Water looks better BEFORE softener?

[Maxforwardspeed]

We installed a GE softener several years ago, and today I am having a water quality test done. They took two samples, one before and one after. The "after" looks terrible compared to the "before." It's very yellow-orangish in comparison. I know we have a community well with moderately hard water, but based on the sample I am questioning why the quality looks so bad after the fairly new softener. I'd almost rather have clean, hard water instead of dirty soft, right?

 

[Reach4]

We installed a GE softener several years ago, and today I am having a water quality test done. They took two samples, one before and one after. The "after" looks terrible compared to the "before." It's very yellow-orangish in comparison. I know we have a community well with moderately hard water, but based on the sample I am questioning why the quality looks so bad after the fairly new softener. I'd almost rather have clean, hard water instead of dirty soft, right?

So you see the yellow-orange coming out of your faucets? Or did the person taking samples take that sample to show you?

Tell us more including the story of that sample and the faucet that provided the sample.

 

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[Maxforwardspeed]

So you see the yellow-orange coming out of your faucets? Or did the person taking samples take that sample to show you?

Tell us more including the story of that sample and the faucet that provided the sample.

No they took the sample and showed me as they were sending it in. It was from a line they had to cut and did it while it was draining the residual water. I'm pretty sure it was just sediment in the line because I just checked my faucet again and it's clear. The boss told them to recheck from a faucet, lol.

 

[Reach4]

No they took the sample and showed me as they were sending it in. It was from a line they had to cut and did it while it was draining the residual water. I'm pretty sure it was just sediment in the line because I just checked my faucet again and it's clear. The boss told them to recheck from a faucet, lol.

I am with the boss on that.

Was that line sort of a dead end?

Do you have a cartridge filter on the water coming in? I am thinking a fairly course one would be good. But another finer one after the softener is also good. Catch broken resin and more.

If your well water is not chlorinated, on your community well, it seems to me that a good sanitizing of the well and the plumbing at the houses that want to participate would be good. In a way, they would all participate in the well part, but the plumbing part people could opt for more or less. . Start planning now for a future warm-weather event. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/well-sanitizing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing writeup.

 

[Maxforwardspeed]

I am with the boss on that.

Was that line sort of a dead end?

Do you have a cartridge filter on the water coming in? I am thinking a fairly course one would be good. But another finer one after the softener is also good. Catch broken resin and more.

If your well water is not chlorinated, on your community well, it seems to me that a good sanitizing of the well and the plumbing at the houses that want to participate would be good. In a way, they would all participate in the well part, but the plumbing part people could opt for more or less. . Start planning now for a future warm-weather event. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/well-sanitizing-extra-attention-to-4-inch-casing.65845/ is my sanitizing writeup.

It was just before the water heater, not a dead end. But I've never seen a glass of water from the faucet look like that before. We don't have any whole house filters, just a reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink. A filter sounds like a good idea though, thanks!

 

[Maxforwardspeed]

But another finer one after the softener is also good. Catch broken resin and more.

Any specific filter suggestions for installing downstream of the softener?

I found this nearby:

 

[Reach4]

Close to Menards? Whole House Filtration Systems & Accessories at Menards®
The Omnifilter units with a built-in bypass valve look interesting to me. I am not a pro.

I have Pentair Big Blue housings with 20x4.5 cartridges, but bigger than needed. Plus I needed external bypass.

Clear housings look informative and fun. Usually not clear is more rugged.

 

[Maxforwardspeed]

Close to Menards? Whole House Filtration Systems & Accessories at Menards®
The Omnifilter units with a built-in bypass valve look interesting to me. I am not a pro.

I have Pentair Big Blue housings with 20x4.5 cartridges, but bigger than needed. Plus I needed external bypass.

Clear housings look informative and fun. Usually not clear is more rugged.

Thanks, yes I am close to Menards so I'll check those out.

 

[MaxBlack]

Close to Menards? Whole House Filtration Systems & Accessories at Menards®
...
Clear housings look informative and fun. Usually not clear is more rugged.

Dunno about rugged-ness but I have this one for use as a sediment filter (ahead of the softener) and so can see the condition of the pleated filter. Wouldn't need the clear housing of course with certain types of filters that you can't see thru themselves!

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-filtration-softeners/whole-house-filtration-systems-accessories/omnifilter-10-clear-heavy-duty-whole-house-water-filter-system/bf36c-s-s06/p-1444450664245-c-8685.htm?tid=-1088833791602783446&ipos=10

https://hw.menardc.com/main/items/media/PENTA003/ProductXLarge/BF36C_kit.jpg

 

[Maxforwardspeed]

Dunno about rugged-ness but I have this one for use as a sediment filter (ahead of the softener) and so can see the condition of the pleated filter. Wouldn't need the clear housing of course with certain types of filters that you can't see thru themselves!

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-filtration-softeners/whole-house-filtration-systems-accessories/omnifilter-10-clear-heavy-duty-whole-house-water-filter-system/bf36c-s-s06/p-1444450664245-c-8685.htm?tid=-1088833791602783446&ipos=10

https://hw.menardc.com/main/items/media/PENTA003/ProductXLarge/BF36C_kit.jpg

Nice, yeah that's the one I was looking at today. My only hesitation is the impact it will have on my water pressure. I know it advertised up to 10gpm, but what if your max before installing is 8gpm, does that mean it wouldn't get decrease any further?

 

[Maxforwardspeed]

Dunno about rugged-ness but I have this one for use as a sediment filter (ahead of the softener) and so can see the condition of the pleated filter. Wouldn't need the clear housing of course with certain types of filters that you can't see thru themselves!

https://www.menards.com/main/plumbing/water-filtration-softeners/whole-house-filtration-systems-accessories/omnifilter-10-clear-heavy-duty-whole-house-water-filter-system/bf36c-s-s06/p-1444450664245-c-8685.htm?tid=-1088833791602783446&ipos=10

https://hw.menardc.com/main/items/media/PENTA003/ProductXLarge/BF36C_kit.jpg

Actually I think the filter cartridge has a 10gpm max, but I see in the product specs that the housing itself is listed as 4gpm max. But the 20" non-clear has a 20gpm housing and filter cartridge max... Now I'm torn, haha

 

[Reach4]

A carbon block filter would not be what you would use as a whole house filter. I have not checked out the cartridges.

Actually I think the filter cartridge has a 10gpm max, but I see in the product specs that the housing itself is listed as 4gpm max. But the 20" non-clear has a 20gpm housing and filter cartridge max... Now I'm torn, haha

While thinking, consider that comparing a pressure gauge before a filter with one after a filter will measure pressure drop. Adding a boiler drain can be a way to attach a garden hose thread pressure gauge or to sample water at a point in the path.

While the common filter housings and cartridges show graphs and pressure drops at a given gpm, I don't find that kind of info on this family.

 

[MaxBlack]

...I see in the product specs that the housing itself is listed as 4gpm max....

No, that is for the FILTER MEDIA that comes with the housing. At 1" in and out that housing will surely meet any need.

The filter media is an entirely separate subject, but if you have 10gpm coming-in from your community well, a 4gpm filter will, yes, reduce your flow. But if you are getting say 6gpm out of your well, then any filter rated for greated than that will pass the 6gpm.

Until it gets clogged...!