Well water turns cloudy after sitting

[Buckeye84]

I have an older well that was probably drilled in the 1930s. The jet pump was replaced in 2001 (before I owned the house). I live in Ohio with very hard water- 26 grains. I have an air injection iron filter and a softener. I replaced both in 2015. The toilets, outside hydrants and a drinking water tap are on a separate water line that only goes through the iron filter. All other plumbing in the house gets softened water (goes through iron filter then softener).

In the past few weeks the water coming out of the drinking water tap has tasted metallic. When I fill a glass it's clear but after sitting for an hour or so it turns slightly yellowish & cloudy. The raw well water is also clear and turns yellow/cloudy after sitting. Water that comes from the softener is clear and stays clear. Could cloudy water be a sign of a malfunctioning iron filter or is something else going on?

I think I should also get the water tested, but I've never done it before and not sure what all to get tested. Right now I was thinking- nitrite/nitrate, iron & coliform bacteria. Any other recommendations?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Reach4]

In the past few weeks the water coming out of the drinking water tap has tasted metallic. When I fill a glass it's clear but after sitting for an hour or so it turns slightly yellowish & cloudy. The raw well water is also clear and turns yellow/cloudy after sitting. Water that comes from the softener is clear and stays clear. Could cloudy water be a sign of a malfunctioning iron filter or is something else going on?

I don't know about the color and cloudiness, but the taste change certainly would make me wonder about the iron filter. Tell us about your iron filter.

If you had said reddish rather than yellow, I would think the ferrous iron was oxidizing to ferric. If that is the case, a little chlorine bleach should accelerate that. I don't know how much bleach. Drops, teaspoon? I don't know.

http://www.ntllabs.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=NTL&Category_Code=Homeowner Well Check 1+2 for $120 plus shipping may be your best option for now. http://www.watercheck.com/pdf/Watercheck_1_2_Sample_Report.pdf is a sample report showing what is tested for. I look forward to a less expensive lab test option.

You might try an iron test kit, such as http://www.seachem.com/multitest-iron.php

 

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[LLigetfa]

Your iron filter has stopped working, perhaps due to lack of air injection or failing backwash.

 

[Buckeye84]

Thanks Reach4 I'll look into those water testing sites.

My iron filter is from the online store- discount water softeners. It's called The Eliminator - 1 cubic foot. I contacted their customer support too and they suggested I clean the injector screen. So I'll try that tonight.

 

[Reach4]

Thanks Reach4 I'll look into those water testing sites.

My iron filter is from the online store- discount water softeners. It's called The Eliminator - 1 cubic foot. I contacted their customer support too and they suggested I clean the injector screen. So I'll try that tonight.

You got the air (AIO) or one with a solution tank?
How long has it been installed?

 

[LLigetfa]

I have an air injection iron filter and a softener. I replaced both in 2015.

That is a fairly new setup but the air injection part might need periodic maintenance. What brand/model/type of air injection does it use? Is it an inline micronizer before a hydro-pneumatic precipitation tank or is the air injector inside the iron filter? Maybe provide details of the model and or post some pics.

 

[Reach4]

That is a fairly new setup but the air injection part might need periodic maintenance.

I think you are right. If that injector screen cleaning doesn't do it, I think he should tear down the controller some and clean. Passive air injector in the controller.

Buckeye84, the reason I asked how long you had had the unit was because I was wondering if the media was worn out. I don't think they have offered the AOI unit long enough that you could need new media.

I am curious, what DLFC do you have? 4 GPM?

 

[LLigetfa]

The type with the air injector inside the iron filter injects the air during the backwash and stores it for later use. If you don't have sufficient GPM flow during the backwash, it might not suck in enough air. Make sure the drain line is not obstructed.

 

[Buckeye84]

The iron filter I have is a single tank, with a Fleck 5600SXT control valve. It replaced an old green sand filter. I got it in Feb. 2015, so not even 3 year old yet. I'm not at home so I can't offer many more details now, but can later tonight.

Someone mentioned the flow not being enough, I've been wondering about that myself. When I measured GPM before I bought the filter, it was on the lower side of the range they recommended for my iron filter model. Would it do any good messing with the control head settings (if cleaning the controller doesn't help)? Or would that do more harm? If I recall correctly, the factory set it at 10 min BW and 50 min BD (when the air is drawn in I think).

 

[Reach4]

It worked well for 2.5 years. You may need to do a cleaning every 2 years.

Iron Out may be helpful for cleaning, as would an old toothbrush. I would also get some silicone grease. I like to lube up any rubber seals before putting things back together. I have a 5.2 ounce tube of Molykote 111 that lasts a long time. I use nitrile gloves to save cleaning it off of my hands.

 

[LLigetfa]

You would need to monitor the water pressure during the backwash to see if the well pump is able to keep up with the flow demand. If the discharge line can be redirected into a 5 gallon bucket, you could time how long it takes to fill and calculate the backwash flow rate.

 

[LLigetfa]

The iron filter I have is a single tank, with a Fleck 5600SXT control valve.

I am not familiar with that head and the various cycles to know when it draws in air but it makes sense that the BD cycle would be when the air is drawn in. It is possible that there is a leaky valve on the head that is letting the air go out the drain line. It doesn't take much of a leak to let out all the air. If there is any water at all going out the drain line in normal use, then suspect a leaky valve. Possibly there could be a leak where the head attaches to the tank.

 

[Buckeye84]

I cleaned the screen last night. It was plugged up with a lot of black gunk and chunks of stuff. I then ran the filter. Then I had it run a second time in the night. I guess I'll just have to see if this gets it working again.

I measured the discharge rate during backwash. There a sticker on the drain line connector on the controller head that just says "5.0". So I'm assuming it allows 5/gal a minute out? I put the discharge line into a 5 gal bucket to measure. I did this twice, one at the start of back wash and once toward the end. It took 55 seconds to fill it to the brim both times. So that's pretty close to 5 gal/min. The water that came out was reddish and had chunks of stuff in it.

During the air intake phase which lasts 50 minutes, the output flow slowed to a trickle for about the first 20 minutes then sped up to about 1 gal/min for the remaining time.

 

[Reach4]

Sounds good! Yes to the question.

You didn't take pictures, did you?

The water that came out was reddish and had chunks of stuff in it.

I expect that was satisfying to see.

I wonder what caused the increase in flow of water 20 minutes into the BD phase. I also wonder if that occurs every regeneration, or if it was something finally opening up as a result of the cleaning.