Odd situation, new cartridge filter clogs and water tank does not fill?

[James23912]

I moved from a trailer to a new house I built on same lot, never had any filters nor softener in the trailer and the water was okay, no problems, but I installed a cartridge filter and softener in new house and after only 3 weeks the water flow dropped way down and the water got really salty, , the filter was clogged so I got a new one and the same thing happened again, but when I went into the cellar I noticed that the water tank was empty, I could move it around easily, then after changing the filter and turning the water back on I could hear and feel the tank filling, this seems weird.

The well is on my property but my neighbor gets his water from it and we switched the power from my place to his during the construction, so my setup does not have the power. When I was installing the water tank the plumber who was putting in the furnace told me I should not use the check valve while the power was at the neighbors so he took out the gate part of the check valve, so I am wondering if this is why the water either does not fill or maybe just drains out? Not a major problem but I am wondering what the cause is.

Also wondering, at 30 bucks a pop for a filter, 500 a year roughly at this rate , if it is even necessary

 

[Reach4]

I suspect the precharge is set high on your pressure tank. What pressure range do you see?

I suggest that you post a photo of the input to your pressure tank input, disabled check valve, and filter.
You might also show a photo of the well house pressure switch, pressure gauge, and input to the pressure tank, and any filter.

If you have your own pressure tank, but do not have the pressure switch, I think the working check valve would be desirable. Having your own pressure tank may not be desirable, and setting the precharge high effectively makes it as if it is not there.

Also wondering, at 30 bucks a pop for a filter, 500 a year roughly at this rate , if it is even necessary

If you are clogging up filters every 17 days, I think you need a filter, but maybe some other kind of filter. Also, maybe the filter should be in the well house.

What does the filter catch? Orange stuff, black stuff, or what?

 

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[James23912]

Hi Reach, that was fast! I have tried several times to post pictures but even at the smallest setting they won't post.
The pressure is reading about 58 . Too high?
I cut open the filter, it is like a roll of tape, pretty solid, I can see why it would clog up easily, I thought they were like a pool filter or car air filter,; it is just full of tiny particles, grit, basically, no color I can see, very fine and the cartridge itself is black , don't know what it looks like new.

My neighbor is away right now, he has never mentioned a similar problem when the power was set at my place, I will talk to him, and I plan to get the power back here once I am settled in.

it is not a big problem, really, once I get the cartridge filter deal sorted out but I don't get why the tank would be empty, so I suspect the check valve, but I don't see why the water would stop just from the filter being clogged

 

[Reach4]

The pressure is reading about 58 . Too high?

If that is the air precharge, no water will enter that pressure tank unless the water pressure is higher than 58.

I cut open the filter, it is like a roll of tape, pretty solid, I can see why it would clog up easily, I thought they were like a pool filter or car air filter,; it is just full of tiny particles, grit, basically, no color I can see, very fine and the cartridge itself is black , don't know what it looks like new.

Somebody else swaps the cartridge for you? Most new cartridges are white. You are likely using a "spun" polypropylene cartridge. If brown when, it might be cellulose, which is the kind you should not use. What is the model number of the cartridge that you use?

There are washable pleated filters.

 

[Bannerman]

Where is the pressure switch located for the pump? The pressure tank should only be located where the pressure switch is located. If the pressure switch is located at the neighbor's house, then there should not be a pressure tank located at your home.

You said the water tank began filling after replacing the filter cartridge, which then implies the filter (and softener?) is located before the pressure tank. If the pressure switch is located in your home, no water treatment device or filter should be between the pump and pressure switch./pressure tank.

If the well water contains silt or other debris, then a coarse filter such as a Atlas Filtri Hydra maybe placed directly after the pressure tank, to remove larger sediment. For additional point-of-entry filtration, suggest a backwashing filter containing filtration media. If the water contains any iron, manganese or sulfur odor, consider Katalox Light media.

 

[James23912]

Hi I am a bit confused as to the correct terms, the pressure switch I am referencing is the one at the pressure tank, the way the whole thing was set up about 30 years ago was the trailer was put in and the neighbor's house had a dug well so they put a tank and wiring into both locations but only mine had the power, then we changed it due to the construction, so now the power works at the other house, I do have a tank and the plumber doing the heating did not say anything was wrong, just that I should not have the check valve, it works fine except for the in line filter getting clogged, I used the filter that came with the set up and bought the same one \for a replacement, the filter and softener are both after the pressure tank.

I assume the switch shows a reading just for what the pressure is but it does not turn on the well pump, just shows what is in the tank? Even when it was empty the other night it showed a reading close to what it is now, I don't remember the exact number, but that is another thing that surprised me, I expected it to be zero or at least very low but than I figured it is just the air pressure and it stays ther same if it is not run off my electricity?


I had a well company come and do the change over last year when I was still living in the trailer and he did not say anything about the pressure tank in the trailer being unnecessary, just that I should never turn on the breaker for the well, he also said it was better to leave the trailer tank connected as it would draw less from my neighbor.
the filter and softener are Aquasure, the cartridge # is AF SCZ 25 HFS, I threw out the one that came with it and the second one that I just cut open was an original replacement

it's not that big of a deal, really , as long as the filter is ok everything is fine, but I will start looking into a different filter, was mostly just wondering about the check valve being the cause of the tank not filling