Help with Fe/Mn treatment

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jaytee

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Hi there,
First post, apologize if this is in the wrong forum. I'll get right to the point.

Had my home approx 1 year. It is on a well (not sure how deep) that can pump approx 6gpm. New pressure tank was installed before I moved in. House has a reasonably new-ish looking GE water softener that appears to have been severely neglected (was completely out of salt when I moved in). I have given it lots of Iron Out since. Also had a very old/neglected looking iron filter before the softener that I've since replaced with a 1.5 cu.ft. AIO (Clack WS1) with Katalox Light. Also replaced the water heater as it was severely fouled with iron sludge. So to summarize, current setup is well -> pressure tank -> AIO KL filter -> softener -> house plumbing / water heater.

I did have the water tested (tried uploading an image of results but it says the file is too large?) and my problem areas are low pH, iron and manganese. I have since re-tested these myself with Hanna Fe/Mn checkers and pH meter and the raw water is as follows:

pH 6.5
Fe 3.5ppm
Mn 1.5ppm

Water has a yellow tinge to it as well.

I'm still seeing about 0.9ppm iron getting through all the treatment equipment (discoloured water when filling the bathtub, iron staining of toilets, etc.). Not sure I have the right setup and/or that it is working correctly. Do I need to add/replace anything? I'm thinking I need a neutralizing filter ahead of the AIO filter and possibly replacing the water softener (I suspect the resin is somewhat permanently fouled due to neglect). Any advice is appreciated!


PS. I am also replacing all of the plumbing in the house (it was mostly copper that is approx 50 yrs old) with pex using a Viega manabloc system.
 

Bannerman

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If your lab report image size is reduced to 900 pixels, it may then be uploaded. Without reducing the size, the image can be uploaded to a photo hosting site so as to post a link in this thread.

3.5 ppm is considerable and iron removal is usually most effective when pH is >7.

Post the lab results to obtain the most relevant recommendations.
 

jaytee

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Here is the most recent lab test (from approx. 1 yr ago when I bought the house).

upload_2021-8-12_15-8-21.png
 

ditttohead

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Iron can be difficult to remove with low pH without oxidants. Either raise the pH, or add oxidant injection. H2o2 is ideal but have you tested for bacterial issues?
 

jaytee

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Thanks dittohead! I am planning to add a neutralizing filter (1.5cu.ft. corosex). Is it acceptable to throttle the bypass valve on it to control the pH rise (going to target a pH of ~8.5...is this too high/high enough)? How would a throttled bypass affect backwash cycles?

Here is a proposed layout...

The new pieces will be the neutralizing filter and UV filter. Capped, normally closed sample/drain valves after the neutralizing and iron filters should facilitate sampling/adjustments/maintenance.

watertreatment.png
 
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ditttohead

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Definitely consider AIO with ozone. Blend calcite and corosex, but lean more toward the calcite. Use a 13x54 tank instead of the 10x54 for the neutralizer, you can always fil the tank with 1.5 ft3, then add more later if needed, this will also allow you to lean more toward calcite as your volume will be larger. Many of my dealers only use the 13x54, never the 10x54 for neutralizing so that they can control the pH better. You might also consider ozone, see below. Ozone injection is a simple and reliable way to oxidize iron and manganese.
upload_2021-8-24_16-34-31.png
 

jaytee

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I have considered adding an O3 generator to my AIO KL filter however, the water treatment dealer I'm working with only recommends adding O3 if iron bacteria are present (last time I tested, there was no iron bacteria) because the O3 is only added during regens and because it is inherently unstable, it quickly becomes O2. Net effect is that the O3 generator would help sanitize the KL but wouldn't help much with oxidation. I have also considered adding a micronizer to help oxidize the iron/manganese. Not sure where the micronizer should go if I were to add it however.

Can I ask why the larger tank for calcite/corosex? Also, what sort of calcite/corosex ratio should I be trying to achieve? Is there an issue with potential channelling (solidification) of calcite? How often would it need to be topped up on average (I know there are tanks available with a fill port for this kind of thing)?

Thanks again for your input!
 

jaytee

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Dittohead, for your suggestion of using a larger media tank for a neutralizing filter, would that require a higher backwashing flow rate? My well pump only drivers 6.5-7gpm.
 

ditttohead

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Larger tanks allow you to start small, and go big if necessary. We recommend starting with 1.5 ft3 of calcite, test for a few days, if the correction is not adequate, add more calcite, or you can even blend in corosex. Larger tanks require higher backwash rates. What is your water temperature? As to how often to top it off, highly variable. We recommend natural tanks so you can see the calcite level.
 

jaytee

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I was planning to use a 10x54 tank to make sure I have an adequate backwash since I am limited on pump flow. My water temp is approx 15C (59F). Since I am trying to remove a substantial amount of iron/manganese, I am trying to boost the pH above 7 (to ~8.5ish to start) as this aids manganese oxidation. To do this, I was going to start with a 90/10 mixture of calcite/corosex. Does this sound like a good plan?

Thanks again!
 
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