Black water filter cartridge

[Rman]

I drilled a new well two years ago to 325 ft with 3/4 hp 10 gpm pump set at 300ft. The well produces 4 gpm. The water tested great nothing out of range. But I have a big blue filter between the pressure tank and water softener it’s a 10/100 micron pentek type cartridge that turns Black in about 30 days. Is this iron ( not the orange type iron). Getting expensive replacing these filters
Can I remove and clean with sink water and reuse? Should I change to a different type of filter?

 

[Reach4]

Why do you think that is iron? I think iron sulfide is black, but you may have sediment or manganese. Manganese would have a taste, and it is a health problem. The most convenient removal of solids is with a big backwashing filter. You can get filter media that is just mechanically filtering sediment, and you can have media that takes out other stuff, including ferrous iron, and other stuff, but also filters mechanically. My backwashing iron+H2s filter is first in line. So not much makes it my 20x4.5 cartridges. Maybe I should have had a course filter before the backwashing filter to take out sand/pebbles. Pebbles won't backwash back out. I think my sand and pebble amount is not big.


There are washable cartridges for your Big Blue housing..

https://www.homedepot.com/p/APEC-Water-Systems-Whole-House-4-5-in-x-20-in-30-Micron-Reusable-and-Pleated-Sediment-Filter-FI-SED20-BB/206501573 is a washable pleated polyester filter. I have not tried a washable cartridge. I replace my filters less frequently than annually.

When I change cartridges, I lightly lube the o-ring with Molykote 111. I also keep spare o-rings.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Rman]

Why do you think that is iron? I think iron sulfide is black, but you may have sediment or manganese. Manganese would have a taste, and it is a health problem. The most convenient removal of solids is with a big backwashing filter. You can get filter media that is just mechanically filtering sediment, and you can have media that takes out other stuff, including ferrous iron, and other stuff, but also filters mechanically. My backwashing iron+H2s filter is first in line. So not much makes it my 20x4.5 cartridges. Maybe I should have had a course filter before the backwashing filter to take out sand/pebbles. Pebbles won't backwash back out. I think my sand and pebble amount is not big.


There are washable cartridges for your Big Blue housing..

https://www.homedepot.com/p/APEC-Water-Systems-Whole-House-4-5-in-x-20-in-30-Micron-Reusable-and-Pleated-Sediment-Filter-FI-SED20-BB/206501573 is a washable pleated polyester filter. I have not tried a washable cartridge. I replace my filters less frequently than annually.

When I change cartridges, I lightly lube the o-ring with Molykote 111. I also keep spare o-rings.

could you provide me a link or picture of your backwash filter system. Sounds right to back flush the crap before clogging up the BB filter. There’s no sediment in the filter or housing when I replace the cartridge. Water tastes great so probably not manganese
Thanks

 

[Reach4]

A backwashing filter looks like a water softener. Mine is a 54x10 inch tank with a Fleck 5600SXT atop it. That control can backwash light media like mine. If you only want to do mechanical filtering, Filter AG is one of the medias. It would backwash at around 5 gpm like my Centaur Carbon. Softeners have brine tanks. Filters usually don't but mine has a solution tank that I refill with bleach and water every 33 days. The bleach is rinsed out before the filter goes back into service. There are valves that can backwash at higher rates, and can thus support heavier media or bigger tanks.

Take some crud from one of your filters, and put it into a lidded glass jar with water. Shake it up. How fast does the crud settle? There are other smaller filters that don't have a controller, but run the water through a screen. At the turn of a knob, the water runs backwards through the screen, and the accumulated sediment washes out the bottom into a hose. Lakos Twist-II-Clean used to be a top unit in that category, but their quality is said to have slipped.

You should probably get a lab water test. Might as well see if anything else could use attention, since that might be very little extra vs something like Filter AG.