Time to re-bed my PH Neutralizer....need to know how to pick media

[270win]

I have a PH Neutralizer in my water treatment system and am going to clean and refill it. There is still a fair bit of "media" remaining but it is not raising the PH. When I say a fair bit of media, its almost at the height of my last fill.

It is a 10x54 tank with a Fleck 2510

Set to backwash every other day

My iron is real bad and when I opened the fill port tonight, there is a lot of sludge coating the top inside surface. Not sure if Calcium Carbonate can get fouled. But I'm wondering why the PH doesn't rise after passing through the system. I cannot determine the height of the media using a flashlight as I have done before because of the iron. I had to use a "dip stick".

I tested PH using new test strips.

My questions are:

1. With a PH of 5.5, what should I use for media. In the past I've used a blend of Corosex and Calcium Carbonate at a very rich mixture (1:1) to add in the fill port. I used to refill the tank after the level dropped 8-10 inches. It has been several months since I filed it last.

2. Is it a possibility that somehow the water is not passing through the media and just flowing through the valve> I just thought of this while writing this post.

3. I've re-bedded this several years back but have just been adding 1:1 to it since. Is it possible that there is a percentage of media that just doesn't dissolve and is just piling up?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Reach4]

When you backwash your media, there should be bed expansion. Regarding the iron preventing the shining a light thru, maybe you should treat for iron to clean the iron out. I don't remember people discussing that.

Without bed expansion, the media can stick together, and the water passes through channels.

Can you measure the backwash rate? Given that rate, and the tank diameter, we can predict if your backwash has been sufficient. For backwash rate, your pump and plumbing have to be able to deliver the needed flow.

 

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[270win]

When you backwash your media, there should be bed expansion. Regarding the iron preventing the shining a light thru, maybe you should treat for iron to clean the iron out. I don't remember people discussing that.

Without bed expansion, the media can stick together, and the water passes through channels.

Can you measure the backwash rate? Given that rate, and the tank diameter, we can predict if your backwash has been sufficient. For backwash rate, your pump and plumbing have to be able to deliver the needed flow.

I have really nasty water with lots of clearwater iron. Once it oxidizes in a glass or bucket its very ugly. 3.4 mg/l from an old test I found. I do filter for iron using a 10x54 Fleck 2510 filter with greensand and pot perm, but that is after the PH neutralizer.

Can I measure the backwash rate by measuring the actual output from the waste hose into a bucket with a stopwatch? I have my pressure tank switch set for 40-60 PSI and the PH neutralizer is the first item in line after the pressure tank tee.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[270win]

When you backwash your media, there should be bed expansion. Regarding the iron preventing the shining a light thru, maybe you should treat for iron to clean the iron out. I don't remember people discussing that.

Without bed expansion, the media can stick together, and the water passes through channels.

Can you measure the backwash rate? Given that rate, and the tank diameter, we can predict if your backwash has been sufficient. For backwash rate, your pump and plumbing have to be able to deliver the needed flow.

Question about the Fleck 2510. Is it possible that the valve is bad and my water is bypassing the media? Although I've rebuilt a Fleck 2510 before and I have the parts on hand if needed, I do not know the logic of the flow paths inside of the valve.

Thanks again

 

[Reach4]

Can I measure the backwash rate by measuring the actual output from the waste hose into a bucket with a stopwatch? I have my pressure tank switch set for 40-60 PSI and the PH neutralizer is the first item in line after the pressure tank tee.

Yes. If you fill a 5-gallon bucket, the GPM is 300/S where S is seconds.

https://www.purewaterproducts.com/articles/backwash-chart#Calcite shows a backwash rate suggestions, although I will point out that their numbers for Katalox Light are significantly lower than optimum.

Question about the Fleck 2510. Is it possible that the valve is bad and my water is bypassing the media?

It can happen initially, but it is unlikely to happen when it has been working. For example, the o-ring could be missing or cocked. The system could have been partially bypassing from the time when the valve was put in place.

I am wondering if treating with iron out powder introduced thru the port could remove the deposits from the tank above the media enough to shine a flashlight through. Have you tried a really bright LED flashlight in the dark, to see if that can get enough light through?

If you end up replacing this neutralizer at some point, injecting soda ash, or even stronger, can raise pH without increasing hardness. I have no experience with neutralizers.

 

[Rebed Kid]

Acid neutralizers with calcite media are a great way to elevate pH and at the same time provide great filtration. Especially with high iron, a rebed should be done every 2 years to prevent pressure loss and channeling of the bed. If the pH isn't coming up with the blend you are using, it could be because of some channeling and the water doesn't have enough contact with the media. A more frequent rebed is recommended.

rebedbox.com