Iron filter backwash times

[Litho]

I live with my wife and we consume about 100 gallons of water each day. We have a Katalox light iron filter and a water softener. Our iron filter is 2.5 cu ft in size, uses a 2510 SXT AIO head, and is set to backwash 14 minutes every three days. Our water softener is 1.5 cu ft, uses a 2510 SXT head, and is set to backwash based on meter consumption.

I feel like we are back washing the iron filter too frequently and wasting water. How is the backwash interval determined for the iron filter? Can it be increase based on our water quality and low usage? Would the iron filter work properly if the backwash interval was increased to 6 days or 9 days or even longer? Is it important to keep the backwash time at 14 minutes?

Also, do I really need to override and backwash the water softener every 30 days? Again, our water usage is low and our water hardness is low so the expected backwash interval, based on usage, is about once every 85 days.

Finally, I am considering installing an acid neutralizer. Does it make sense to install a 1.5 cu ft Calcite system with a 2510 SXT head? If so, how often should it be back washed if the acid neutralizer is put after the iron filter?

I would appreciate any advice or pointers.

Here is a summary of our raw and processed water test. I did not list items that we not detected on both tests.

........................RAW ..................Processed
Calcium......... 10.1 ppm ...............0.01 ppm
Copper........ 0.012 ppm..............0.010 ppm
Iron............. 1.320 ppm .................. ND
Lithium....... 0.024 ppm............. 0.004 ppm
Manganese . 0.048 ppm ................. ND
Potassium........ 3.4 ppm ............... 0.02 ppm
Silica.............. 30.8 ppm ................ 18.9 ppm
Sodium................ 8 ppm .................. 32 ppm
Strontium.... 0.098 ppm .............. 0.001 ppm
Zinc.............. 0.004 ppm .............. 0.017 ppm

Alkalinity (Total as CoCO3) 56 .......... 53
Hardness ................50 ....................... ND
PH ......................... 6.4 ....................... 6.50
Turbifity.................17.0 NTU ............. Not Tested
Sulfate .................. 5.0 ppm .............. 5.13ppm
Total Dissolved Solids . 98 ................. 105.96

 

[ditttohead]

Do you really need the softener? Can you get rid of the Iron system? Plumbing material type? A lot of interesting stuff going on here... Do you have all PEX or CPVC plumbing or is it copper? If all PEX, you could probably just get rid of the iron system and use the softener due to your lower pH. This will assist the softener in regenerating off the excessive iron. As to the iron system, these are supposed to regenerate daily to keep the manganese dioxide ore based media from fouling up. See picture of what can happen due to infrequent backwashing.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Litho]

Thank you for the response. Here are some additional details:

The house plumbing supply lines were completely replaced with CPVC. The only copper line in the house are the lines from the shower controls to the shower head and the line from the tub control to the tub output. We are having some minor stains in the tub from the few drips left in the tub outlet.

The pipe from the well head to the house appears to be plastic. There is CPVC inside the house from the well but I am not sure the type of plastic from the well head to the house. I am also not sure of the type of piping from the well pump to the well head. Our house has a grundfos pump and a CU301 controller and an old brass manifold with a pressure transducer and a small pressure tank. There are brass fittings connected to the water heater.

If I get rid of the iron filter how effective would the water softener be at at removing iron and manganese?

Is there any concern leaving the pH at its current level? Could it hurt the appliances?