Recommendations for Iron Filter for Landscaping

[cindy&eric]

We moved in to a house with a well (Hardness 180+ ppm, Iron 5+ ppm, pH about 6.5) with iron bacteria. We have up to 1/2 acre of landscaping and garden (with drip irrigation) that we are preparing for spring and we need to get some kind of iron filtration so we can use drip irrigation and eliminate the sidewalk, siding, and landscaping rust staining. I've researched many different kinds and it seems that a chlorination pump and a backwashing filter, followed by a carbon filter may be my best option, but there are so many types of media to choose from. Greensand, Pyrolox, Terminox, etc.... and I'm definitely confused about whether or not they would work for such a large amount of water on a daily basis when we get to the heat of the summer. Any recommendations would be great. Also, our well report says they did a well test (air) and recorded 40+ gal. per minute. Not sure if this is helpful. We have not actually done a flow test ourselves, but we can with direction. Would love a starting point on what to look for and where to look. Thank you!

 

[Valveman]

Drip irrigation doesn't use much water, but it needs to be filtered well so it doesn't clog up the drippers. I have a 1/3 acre garden in drip that only uses 3 GPM. Of course it runs from 3 to 12 hours per day. So at 180 gallons per hour for 3 hours, you need to filter at least 540 gallons per day. Besides filtering, the biggest obstacle to drip is keeping the pump from cycling to death when only using 3 GPM for many hours per day.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Reach4]

We have up to 1/2 acre of landscaping and garden (with drip irrigation) that we are preparing for spring and we need to get some kind of iron filtration so we can use drip irrigation and eliminate the sidewalk, siding, and landscaping rust staining.

With water flowing onto the sidewalk and siding, I think your irrigation system is not set up ideally.

I've researched many different kinds and it seems that a chlorination pump and a backwashing filter, followed by a carbon filter may be my best option, but there are so many types of media to choose from. Greensand, Pyrolox, Terminox, etc.... and I'm definitely confused about whether or not they would work for such a large amount of water on a daily basis when we get to the heat of the summer.

The plants would normally like the iron. If you want to have irrigation water on your sidewalk and driveway without iron staining, Katalox Light would be the best media to consider. See https://terrylove.com/forums/index....ll-iron-removal-system-recommendations.62628/

http://www.watchwater.com/systems/kl_system.php is a calculator that can be of use.

 

[cindy&eric]

Thanks, I'll check out the Katalox Light media and yes, the sprinklers are not set up ideally, but we actually have not turned them on yet since moving in to the house. The drip irrigation will be in a fairly small garden (50' x 25'), so it should not need to be irrigated too long each day, maybe an hour. Any recommendations on who to go through to buy an iron filter, maybe with Katalox Light media? There are so many options online and really very little locally besides Kinetico and Culligan.

 

[Reach4]

It is possible somebody would know of a suitable plumber near Hillsborough or Lakeview if you said that was where you are. Installing the filters are similar to water softeners, except the backwashing is done a higher rate. I don't know what is done with the backwash there... septic, dry well, or what? The plumber would know.

 

[WellOff]

With IRB (Iron Reducing Bacteria) you HAVE to deal with it first else the iron remains locked up and the IRB will clog everything.

 

[cindy&eric]

Still need some advice... We are at the point where we are ready to buy and install a system. Here is an update of my information from some water testing we had done at the pool store.
pH - 7.0
Total Alkalinity - 145
Total Hardness - 279
Iron - 1.9
Manganese - None
Iron Bacteria - Yes

We have a water softener and sediment filter that filters the water for the house (and the softener does a good job of removing the iron), but not for the landscaping and driplines for the garden. The issues we are trying to resolve outside are clogging of the driplines and sprinkler heads and staining of landscape rock and pathways. Inside, we still have issues at times with sulfur smells and black (oily) sediment in faucets when we flush the water heater or take off faucet filters (PUR filter attached to bathroom sink).

We have a 2400 sf house with 1.75 bathrooms and 4 people (2 adults and 2 children). We have no big water users in the house like hot tubs, multi-head showers etc... Just normal appliances. Outside we are irrigating the lawn (approximately 15000 sf or 1/3 acre) and have a garden with drip lines. Our watering app shows that we watered approximately 1400 gallons in one day.

I'm not sure about our flow rate and I'm a bit confused on what exactly I need to measure to determine the right flow rate for determining the system size I would need. I think I would like to get a chlorine pump, katalox filter, and carbon filter to filter out chlorine. We certainly don't want to go overboard and get more or spend more money then we need, but we would like a system that is going to work to keep clean the water and keep our irrigation system from getting clogged. My husband will be installing, has done some plumbing work, but not much, so I don't know if that factors in. I would appreciate any advice on what other information is needed to figure this out, how to get that information, and what type of system you would suggest for these issues. We really don't want to get this wrong. Thank you in advance.

Cindy.

 

[cindy&eric]

We followed the directions at http://www.cleanwaterstore.com/reso...ump-flow-rate-on-systems-with-pressure-tanks/ and found our pump flow rate to be 21 gpm. Thanks for any input or advice.

 

[Reach4]

Note that with the Katalox Light calculator: http://www.watchwater.com/systems/kl_system.php the flow rate is the major factor in how much media they recommend. The flow rate would be for what is used rather than what the pump can deliver. If you exceed the expected flow rate, that just means you will have "leakage" of iron. If you need more flow rate, you could use two tanks in parallel set to backwash at different times.

For the lawn, I wonder if you could get your rocks and concrete colored to match the rust. Only half kidding.

If you did add Katalox Light treatment, you could feed the softener with that water and greatly reduce the load and maintenance of your softener.

With your flow rate, you could support an 18 inch diameter tank for backwash...

I don't have a recommendation for a source.