Need water softener recommendation

[Mike Wayne]

House has 6 bathrooms. While my wife and I are the only constant residents, we Airbnb rent the lake level with 6-8 additional people at various times throughout the warm season. Trying to supply complete information so that I get the right equipment. No softener currently installed.

• Well supplies 7.5 GPM right after the storage tank.
• No significant iron in the water. No orange rings in house.
• We inject chlorine, then water goes into a storage tank, then through a filter that takes most of it out.
• Despite the chlorine, we get a strong sulfur smell, but only after water is unused for over a week or so. This smell gets very strong to a connection that remains unused for months (e.g. unused bathroom over garage). No noticeable smell from connections that are used daily.
• PH level is 8.4+ as measured via test strip
• Hardness is 12-13 gpg as measured, by me, via a simple test kit.
• All water treatment is in garage and uses 1" PVC lines.
• RO system recently installed so salt in the water should not be an issue.

I am comfortable with doing the install myself. It'll be pretty simple so if I have to use a local company, it should not cost much to do so.

 

[Reach4]

Despite the chlorine, we get a strong sulfur smell, but only after water is unused for over a week or so. This smell gets very strong to a connection that remains unused for months (e.g. unused bathroom over garage). No noticeable smell from connections that are used daily.

A softener will not help the smell. Is the smell more on hot water? For a softener, a demand driven softener with a 10x54 tank is probably good. There will be a count-down number saying how many gallons of capacity remain before you are into the reserve. If you are going to have a crowd, you could manually trigger an early regeneration so that the capacity will not be used up soon.

Do you have a 2 inch well? Those are harder to sanitize.

Sulfur eliminator may let you be rid of the chlorine injection, if H2S is the reason for your chlorination. However I don't know that that is compatible with a 2 inch well.
https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/sulfur-eliminator.51158/

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mike Wayne]

I should mention that I'm a city guy - this is my first well so I'm learning a lot.

The smell used to be worse on the hot water side. I replaced the rod in the electric water heater and now it's about the same for hot and cold. No smell at all if used daily or so, minor smell if not used for about a week, significant smell if not used for a month or so.

The well looks like 6" to me with a 1 1/2" pipe going to the garage (see pic of wellhead). I think it's ~400-450 feet deep. There was no sulfur for years, then one day it showed up, per the previous owner. Most of the neighbors have mentioned the same sulfur issue, most do not bother with the chlorine, they just air out the pipes for a bit if they have been away.

 

[Reach4]

I would sanitize the well and plumbing. That can have a nice effect for some period. I would like that period to be measured in years, but I am not sure. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....izing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing write-up. It is more intensive than what most do, trying to make the sanitizing last longer. Looking at your well photo, I don't know where you would introduce bleach solution and vinegar, and recirculate the water. Usually there is an air vent in the well seal. Your installation may be sharing venting with the wires through one hole. See if there is another plug etc that does not show up in the photo. I am not a pro. You could switch to a powered anode. I think the Ceranode, which costs more, is better than a stubby anode for WH protection. I have a friend that just replaces the anode with a brass plug. I would not do that.

Production of H2S by breaking down sulfate by SRB, takes bacteria, sulfate, and a metal such as is supplied by an anode. Magnesium anodes feed those bacteria's need. Aluminum+zinc anodes feeds them less. A powered anode does not feed them.

H2S can come from the well itself.

 

[Mike Wayne]

Clearly, I need to set aside a Saturday and disinfect the well. Will do that. I'll look to see if there is an air vent or plug.

Still need thoughts on a water softener.

 

[Reach4]

Fleck 5810sxt with a 10x54 tank is pretty good.

Feed the drain into a "dry well" or other place that is not on the grass.

 

[Mike Wayne]

I cleaned off the well top. Looks like the ground wire is the vent as there is play in it:

Unless this top fitting is it?

You're not suggesting a local installer with a Clack valve?

 

[Reach4]

Unless this top fitting is it?

You're not suggesting a local installer with a Clack valve?

No way you can use that top fitting as feed point. There must be some kind of plug hidden that keeps water from coming out. What is above that point?

You might be able to get a thin copper tube though the hole with the black wire, but it would be very slow for recirculation. I don't know what a good move would be.

A local dealer with Clack would be good, as long as you are content getting parts through him too. Since this is a business, money you spend is a deductible expense. A local dealer with Fleck would be good too, but the dealer may prefer having some exclusivity

 

[Mike Wayne]

Looks like some sort of spring inside the tee. Pix from the top and the side.

 

[Reach4]

Looks like some sort of spring inside the tee. Pix from the top and the side.

That is a pressure relief valve. If the pump is pumping, but the pipe leading away is blocked somehow, that releases water to prevent the pump from deadheading. No help for sanitizing, but it makes sense. In retrospect, I should have recognized that earlier. It had looked like galvanized to me initially, complete with perceived rust on the threads.

 

[Mike Wayne]

So, do I need to ask the well guy to add a tap so I can sanitize? Or do I look at pulling the 4 bolts holding on the top plate? Otherwise, any suggestions on how to proceed?

 

[Reach4]

Or do I look at pulling the 4 bolts holding on the top plate? Otherwise, any suggestions on how to proceed?

Don't do that! Those bolts get loosened, but if you remove them, the under-plates will fall down and cause big problems.

If the well guy were to change out the "well seal", the wires could be routed through one hole, and a screw-in vent filter would be on another. Then unscrew the vent filter to insert a pipe.

Going to a pitless adapter could be worth considering. Those are common in areas that freeze, and keeps the water below the frost line. It has some advantages in addition. With that, there is a vented well cap up top, and that can be lifted off. Easy recirculation. However for a 4 inch well, you would have to have a pitless adapter that is clearway -- does not reduce the diameter. I have a Merrill SMCK pitless that has that characteristic. Ask your well guy. If he is used to putting in pitless adapters, that could be a good move. If he is not experienced with pitless adapters, you could be paying for him to learn, which is seldom a good idea.

Looking back, you called this a 6 inch well, so even a 5 inch ID well has enough room for a B-10X type trapezoidal pitless adapter.