Well water treatment system with Storage - need help

[Mike1001]

Hi all,

I live on a low producing well and and tried to add a storage tank and in-home pump. I did it incorrectly and my softener and media filter couldn't backwash. I still haven't wrapped my head around why not and how to avoid it again. I called an expert but he insisted on putting my storage tank before any filtration, and it's now getting pretty dark and a little bit smelly from the silt coming in from the well. I'd really like to have the storage tank after the softener and media filter. If someone could take a look at my current flow and the flows I have in mind and point out any gotchas I would very much appreciate it.

Current flow:
Drilled Well
Well Pump
Pressure tank (FL12) - Doesn't seem to be doing anything / filling now
Reservoir/Storage with float switch controlling well pump
3/4 HP pump
Pressure tank (FL7)
Sediment media filter
Water Softener
Big Blue filter
UV filter
House plumbing

Planned flow:
Drilled Well
Well Pump
Sediment media filter
Water Softener
Reservoir/Storage with float switch controlling well pump
3/4 HP pump
Pressure tank (FL12)
Big Blue filter
UV filter
House plumbing

Interim flow (while I find a way to clean the pressure tank and storage tank of silt)
Drilled Well
Well Pump
< pressure switch controlling well pump>
Sediment media filter
Water Softener
Big Blue filter
UV filter
House plumbing

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Mike

 

[LLigetfa]

I did it incorrectly and my softener and media filter couldn't backwash. I still haven't wrapped my head around why not and how to avoid it again.

If you don't know where you went wrong, how will you remedy it? Drawing from the storage tank should give you all the gallons and GPM you need to backwash/regen. If you put the conditioning equipment before the storage tank, then the well might not have the gallons nor the GPM to backwash/regen. You would need an elaborate system of solenoid valves to switch the water supply over to the storage for the duration of the backwash/regen.

How many gallons and GPM can the well produce? How large is the storage reservoir?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Mike1001]

Thanks, I had wondered if I might need some solenoid valves. The reservoir is 135 gallons. I believe it's 3 GPM max from the well.

 

[LLigetfa]

The reservoir is 135 gallons. I believe it's 3 GPM max from the well.

135 gallons is not a lot. What is the size and depth of the well casing as well as the static level? A large deep well casing could store as much as your storage.

What is the GPM required for backwash/regen?

 

[Bannerman]

How do you control the flow rate from the well? (why doesn't the pump run dry when filling the 135 gallon reservoir?)

Have you considered a larger pressure tank instead of the reservoir? Your current FL12 tank is only 35 gallons which has a 10-14 gallon draw down.

How large is your softener? If it utilizes a 10" diameter tank, the backwash rate should be about 2.5 gpm.

What media does the media filter contain? Most media will require a much higher backwash rate compared to softener resin. If you require a larger tank diameter than your pump or well will support, you could install 2 smaller diameter filter plumbed in parallel. Two filter could provide the same amount of media but each tank would be configured to backwash at different times.

 

[Mike1001]

135 gallons is not a lot. What is the size and depth of the well casing as well as the static level? A large deep well casing could store as much as your storage.

What is the GPM required for backwash/regen?

I'm afraid I don't know any of the above. I bought the house 2 years ago and the well is 40 years old.

 

[Mike1001]

How do you control the flow rate from the well? (why doesn't the pump run dry when filling the 135 gallon reservoir?)

Have you considered a larger pressure tank instead of the reservoir? Your current FL12 tank is only 35 gallons which has a 10-14 gallon draw down.

How large is your softener? If it utilizes a 10" diameter tank, the backwash rate should be about 2.5 gpm.

What media does the media filter contain? Most media will require a much higher backwash rate compared to softener resin. If you require a larger tank diameter than your pump or well will support, you could install 2 smaller diameter filter plumbed in parallel. Two filter could provide the same amount of media but each tank would be configured to backwash at different times.

A 3 Gpm limiter was previously installed where the water comes into the house because more flow than than results in too much silt coming in.

I'm open to a larger pressure tank. I guess the reservoir with no pressure over-complicates the system? Could I have the larger pressure tank downstream of the media filter and softener ?

The softener is a Fleck 5600 SXT Metered Water Softener - 48,000 Grain - 10" diameter

I don't know what's in the media filter. I think I've seen some come out and it looks like silica sand but orangish. The filter is 10" diameter, and has a waterite fusion2 controller, which has model F0B10 BP written on it, but I can't seem to google what that model does. I think someone might have told me it is for iron.

 

[LLigetfa]

I too limit the flow from the well to keep silt from mobilizing and it has the downside of not quite enough GPM for the iron filter backwash. What I do is periodically introduce air into the backwash stream while manually running the backwash. ISTR @ditttohead mention that such a remediation is commercially available.

 

[Mike1001]

I'd like to minimize manual intervention. Would this setup work well?

Drilled Well
Well Pump
3GPM limiter to reduce sediment coming in
Pressure tank (FL12) - to accumulate water after the 3gpm limiter
Pressure switch to control well pump
3/4 HP pump - To boost the pressure after the 3GPM limiter - has built in pressure switch
Sediment media filter
Water Softener
Larger Pressure tank for storage
Big Blue filter
UV filter
House plumbing

 

[Bannerman]

As the media filter is the item which poses the problem to backwash, having a larger pressure tank after the softener means water would need to travel backwards through the softener to supply the MF during backwash.

Since your FL12 has only 10-14 gallons drawdown depending on pressure, it appears a larger pressure tank directly after the well/before the MF maybe more useful. I think if the pressure tank capacity is large enough, perhaps it can deliver the bulk of volume required to backwash the MF with the 3 gpm from the well adding to that volume.

What is your well pump pressure setting? You now mention wanting to add a pump to boost pressure. Whatever range the well pump pressure switch is set to, should be the pressure to your fixtures so an additional booster pump is not normally required.

From your OP, I had thought your well recovery rate is the reason for low production. As you are actually restricting flow to reduce/eliminate drawing silt, but are continuing to experience a silt issue, the restricted flow does not appear to be working too well. Have you attempted to flush out the silt at the pump's full unrestricted flow rate?

Post some photos of your current sediment filter as there maybe an alternate which may be more effective.

Post also your raw water test results. Depending on the iron content and other factors, perhaps there will be a more appropriate media for the MF which may require a lower backwash rate, OR, an alternate method to reduce the iron.

 

[ditttohead]

Some simple filtration may help, have you considered sand traps? Check out these pages/videos for a few ideas.