Help building new Treatment system (High Iron/Hardness)

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Tizzle

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I am in the process of building my own treatment system. I have a decent idea on what I need, but am looking for advice before making any purchases. New to the forum, and have spent countless hours on research(stopped counting after 20), and have a decent background in chemistry.

10GPM Flow
100-120GPD average use, about 200GPD on weekends

Following Results from a certified lab. I am aware they are incomplete for determining softener size, my friend works for a municipal water plant and this is what I got.

Chloride: 570 mg/L
Sulfate: 1470 mg/L
Alkalinity: 197 mg/L
Calcium: 560 mg/L
Iron: 18.02 mg/L
Turbidity: 11.3 NTU
HPC: MPN = 146

Measured pH on my own at 7.2-7.4

I do have H2S based on my nose, but have smelt much worse on other wells. I did shock my well prior to testing.

My plans: Peroxide injection > 120 Gallon settling tank with blowdown > Katalox Light > Softener.

Questions:
I am not sure how to size the Katalox system, My initial thought is 2, 12x52 tanks (4 cuft) plumbed in parallel or in series? is the 4 cuft overkill? My thought was to oversize the katalox system to remove as much iron as possible to keep stress off the softener due to the hardness. I would set the backwash at different times.

For the softener, I know I am missing magnesium (working on that), but 33GPG in calcium alone and extreme sulfate levels I am leaning towards a twin tank system, likely a 96,000 grain system. Is a twin tank system overkill?

Any help is greatly appreciated, I am more than competent to install and set up the system myself, just trying to save 5-8k from having a company install it. I am also a firm believer in not paying someone for something that I can capable of doing myself.

Thanks,
Tyler
 

Taylorjm

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From what I've discovered with my peroxide injection. I inject it before the pressure tank so it runs when the pump fills up the tank. 84 gallon tank with about 20 gallon drawdown. I don't have near as much iron as you, only about 4ppm, but I immediately noticed that the 5 micron big blue 4.5x20 sediment filter was catching a lot more iron than before the peroxide injection. From what I researched, the peroxide will convert the clear iron into something a filter can remove. So I'm not sure you need an iron removal filter like your katalox system or not. Others will know more than me. I think the only way your katalox system with two tanks can be used is if they are made with the heads that attach to each other in a dual tank setup, not just single tank in series or parallel. I'll be interested in what others say. I was thinking of replacing my big blue sediment with a carbon backwashing filter. Maybe your katalox system would be better? I don't know. Good luck.
 

Tizzle

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Talorjm, Thanks for the reply. A carbon or katalox system would certainly be better than a standard sediment filter, but do you need it? maybe have your water tested post filter to see if its worth it. Its my understanding that Katalox is the best media for iron Removal and requires less GPM for backwash since its a lighter media.

I am either going to tap into the pressure switch and inject before the pressure tank or install a flow switch to inject post pressure tank. I am concerned with iron sedimentation in the pressure tank, perhaps that's overthinking it... The iron precipitate in my toilets has me questions injecting before the pressure tank.

I have ferrous iron, in theory a submicron (.35) sediment filter would work if you are precipitating most of the iron, but I don't expect it to.katalox will help clean up sulfide and Iron that doesn't precipitate or settle.

The tanks would be set up in parallel like in the picture, or in series like in the link below.

https://www.watchwater.de/katalyst-light-iron-manganese-and-hydrogen-sulfide-removal/
 

Taylorjm

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I don't quite understand the part about dual tank in parallel or series part. I've only seen dual tank softeners that when one is used up, the second takes over while the first backwashes, then when the second is used up it goes back to the first. I don't understand quite how your setup would work. The first filter tank is going to do all the work and the second isn't going to do anything in series. I also don't know about putting them in parallel either. I honestly don't think you can use two single tanks effectively. I have extremely hard water, 60 gpg, and my softener is rated at 72,000. I was considering adding a second softener to increase capacity but the only way I would be able to do it is do some replumbing and put the second softener on my hot water feed from the well. So one softener will feed the cold water and one the hot water. So they would regenerate at different times. I can only see your setup happening the same way.
 

Taylorjm

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I would get some iron in the toilets but only if the water would sit a few days. Then when you flushed you can see where the water level was. After the peroxide injection, I don't have that issue. So the ferrous iron was turned to ferric in my pressure tank, and filtered out with the sediment filter. I'll have to wait and see how quickly the sediment filter clogs up this summer when everyone is up at the house. I may also go from the 5 micron to the 25 micron and see what happens. I also would get some sulfur smell when the water would sit a long time, like in the hot water heater that would be turned off. The peroxide injection removed that as well.
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