How to clean this valve? And I'm sick of IRON!!!!!

[JustaDIYer]

While I'm still debating what to do with my system to treat the iron, can I clean this valve head and bypass to give me some time? I have new KL media and gravel.



I'm also going to replumb from the pressure tank to the filter to be all 1" piping (right now, it necks down to 3/4" right after the pressure switch going to the house). and 1" between the iron filter and softener.

Regarding my iron filter valve replacement, from what I can gather, AIO would help but possibly not 100% plus it puts air into my pipes and sputtering at the taps frequently, which I don't really want. It seems installing a low velocity loop between the iron filter and softener would get rid of the air which I could do. This looks like the 1" exit from the iron filter would go into this 3" loop and back into 1" for the softener input.

Another thing with AIO, is that periodically, the air injector will get clogged with iron and need cleaning



Another option I see is H2O2 injection post pressure tank and before the iron filter. Again, does this give the iron enough time to oxidize out and get caught by the KL media? Also, would the KL media do alright with excess (if any) H2O2 and what downstream effects excess H2O2 would have. Could I use my current valve head pictured above (cleaned obviously).


Then the last option I see is a new valve with Ozone injector. I think this is just a plain valve replacement.

I'm looking for a rock-solid solution to have no iron into the softener OR into my house fixtures. Also, most cost effective would be nice as well since I've already went thru 2 valves on the iron filter, first one kept getting clogged and, of course, replacement parts were hard to come by (it was also a Fleck).

 

[Reach4]

While I'm still debating what to do with my system to treat the iron, can I clean this valve head and bypass to give me some time? I have new KL media and gravel.

You have them ready to put into the media tank, or you already put them into the tank?

Usually you would remove the top basket. What is your backwash rate and what is your tank diameter? Many people have too-low of a backwash rate. Even with a good backwash rate, the top basket should not be needed. At least your top basket has relatively course slots, and is not totally clogged.

You could rig up something to circulate an Iron Out powder solution thru the places you want to clean that way. https://www.menards.com/main/grocer...er/io10n/p-1444444183163-c-7097.htm?exp=false

I don't expect that to rejuvenate your KL media; at least it did not rejuvenate my Centaur Carbon.

It would have been impressive if the right port of that bypass looked as it does, and the left port was clean.

Another option I see is H2O2 injection post pressure tank and before the iron filter. Again, does this give the iron enough time to oxidize out and get caught by the KL media? Also, would the KL media do alright with excess (if any) H2O2 and what downstream effects excess H2O2 would have. Could I use my current valve head pictured above (cleaned obviously).

You would ideally have a contact and settling tank after the H2O2 injection. That tank would have a blowoff valve to drain the sediment.

Then the current valve could be repurposed to remove the residual H2O2 with GAC.

Instead of a contact and settling tank, since H2O2 is fast, you could inject to a pipe higher up, and let the carbon mechanically filter the sediment... it would backwash out presumably.

Another option would be to inject H2O2 before your KL, and meter it such that you get negligible residual. An oxidant added before KL helps the KL do its thing.

 

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[JustaDIYer]

I haven't put the new media/gravel in the tank yet. Filter tank is 10x54. Tank is sitting empty and currently the valve is on the floor. Just bypassed and straight to softener.

6gpm DLFC on the valve. When I emptied out the old KL media, there were no clumps and came out as fines, so I think my backwash it doing ok.
(obviously not the whole 1.5 cu ft)

Another option would be to inject H2O2 before your KL, and meter it such that you get negligible residual. An oxidant added before KL helps the KL do its thing.

This is what I was thinking, not really wanting a contact tank. Would I be able to keep my current valve with this set up? How do you measure residual H2O2 downstream?



Are you saying I don't need this part on the valve?

 

[Reach4]

I haven't put the new media/gravel in the tank yet. Filter tank is 10x54. Tank is sitting empty and currently the valve is on the floor. Just bypassed and straight to softener.

6gpm DLFC on the valve. When I emptied out the old KL media, there were no clumps and came out as fines, so I think my backwash it doing ok.

Is that a 5800SXT? You would prefer 7 or 8 GPM. If you wanted to try anyway, use either a 7 gpm button (Fleck 60705-70 if 5800SXT or 12408 if 5810SXT)

On the other hand, your media not coming out in clumps is a very good sign.

50% bed expansion is about the point where the expansion hits the top of the tank.

Are you saying I don't need this part on the valve?

Yes. Removal may not be that easy.

Question: How long did your KL work well? The softener also removes iron until you get that fouled. That resin you can clean with Iron Out powder.

 

[JustaDIYer]

It's a 5810SXT. I'll look for a 7 or 8gpm DLFC. By replumbing the supply to 1" all the way into the filter, that should get me more volume as well.


I was able to remove about half of that stack easily just by a quarter turn. I didn't really try the remaining ones. What's the purpose of that stack?


What is the best most fool-proof method to get rid of my iron with least number of headaches for future issues?
- AIO (with low velocity loop); would require new valve
- H2O2 injection ahead of Iron Filter with no contact tank; keep same valve and media
- Ozone; need new valve

How would you measure residual H2O2 downstream?

 

[Reach4]

It's a 5810SXT. I'll look for a 7 or 8gpm DLFC. By replumbing the supply to 1" all the way into the filter, that should get me more volume as well.


How would you measure residual H2O2 downstream?

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[Bannerman]

The recommended backwash rate for KL media is 10-15 gpm/ft2, so, for a 10" diameter tank, this calculates as 5.4-8.1 gpm. Although your 6gpm drain rate is within that range, that is at the low end, so suggest increasing the drain flow rate to 8 gpm.

In addition, the ferric iron accumulation on the upper basket screen, will have been reducing the flow rate during the backwash cycle, so the actual drain rate may have been significantly less than 6 gpm. Recommend removal of the upper basket, to instead utilize an 'umbrella' style diffuser mounted to the riser tube, further down below the control valve within the freeboard space above the media. A diffuser will not impede flow during backwash, but will deflect and spread the incoming service flow across the top of the media, thereby preventing the media directly below the control valve's water inlet from being eroded and washed outward to the side wall of the tank.

If there is any bacteria in the raw well water, including Iron Reducing Bacteria (IRB), injecting air will typically cause a bacteria issue to worsen. Although Hydrogen Peroxide is an excellent oxidizer, it is not recommended when there is any type of bacteria unless the solution strength is quite high, further increasing the peroxide expense above what many are willing to pay. In addition, an extended contact time will be beneficial, such as obtained by utilizing a contact tank directly following peroxide injection. Because hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen, it too can further worsen a bacteria issue when there is any amount of bacteria remaining present in the water.

While Ozone is an effective oxidant and bactericide, when utilized in an AIO3 system as you are proposing, the ozone generator will only operate during the system's regeneration draw cycle. Because ozone has a relatively short half life in water, it is mainly utilized to sanitize the KL media within the tank, thereby reducing the amount of bacteria accumulation in the media. With an AIO3 system, daily regeneration will usually be needed.

When there is any type of bacteria present, the most common recommendation will be to utilize chlorine. Chlorine maybe injected prior to a KL system, thereby causing the chlorine to provide bacteria sanitation and initial iron oxidation, supplementing the oxidation and sediment filtration provided by the KL media.

Regardless of whether chlorine, ozone or hydrogen peroxide is utilized with KL media, recommend utilizing a backwashing carbon filtration system directly following the KL system, but before the softener. The carbon media will eliminate any residual chlorine, ozone or hydrogen peroxide. To obtain the greatest benefit of reduction/removal of many additional types of contaminants such as disinfection by-products (DBPs) and THMs, the minimum recommended quantity of GAC (granular activated carbon) media is 1.5 ft3, but a greater amount of carbon will further increase the water contact time, thereby further supplementing contaminant reduction effectiveness.

Umbrella diffuser shown as part #27-105UMB on the left side of the web page linked HERE.

Suggest posting a full current lab report for your raw well water.

 

[JustaDIYer]

No bacteria at this time. I shock my well periodically.

Not installing a chlorine injection system.


hardness - 40
pH - 7.4
iron - 2.5
Mn - 0.1
no bacteria
nothing more worth noting