain Fleck 5600sxt Water Softener w/ 10% crosslink resin (NOT YET INSTALLED)

I'm now looking at whether or not I would benefit from a whole house prefilter setup. I have been eyeing a 3-cartridge setup here (http://www.servapure.com/BBFS-222SSC-SedimentSedimentTaste-Odor-System_p_2276.html) configured with 1x 20->1 micron sediment filter and 2x carbon block filters.

Use Case

Bathrooms: 3
Household: 2 adults, 1 child
Hardness: 14
Iron: 0.05
Water Source: City​

My direct questions:
1. Is prefiltration necessary in this setup and if so, what advantages will be seen?
2. If prefiltration is necessary, what are your thoughts on the 3-cartridge unit previously linked?

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. I'm anxious to install the water softener, but need to firm-up the prefiltration plans first. Thanks!

 

[Bannerman]

That filter would be better suited for point-of-use (single faucet) than for point-of-entry. A proper carbon filter for point-of-entry would be comparable in size to a water softener, and also utilize a backwashing valve. Carbon cartridges for POE applications contain too little media to offer much benefit, and for the little benefit obtained, would require frequent and costly replacement.

A sediment pre-filter may be useful if the water contains visible silt or rust, but if relatively clear, the 5600 will backwash the resin when the usable capacity has been utilized, which will also flush to drain, any sediment that does enter. If a sediment filter is desired, suggest a larger 'Big Blue' type with a 4" diameter cartridge. The 20" length version should ensure minimal flow restriction.

Since your water source is municipal, the water will be chlorinated so therefore, any iron contained in the raw water, will be oxidized by the chlorine and so should no longer add to the load on the softener. 10% crosslink resin can better withstand continuous chlorine exposure than standard (8%) resin.

Since the city water is likely obtained from multiple sources, the hardness level will usually vary due to time of day or seasonal demands and also well maintenance. It is commonly recommended to program hardness as 2 or 3 grains harder then actually tested at your home.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Networkwasher]

That filter would be better suited for point-of-use (single faucet) than for point-of-entry. A proper carbon filter for point-of-entry would be comparable in size to a water softener, and also utilize a backwashing valve. Carbon cartridges for POE applications contain too little media to offer much benefit, and for the little benefit obtained, would require frequent and costly replacement.

A sediment pre-filter may be useful if the water contains visible silt or rust, but if relatively clear, the 5600 will backwash the resin when the usable capacity has been utilized, which will also flush to drain, any sediment that does enter. If a sediment filter is desired, suggest a larger 'Big Blue' type with a 4" diameter cartridge. The 20" length version should ensure minimal flow restriction.

Since your water source is municipal, the water will be chlorinated so therefore, any iron contained in the raw water, will be oxidized by the chlorine and so should no longer add to the load on the softener. 10% crosslink resin can better withstand continuous chlorine exposure than standard (8%) resin.

Since the city water is likely obtained from multiple sources, the hardness level will usually vary due to time of day or seasonal demands and also well maintenance. It is commonly recommended to program hardness as 2 or 3 grains harder then actually tested at your home.

Thanks for the info! There may be a bit of confusion, as the 3-stage filter that I linked to utilizes the 4x20 Big Blue housings and filters. From the sounds of it, this unit may be excessive? Perhaps a single sediment cartridge would be more applicable.

 

[Bannerman]

I wasn't certain on the size of the filters. Most common is 2.5" X 10".

Even with 4" X 20" carbon cartridges, there is limited media for adequate adsorption to occur to remove chemical contaminants at the flow rate expected for point-of-entry filtration. For carbon to be most effective, the quantity of carbon should be adequate so as to not exceed the service flow rate (SFR) related to the contaminates to be removed..

Sediment filtration is intended to remove physical contaminants. As a cartridge has limited surface area, the larger size is recommended to provide higher flow rate and additional surface area to capture debris before the flow rate becomes reduced..

 

[Networkwasher]

I wasn't certain on the size of the filters. Most common is 2.5" X 10".

Even with 4" X 20" carbon cartridges, there is limited media for adequate adsorption to occur to remove chemical contaminants at the flow rate expected for point-of-entry filtration. For carbon to be most effective, the quantity of carbon should be adequate so as to not exceed the service flow rate (SFR) related to the contaminates to be removed..

Sediment filtration is intended to remove physical contaminants. As a cartridge has limited surface area, the larger size is recommended to provide higher flow rate and additional surface area to capture debris before the flow rate becomes reduced..

Do you have any recommendations for a backwashing carbon filter? It would seem that I would need something in the 3 - 4 cu ft range to ensure adequate flow rates. The units I'm finding online are quite expensive.

 

[Bannerman]

Size and media type would be dependant on the contaminants to be removed. If chlorine is your main concern, adsorbtion will be fairly rapid so a smaller GAC filter, usually 1.5 cuft (10" X 54" tank) is often adequate for many homes. Other contaminants may require a larger filter or alternate carbon. Chloramine (chlorine and ammonia) is more difficult to remove than chlorine alone so catalytic carbon will be more effective.

 

[Networkwasher]

Size and media type would be dependant on the contaminants to be removed. If chlorine is your main concern, adsorbtion will be fairly rapid so a smaller GAC filter, usually 1.5 cuft (10" X 54" tank) is often adequate for many homes. Other contaminants may require a larger filter or alternate carbon. Chloramine (chlorine and ammonia) is more difficult to remove than chlorine alone so catalytic carbon will be more effective.

With that in mind, what are your thoughts around this unit/price?

http://www.qualitywaterforless.com/Backwashing_Carbon_Filter_2_0_p/f-70t-cf12.htm

 

[Bannerman]

PM Sent

 

[ditttohead]

I would avoid the 7000 as it was discontinued a while back. As stated above, dont bother with a whole house carbon block filter, completely worthless and cost per gallon treated gets ridiculous quick.