Small tank Katalox AIO3 Iron filter (35" media tank physical space restrictions)

[sosoft]

Problem: I have very limited head room (44") to install filters.

I would like to install a Katalox Light AIO air over media or AIO3 ozone over media filter to reduce 10,000ug/L iron and 250ug/L arsenic. Unfortunately, all configurations seem to be made with 52' or 54 inch tanks.

The only option I can think of is a custom made one with a 10"x35" media tank and a Clack WS1EE valve and Ozotech EOG 200 ozone generator. Would this physically smaller tank AIO3 filter work? (there is no room for a full size height system so that is not an option).


Concerns:

Air or Ozone pocket size - Is there room above the media?

Backwash media expansion - Will the media have room to expand and flush out Iron contaminants? (the air pocket would be flushed out increasing the space for media expansion)

Media volume - Will this system work with 0.65cu ft of media or can I load 1cu ft of katalox light media in this smaller 35' tank.

Can I omit the gravel to increase media volume?

Note. I've already built a 43" softener this way with a 10"x35" tank and a Clack WS1EA valve with Purolite SST60 resin and it fits in there nicely so the physical size does work in my limited space. The only concern is if a Katalox iron AIO3 filter would function in this smaller configuration?

 

[Reach4]

While I don't know the answer to your questions, you can bury the lower part of a bigger tank in a crawlspace.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mswlogo]

I don’t think the little bit of air in the top of any tank will work very well due to the small contact area short exposure time. I have air injection on mine but I never bothered to use it. I’d be curious if it makes a big difference for anyone.

I have 7.7 Iron and Filox (similar stuff) and it took all the Iron out. My pH is 7.0. But it didn’t take Manganese out. I have a Softener for that.

What is your pH?

 

[Bannerman]

10 ppm iron and 0.25 ppm arsenic are both significant.

As per Oregon.gov website: "If arsenic levels in your water are above 35 ppb (0.035 ppm), young children, especially infants
are at immediate risk."

" Public drinking water providers must monitor for arsenic. If arsenic levels remain above the drinking
water standard of 10 ppb (0.01 ppm), treatment to remove arsenic or developing a new source of
drinking water may be required."

Water treatment often does not occur immediately but requires the water to have sufficient contact time with the treatment media or chemicals, before contaminants are effectively reduced.

With treatment media, the contact time is based on the flow rate and the depth of media. A 10" X 54" tank will typically allow 1.5 ft3 of media such as Katalox Light to be utilized. Because the media will fill the tank to approx 2/3 high, the FreeBoard space above the media is utilized to allow the media to expand during the backwash process, and is also often utilized to contain a bubble of air or ozone to act as an oxidant prior to the water's contact with the media.

When a shorter tank is utilized, less media will need to be installed, which will reduce the effectiveness of the media. If the full amount of media is installed in the shorter tank, then the FreeBoard space will be reduced and will likely be insufficient to permit the media to be effectively backwashed at the recommended flow rate, and will likely provide insufficient space for an AIO or AIO3 bubble.

Either gravel under bedding or an Empress Vortech grid is needed for filtration media. Water always follows the path of least resistance so without gravel or a grid below the media to expand the low pressure zone across the diameter of the tank, the water path through the media will be similar to a cone, wide at the top where the water enters the tank above the media, with the point of the cone located at the bottom center, where the bottom screen is located. The wider low pressure zone resulting from a gravel or grid under bed, results in a greater amount of media to be utilized for contaminant reduction, as well as more effective backwashing.

To obtain greater contact time with a shorter media tank, often two identical tanks, each equipped with their own control valves plumbed in parallel will be utilized. For example, a 9" X 48" tank is suitable for 1 ft3 media, so two 9" tanks plumbed in parallel would permit 2ft3 of KL media to be utilized, with each tank treating 50% of the flow rate to the home's fixtures.

For a brief writeup on KL media and also Arsenic reduction, see the following : Katalox Light