Water treatment issues - Iron removal using Greensand, Carbon and Ion Resin

[Mike Water]

My plan for the next change of filter material based on the information kindly provided is to get rid of the Greensand and use GAC in the first stainless filter and ion resin in the second. I will regenerate the resin weekly or as often as I can. I will continue to monitor water quality produced and will add a final additional sediment filter after the pressure pump as needed if the water issue described occurs again.

If anyone has any other thoughts or additional considerations on this I would definitely like to hear them. Very thankful to all whom generously helped me out with their advice. Much Appreciated!

 

[Reach4]

My plan for the next change of filter material based on the information kindly provided is to get rid of the Greensand and use GAC in the first stainless filter and ion resin in the second. I will regenerate the resin weekly or as often as I can. I will continue to monitor water quality produced and will add a final additional sediment filter after the pressure pump as needed if the water issue described occurs again.

If anyone has any other thoughts or additional considerations on this I would definitely like to hear them. Very thankful to all whom generously helped me out with their advice. Much Appreciated!

I don't think that the prior posts should lead you to that conclusion. GAC will remove chlorine and H2S, but not iron. Read up on Katalox Light (for the first tank). It is somewhat like greensand, but is improved. It does remove iron and H2S. It could benefit from injection of H2O2 or bleach before, but that may not be needed. Your tanks look fairly small, so keeping the flow rate through the tanks low should let the smaller amount have time to act.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mike Water]

I don't think that the prior posts should lead you to that conclusion. GAC will remove chlorine and H2S, but not iron. Read up on Katalox Light (for the first tank). It is somewhat like greensand, but is improved. It does remove iron and H2S. It could benefit from injection of H2O2 or bleach before, but that may not be needed. Your tanks look fairly small, so keeping the flow rate through the tanks low should let the smaller amount have time to act.

Could be I’m missing something. The key question for me was whether I could rely on the ion resin that I am already using to get rid of the iron content (and in so doing get rid of the Manganese that might be leading to the water issue). I took the last few posts to mean that if it was regenerated regularly that the resin would eliminate the iron. I did not intend to rely on the GAC to do that. Certainly happy to consider all options, will have to read up on Katalox Light.

 

[Reach4]

Yes, softener resin will remove manganese and iron at your levels. It requires additional treatment. Whatever your first stage can remove will make the job of the softener resin easier.

Search this forum for "iron out", Rescare, and Res-up. https://terrylove.com/forums/index.php?threads/garys-trick-and-how-effective-is-iron-out.47363/ is one of the prior discussions.

Note that the needed backwash rate for KL and greensand are both greater than for softener resin. The backwash rate needed is proportional to the cross sectional area. I attached a table for a 9 inch tank below. I think you would like to have about 40% bed expansion, but 35 % is probably OK.

 

[ditttohead]

Is your water chlorinated? If so then KL would be a great choice in the first tank but as stated, the tanks are much smaller than is typically used here, literally less than half the size of what we consider a "small" system so flow rate is key. Do you have a meter for the softening? Softening has an easily calculable capacity if we know a few water parameters. Once the capacity is exhausted it no longer functions.

 

[Mike Water]

Is your water chlorinated? If so then KL would be a great choice in the first tank but as stated, the tanks are much smaller than is typically used here, literally less than half the size of what we consider a "small" system so flow rate is key. Do you have a meter for the softening? Softening has an easily calculable capacity if we know a few water parameters. Once the capacity is exhausted it no longer functions.

No, we don’t chlorinate the water regularly, a couple times a year I dose the tank and run it through the pressure pump and plumbing to clean things out then empty. The filter tanks measured externally are 7 ¼’’ x 50’’ inches. Total internal capacity must be 40-45 Liters, as they are loaded with 20L of filter material and I add 20L of water during regeneration. I don’t have a meter for the softening. All backflowing and regeneration is done manually. The pump that feeds the filters has a pressure valve with a note that says “DO NOT ADJUST”, don’t know of how to adjust flow rate on the pump.

Thanks again for all your help!

Mike

 

[Valveman]

The pump that feeds the filters has a pressure valve with a note that says “DO NOT ADJUST”, don’t know of how to adjust flow rate on the pump.

I would like to see a picture of that "pressure valve".