How to determine when Katalox Light is needing replacement?

[WellOff]

The general question is how to determine when Katalox Light media is exhausted. And more specifically, If KL is failing to remove H2O2 does that mean it is exhausted?

I currently have 3 1/2 years and 177,000 gallons of water run through my setup (1.5 cu-ft). Incoming water to the backwash filter is pre-treated with H2O2 (injected into a contact tank).

Historic post-contact-tank H2O2 readings have tended to be in the 1 ppm to 2 ppm range (consistent solution mixture and feed rates). My recent reading showed 3.8 ppm. I suspect water variation, most likely less IRB (likely consistent iron- about 2 ppm, and consistent [low] manganese).

The suspected tell-tale signs I currently am experiencing are:

1) Water taste has turned "biting"/"tingling. This is similar to what I used to experience before I was using KL- it was due to [a very low amount of] manganese (why I'm running KL).

2) I'm measuring H2O2 residual out of my house faucets of somewhere in the 1 ppm to 2 ppm range when I'd never had any measurable amounts before.

3) When I recently changed my [final]l Big Blue filter (earlier than normal) it seemed to show signs of higher iron making its way to the filter and housing (water was a lot more iron-laden than I'd previously encountered).

4) I manually ran a backwash cycle and it looked only lightly cruddy, but the scheduled backwash (every two days) had run earlier in the morning.

KL is supposed to burn up H2O2 (up to far higher amounts than I'm currently seeing going in). Since I'm having a relatively high amount bleeding through am I looking at needing to replace this KL? This would be the first time I'd be changing out exhausted KL.

 

[WellOff]

I replaced the media and...

I'm still getting a fairly high H2O2 reading at my tap. I'm averaging 2.5ppm. Post contact tank I'm averaging 2.6ppm.

Have I misunderstood that KL is supposed to neutralize H2O2? The documentation just doesn't provide any concrete statement on H2O2 AND various quips on the Internet (AI included) say that KL should not be exposed to H2O2 because it'll degrade: people on this forum have said that H2O2 doesn't really affect KL.

 

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[TJanak]

I've never read that Katalox is supposed to reduce H2O2. Is the thinking that with the appropriate amount injected you get oxidation in the Katalox and therefore a low residual? I don't use H2O2 but do use sodium hypochlorite. A detectable free residual should mean oxidation is complete. Katalox literature recommends H2O2 as one oxidant to use.

 

[Reach4]

I replaced the media and...

I'm still getting a fairly high H2O2 reading at my tap. I'm averaging 2.5ppm. Post contact tank I'm averaging 2.6ppm.

Have I misunderstood that KL is supposed to neutralize H2O2? The documentation just doesn't provide any concrete statement on H2O2 AND various quips on the Internet (AI included) say that KL should not be exposed to H2O2 because it'll degrade: people on this forum have said that H2O2 doesn't really affect KL.

Interesting observations.

Note that 2.5 ppm at the tap is a lower residual than would be used when H2O2 is used for mucipal water disinfection instead of chlorine or chloramine.

 

[WellOff]

The KL literature is all over the place vis a vis H2O2. I guess that, based on I think it was user dittohead saying that he'd soaked KL in H2O2 for a period of time without any affect, which would seem to indicate that if it doesn't degrade the KL then the KL isn't acting on it. So...

I'm changing my understanding of KL and H2O2, with thanks to input here.

NOTE: I use H2O2 to deal with IRB. Shallow well which has tannins and tannins and chlorine, from my understanding, is something to avoid.

 

[BDrivenByDemons]

The KL literature is all over the place vis a vis H2O2. I guess that, based on I think it was user dittohead saying that he'd soaked KL in H2O2 for a period of time without any affect, which would seem to indicate that if it doesn't degrade the KL then the KL isn't acting on it. So...

I'm changing my understanding of KL and H2O2, with thanks to input here.

NOTE: I use H2O2 to deal with IRB. Shallow well which has tannins and tannins and chlorine, from my understanding, is something to avoid.

Pretty sure acids are the only thing to avoid with katalox. Oxidizers are generally ok? I think???

 

[BDrivenByDemons]

The KL literature is all over the place vis a vis H2O2. I guess that, based on I think it was user dittohead saying that he'd soaked KL in H2O2 for a period of time without any affect, which would seem to indicate that if it doesn't degrade the KL then the KL isn't acting on it. So...

I'm changing my understanding of KL and H2O2, with thanks to input here.

NOTE: I use H2O2 to deal with IRB. Shallow well which has tannins and tannins and chlorine, from my understanding, is something to avoid.

Pretty sure acids are the only thing to avoid with katalox. Oxidizers are generally ok? I think???

 

[Reach4]

I use H2O2 to deal with IRB. Shallow well which has tannins and tannins and chlorine, from my understanding, is something to avoid.

What would the problem be with tannins and chlorine?

When you say shallow, do you mean like a dug well that is maybe 20 ft deep?

 

[WellOff]

Once again I was running with old info (and cannot recall where I'd heard it):

Chloramines in Drinking Water | US EPA

Chloramines are disinfectants used to treat drinking water. Chloramines are most commonly formed when ammonia is added to chlorine to treat drinking water. Chloramines provide longer-lasting disinfection as the water moves through pipes to consumers.

www.epa.gov

Anyway, I much prefer to use H2O2 for my needs. The utilization rate is stupidly low (in which case, up to now, cost is insignificant).

I've got a drilled well of only 38'. It's impossible to not hit water here! Last year I recorded just shy of 73" of rain.

I really believe that the water chemistry has slowly changed on me (and I've been slow to notice and react). My spin-down filter isn't really getting slimed up like in the past, which would tend to suggest that there's less IRB in the water and that my solution concentration is now higher than it needs to be (less H2O2 being consumed). This has increased H2O2 at my tap and that is what first got my attention (thinking it was something else).