Question on Iron behavior

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Mswlogo

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Does this make sense?

My raw well water is crystal clear.

It has 7.7 ppm Iron (but I think that varies a lot with well use)

If we let the well sit (it's a vacation home) I will measure like 0.3 PPM
if we take showers and do a wash it might hit 5 PPM.

If I add a 1 Micron Sediment filter it will be like 0.1-0.3 ppm (even after heavy usage).
I can see the Iron collect fast on the 1 Micron Filter, it will be solid orange in a couple days.

I thought this meant the Iron was undissolved.

But talking with a Iron Filter vender he said if it's raw water with undissolved Iron it should look orange.

So if it's dissolved Iron why does the 1 Micron filter take out so much? And if it's undissolved why don't I see it in the raw well water.
 

WorthFlorida

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You have clear water iron, dissolved, and you're seeing it oxidized in the sediment filter.

If iron water is a real problem, you need a filter for iron removal. Using a sediment filter only helps a little.

Water with an orange-brown coloration has Ferric iron present in the water. This is undissolved and present as a solid in the water. Ferrous iron is dissolved in the water and cannot be seen until it is oxidized.
 

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You have clear water iron, dissolved, and you're seeing it oxidized in the sediment filter.

If iron water is a real problem, you need a filter for iron removal. Using a sediment filter only helps a little.

Water with an orange-brown coloration has Ferric iron present in the water. This is undissolved and present as a solid in the water. Ferrous iron is dissolved in the water and cannot be seen until it is oxidized.
Thanks for the reply.

That’s what I was suspecting.

Does that likely mean I have a fair amount of Oxygen in the water and likely won’t need Air Injection (or chemical injection) with a good proper size Iron filter?

Can you possibly explain why Iron tends to go up quite a bit if I use a lot of water?

Is it because I might pull water from different “veins” in the well when then level gets down? Different veins have different amounts of iron? Or possibly oxygen levels change with load?
 

WorthFlorida

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Your assumption on iron level changes maybe correct. Here is a knowledgeable article.
https://atlas-scientific.com/blog/how-to-test-dissolved-oxygen-in-water/

I'm by no means knowledgeable on water chemistry but I've learned in the last thirty years here and there. You can have your water tested for dissolved oxygen. If your not experiencing iron stains a iron remover may not be needed. The type to choose comes down to what works best in your area and water treatment companies in your area know best. It can get expensive or you might be lucky a water softener may be enough. If you're getting staining, an iron remover is needed.

Water softeners do remove some amounts of iron but it is not designed as an iron filter. Iron molecules stick to the resin and slowly inhibits the ion exchange for soft water. It is why using salt with an iron remover is needed or an occasional backwash with an iron remover. With a water softener do not except the iron level to be zero after the softener though most will read removal of iron up to 5ppm. Again it depends on how fast the water is flowing.

Ask any neighbors what they have and any issues with the water since most will be tapped into the water.

One Chemical inject type is with chlorine in a blending tank to allow the iron to oxidized, then a filter after the blending tank and after that a charcoal filter. For well water this type allows for disinfecting.
 

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I have a separate thread going on choosing an iron filter. But I was curious of this independent observation and didn’t want to confuse that thread with my confusion.
 
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