Black specks in my water after water softner and tannin filter installed

[ssla77]

Hi can anyone help me out? I had a culligan water softner and a tannin filter installed about a month ago and now I have small black specs in my water and its mostly in the hot water. The black specs are not resin beads and are not slimy(manganese)-fyi. Culligan told me to flush my water softner and I did but the black specs are still there. I read online that it could be corrosion from the water heater itself or corrosion in the water lines to the water heater since the black specs are mostly visible on the hot water side. I dont know what I should do from here but it sounds like I might need to buy a new water softner which stinks because it still works perfect. The black specs were not there before getting the softner and tannin filter installed. Should I get my water tested? Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you

 

[ditttohead]

Is it a tannin selective resin? If so this is an anion resin which can act as a dealkalizer as well as reducing tannins. This can create a considerable change in the pH of you water. A significant change in the pH may affect the water heater. I would purge the water heater multiple times for a few days.

There are many ways to reduce tannins and we do all of them... tannin selective resin, chlorination/dechlorination etc... my preferred method so far has been to use this version. It seems to be the most effective but it is not the most efficient design.

https://view.publitas.com/impact-water-products/2018-catalog-final/page/34-35

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ssla77]

Is it a tannin selective resin? If so this is an anion resin which can act as a dealkalizer as well as reducing tannins. This can create a considerable change in the pH of you water. A significant change in the pH may affect the water heater. I would purge the water heater multiple times for a few days.

There are many ways to reduce tannins and we do all of them... tannin selective resin, chlorination/dechlorination etc... my preferred method so far has been to use this version. It seems to be the most effective but it is not the most efficient design.

https://view.publitas.com/impact-water-products/2018-catalog-final/page/34-35

Ok. I will check what type of tannin filter it is and get the ph tested and get back to you. Thanks for the advice!

 

[Bannerman]

Should I get my water tested?

Assuming your water source is a private well, periodic lab testing is always advisable and usually necessary when there is a specific issue. Every water source has a unique composition so it is often necessary to establish which minerals and contaminants and their quantities are contained when planning which water treatment method and sizing is required.

Municipal water sources are generally tested multiple times each year. Lab results are often posted online by the water supplier.

Photos of these black specks may or may not be helpful to recognize their composition. If your plumbing has been exposed to hard, mineral-rich water for some time, there may be a build-up of minerals (scale) within the pipes and water heater that the softened water is now starting to dissolve. Depending on the composition, scale may not always be white in colour nor does it necessarily dissolve into fine particles but may break away in larger particles.

Have you flushed your water heater to eliminate debris from the tank?

Have you obtained a sample of water directly after the softener and tannin filter to establish if these specks are actually originating from those devices?

 

[ssla77]

Assuming your water source is a private well, periodic lab testing is always advisable and usually necessary when there is a specific issue. Every water source has a unique composition so it is often necessary to establish which minerals and contaminants and their quantities are contained when planning which water treatment method and sizing is required.

Municipal water sources are generally tested multiple times each year. Lab results are often posted online by the water supplier.

Photos of these black specks may or may not be helpful to recognize their composition. If your plumbing has been exposed to hard, mineral-rich water for some time, there may be a build-up of minerals (scale) within the pipes and water heater that the softened water is now starting to dissolve. Depending on the composition, scale may not always be white in colour nor does it necessarily dissolve into fine particles but may break away in larger particles.

Have you flushed your water heater to eliminate debris from the tank?

Have you obtained a sample of water directly after the softener and tannin filter to establish if these specks are actually originating from those devices?

Yes i have flushed the water heater and plan on getting my water tested and I will let you know results. Thanks for responding

 

[Reach4]

Yes i have flushed the water heater and plan on getting my water tested and I will let you know results.

I doubt that water testing has a value in troubleshooting this.

 

[ditttohead]

If you want to be sure it is not coming from the water treatment equipment, simply install a Hydra filter after the units. This is a great filter for this application.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a3c37f_f1f26caa79684e4697c2ec5cf6c53ff6.pdf

 

[ssla77]

If you want to be sure it is not coming from the water treatment equipment, simply install a Hydra filter after the units. This is a great filter for this application.

https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/a3c37f_f1f26caa79684e4697c2ec5cf6c53ff6.pdf

Ok- thanks

 

[ssla77]

Assuming your water source is a private well, periodic lab testing is always advisable and usually necessary when there is a specific issue. Every water source has a unique composition so it is often necessary to establish which minerals and contaminants and their quantities are contained when planning which water treatment method and sizing is required.

Municipal water sources are generally tested multiple times each year. Lab results are often posted online by the water supplier.

Photos of these black specks may or may not be helpful to recognize their composition. If your plumbing has been exposed to hard, mineral-rich water for some time, there may be a build-up of minerals (scale) within the pipes and water heater that the softened water is now starting to dissolve. Depending on the composition, scale may not always be white in colour nor does it necessarily dissolve into fine particles but may break away in larger particles.

Have you flushed your water heater to eliminate debris from the tank?

Have you obtained a sample of water directly after the softener and tannin filter to establish if these specks are actually originating from those devices?

 

[ssla77]

Photos of the black particles are now posted above

 

[ditttohead]

At this point the best solution is to add a post filter to ensure it is not coming from the equipment. If that is the case then you simply have clean water going into dirty plumbing. This higher quality water can cause this issue. If you are semi DIY you may want to purge the bottom of the water heater and replace the Sacrificial anode. The powered anodes seem to work extremely well and are worth the slightly higher cost. Sacrificial anodes are just that, they sacrifice themselves to protect the plumbing. This sacrifice can be part of the cause.

You could add a hot water filter after the water heater but I am not a fan of this solution.

 

[ssla77]

How do i get a water sample directly after the softner?

 

[ditttohead]

If you have a washtub sink then simply turn on the cold water for a while and see what comes out. This will be close enough.

 

[Reach4]

When you add your new cartridge filter, also add a boiler drain valve. This would not only let you draw a sample, it would let you put on a garden hose thread pressure gauge if you wanted to measure pressure.

Being able to measure pressure before and after a filter can also be useful.