Need help sizing katalox filter

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Andrew_selby

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I've been reading and researching Katalox light and water filters, I'm at the point where the more i read the less i know. I currently have a water filter from cleanmywater.com. It was a good filter for a few years but now it doesn't do anything. I also have a well pro automatic pellet chlorinato. The existing equipment is as follows
13x54 tank with a fleck 2510 valve (it was sold as an all in one softener/filter)
8x44 tank with a fleck 5600 backwash only valve (used as a carbon pre-filter)
well pro automatic well pellet chloranator
I have a slight orangish/greenish tint to my water, it tastes like iron, and it leaves slight orange stains in my toilets.
I read about KAR industries water test and have included the results, i can't figure out how to insert the PDF they sent me.

iron 0.58 mg/l
TDS 632 mg/l
potassium total 2.0 mg/l
sodium total 16.8 mg/l
hardness 27.1 grains per gallon
ph 7.6
well puts out 11.5 gpm

My goal is to reuse as much of my equipment as possible. i was thinking of 2 options.

first would be convert the softener/filter i currently have to a softener only, buy a complete katalox light filter (not sure how to determine size), and buy new carbon media for the 8x44 tank

Second would be to use the 13x54 tank and 2510 valve for the katalox ( i would have to convert it to a backwash only valve), buy a new water softener, and get new carbon media for the 8x44 tank.

what option do you think is better and why?
Thanks for an awesome web site, Andrew
 

rdsnake

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Hi Andrew, A lot of Illinois members on here.

I actually just got finished installing my Katalox Light (KL) system and I am very pleased with the results. I also noticed your water report is similar to mine, although I have a little higher Iron count.

My first question is to determine the age of your currently equipment. Personally, I wouldn't reuse equipment that is pretty old. It might only cost a couple more bucks to get a new system for either the WS or Carbon tank. I also like your first idea you have on equipment, Convert softener/filter to WS only, new KL system, replace the carbon media.

Second question is regaurding the use of the pellet chlorinator. Do you have sulfur smells or SRB? If not, you could ditch the carbon tank and chlorinator. However, if you did decide to keep it I would put the KL filter ahead of the carbon filter. KL is still rather new and I'm not sure how Chlorine would effect the media?

As far as sizing goes. How many baths and people are living in the house? I'm thinking a 1.5 cubic ft (10x54) would work for a typically sized house. This is also the same size filter I installed in my house (4 bedroom, 2.5 bath.)
 

Reach4

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well pro automatic well pellet chloranator
Do you have a PVC or steel casing? I would think a pellet chlorinator would be hard on steel.

Also, having your pellet chlorinator would oxidize the ferrous iron that gets tested to ferric iron particles. Those particles could stay in the well or settle out up top.

Have you drained the pressure tank through the little spigot at the bottom of your pressure tank? You may find something there.
 

Andrew_selby

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The house is a 4 bed 3 bath house. 4 people live here, 2 adults and 2 children. the well casing is steel. i did have suffer smell before i removed the rod from my water heater and put in the chlorinator. The system i bought came with an inline chlorinator that would clog up all the time so i added the well pro. the equipment is 4-5 years old and is in good working order.
 

Reach4

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The house is a 4 bed 3 bath house. 4 people live here, 2 adults and 2 children. the well casing is steel. i did have suffer smell before i removed the rod from my water heater and put in the chlorinator. The system i bought came with an inline chlorinator that would clog up all the time so i added the well pro. the equipment is 4-5 years old and is in good working order.
I would put a powered anode in where you took out the sacrificial anode. That will cost about 1/4 the price of a WH installed. Not cheap, but I think worthwhile. It protects like magnesium, but it does not react with sulfates and SRB.

I presumed that your pellet feeder was dropping the pellets down the casing.
 

Reach4

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I think the way you posted your numbers is better than posting the whole report. If you did want to attach a PDF, you could click "Upload a File", as you would to post a photo 800 pixels or less and 200KB or less. I attached a little PDF as a test example.

Also note that an inline chlorinator should normally be followed by a contact tank. That lets the chlorine do its job with less chlorine than if you did not have one. It also collects the solids. Expect solids like ferrous iron to fall to the bottom, and the tank should have a drain port to let you drain the solids. Some have a conical bottom to make that settling to the drain better.
 

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rdsnake

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If you don't have sulfur smells on the cold side, I would agree with Reach and install a powered anode rod.

In my completely unprofessional opinion, I would think about removing the pellet feeder. One less thing to worry about and I don't think you need it. I would also be inclined to think if you were over Chlorinating the water, it would eat up the carbon media which it sounds like it has. Keep it simple.

I suppose if you were on a budget you could re-use that tank (although small) and valve from the carbon tank for the KL filter.
 

ditttohead

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Reusing the 8x44 for a KL filter would not be advised. It is actually too small for a carbon filter but since you are only using it for chlorine reduction it should be barely acceptable.

The 13x54 softener is ideal. Rebed it and get rid of the "all in one" media blend.

KL is fine with chlorine and actually works much better with it.

The test should have been done with the chlorine feeder off line for a while to be sure all the chlorine is out of the well. This will skew many of the test parameters.
 

Andrew_selby

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Sorry i forgot to mention I removed the chlorine feeder for a week before i had the tests done. I just talked to Tom at discount water softeners (one of the site sponsors) and he doesn't think i need a katalox. He is suggesting i go with 2 new 10x54 tanks and reuse the existing heads. one tank with the 2510 for a water softener, one tank with the 5600 and activated carbon. the softener will be a 48k 1.5 cubic foot and the carbon will be a 1.5 cubic foot. does this sound like something that will take care of the above numbers? he said he was going to re-valve the heads for the new tank size. i spent 2500 a few years ago on the clean my water.com units and was very disappointed. I'm always sceptical taking advise from someone trying to sell me something. Thanks again for the help.
 

Reach4

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I wonder how Centaur Carbon (specially treated bituminous coal) would work in that existing tank. My iron +H2S system works with that nicely with chlorine solution used only during backwash.
 
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Bannerman

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I just talked to Tom at discount water softeners (one of the site sponsors)
I believe the ads shown on this site, are assigned by Google. As such, this site would receive ad revenue from Google but Discount Water Softeners would not have any direct sponsorship of this site but would be paying an advertising expense to Google to display their ads on various sites, probably including regional Google search result pages related to water treatment.
 
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ditttohead

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Correct, google ad, I love the way they target you. I have been seeing ads for new hockey sticks for two weeks now... I already bought them!!! Stop showing me more... :)
 

IamTheWar

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I believe that the Katalox you are reffering to in this post is in regards to Arsenic. Depending on your arsenic readings (if they are present at all) you would need to put the system inline and if you have a mixed concentration of Ars3 or Ars5 you will need a chlorinated injection/ or pelletized system to oxidize the arsenic for maximum reduction. This being said it would be best to put the Katalox system ahead of a carbon system before the chlorine would be removed for maximum contact time. I hope this helps! :)
 
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