Where to start with iron removal and softener

[beaurrr]

My home came with a Macclean/ChemFree iron removal system (model nf1001). I suspected it wasn't doing much, so I took it out. It appeared to have nothing more than sand as media.

I would like to install a water softener but I'm unsure as to how I should address the iron.

I've taken the controller apart an cleaned the orifices and relubed the O-rings. It appears to work ok. I'd like to re-use it and it put it ahead of the water softener I plan to install. Can I add media such as Pro-Ox or Katalox or something similar?

As for the water softener, is water testing needed? I obviously have scale and iron, but I'm not tasting, smelling, or seeing any other obvious problems.

Also, I'm not sure how to pick a water softener. Are upflow units better than downflow?

 

[Reach4]

As for the water softener, is water testing needed? I obviously have scale and iron, but I'm not tasting, smelling, or seeing any other obvious problems.

You need a test of your raw water. I like kit 90 from http://www.karlabs.com/watertestkit/ for such a test.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

You are your own municipality... get a proper water test.

Reusing the old system... post a picture of it. Sometimes it is worth it... sometimes not.

Upflow vs. downflow, I do classes on this topic, I can easily convince just about anyone that either way is better. From a purely technical standpoint upflow is better. From a real word standpoint, downflow is preferred. Too long of a topic to go into in this forum... I have written on it extensively. Most companies that have used upflow regen in the past have usually switched to downflow just for the ultra simplicity and lack of potential fluidizing of the media during regen.. a simple short second backwash will usually give a very similar performance to upflow without all the headaches.

 

[beaurrr]

I have the test kit on order. Here are couple pictures of the current unit.

 

[Reach4]

Download the Fleck 5600 manual. http://www.hmi-water.com/images/PDF/Fleck_5600_Econominder.pdf
See if that looks pretty close to your unit.

You do not have the Economizer.

Determine what the BLFC DLFC is. That may need changing with different media.

Measure the tank height and diameter or circumference.

(edit: corrected BLFC to DLFC)

 

[beaurrr]

I'll measure the tank in the morning. It does look like the Fleck 5600, although the bypass valve is plastic not brass like in the manual. And there are some parts that are missing.

My unit is the iron treatment version and does not seem to have those bits associated with the BLFC.

 

[ditttohead]

Backwash 5600 (filter valve). Notice the iron on the outlet... the system is no longer working. The outlet should be much cleaner than the intlet if it is working.

 

[beaurrr]

Backwash 5600 (filter valve). Notice the iron on the outlet... the system is no longer working. The outlet should be much cleaner than the intlet if it is working.

It backwashes ok and appears mechanically sound. I figured it never really worked that great because of the sand media that's been in there for 15 years. Hence my question about reconfiguring it to work with better media.

I had it apart this morning. It's nowhere near as complex as the softener version. What could be wrong with it?

 

[Reach4]

An alternative to inspecting the DLFC and figuring out the numbering is to do a backwash while directing the drain into a 5 gallon, or other known size, bucket. Time how long it take to fill. Click Inbox above.

 

[ditttohead]

You could replace the media with a katalox light type of media but that valve is not particularly good at higher backwashing rates. We don't recommend it for anything more than 7 gpm and that is with a significant pressure drop. KL in a 10" tank typically need 7+ gpm to adequately backwash.

As to what could be wrong with it, probably not much, it is a simple valve but a proper media inside the tank is needed to reduce iron. If the iron comes in in the ferric state then a properly designed filtration system may be adequate. if the iron comes in the ferrous state then a media designed to revert the iron to the ferric state is needed. This type of media can be very effective if the water conditions are correct for the process. Higher pH, dissolved oxygen, adequate ORP, etc.. all contribute to the medias ability to perform properly.

Not much we can do until we see the test results.

 

[beaurrr]

Download the Fleck 5600 manual. http://www.hmi-water.com/images/PDF/Fleck_5600_Econominder.pdf
See if that looks pretty close to your unit.

You do not have the Economizer.

Determine what the BLFC DLFC is. That may need changing with different media.

Measure the tank height and diameter or circumference.

(edit: corrected BLFC to DLFC)

The tank is 42 inches tall and 9 or 10 inches in diameter.
The DLFC button has three numbers: "500", "24", and "F".

 

[Reach4]

The tank is 42 inches tall and 9 or 10 inches in diameter.

Measure more carefully. While 42 inches is possible, it is not a common height. 9 or 10 is a big difference. Try measuring the circumference. Run a tape measure around, or run a cord around, and measure the cord.

he DLFC button has three numbers: "500", "24", and "F".

That would be 5 GPM. So for most iron media, that would not be enough for a 10 inch tank. If it is 9 inches then it would probably be enough for KL.

 

[beaurrr]

Measure more carefully. While 42 inches is possible, it is not a common height. 9 or 10 is a big difference. Try measuring the circumference. Run a tape measure around, or run a cord around, and measure the cord.


That would be 5 GPM. So for most iron media, that would not be enough for a 10 inch tank. If it is 9 inches then it would probably be enough for KL.

Did you click Inbox?

Remeasured. OD is 10.34 inches (32.5 inch circumference) and height is 42 inches measured from the inside bottom, up to the collar where the snap on ring goes.

Being that it's a 10 inch tank, could the button be swapped for a bigger one? Would that give me more choices of media?

ps. I did read your message and the linked articles at Cleanwaterstore. Thanks....

 

[Reach4]

Remeasured. OD is 10.34 inches (32.5 inch circumference) and height is 42 inches measured from the inside bottom, up to the collar where the snap on ring goes.

Snap ring? Normally a tank has a 2.5" x 8 tpi (thread per inch) industry standard female thread. The controller screws into that, and has an O-ring. The arrow in the photo points to the top of the tank.

My two 54-inch tanks measure about 54.5 and 54.75 inches above the floor. Perhaps you are calling the black cylinders that hold the tanks upright a collar? A fair amount of the tank is within that black cylinder.

A 10" x 40" tank gets 1.00 cu .ft. of media
A 10" x 44" gets 1.25 cu. ft. of media.

Being that it's a 10 inch tank, could the button be swapped for a bigger one? Would that give me more choices of media?

You could put a 7 GPM button in. That is the the biggest. That would be probably enough for KL. It might be near ideal with 50F backwash temperature. I figure you would like to have about 35% to 40% expansion.

My iron+H2S filter uses Centaur Carbon with a 5 GPM backwash. It also uses a solution tank to add bleach to the regeneration.

 

[beaurrr]

My controller doesn't thread have threads. It is held to the tank with a plastic snap ring. I'll take pictures later. As for the length, I measured height from the deepest part on the inside up to the collar (where the snap ring goes).
Thanks for the tips.
Also, I did receive the results of my water test from Kar. Here's a few of more notable values:

calcium total: 22.3mg/L
Iron total: .04mg/L
Magnesium: 18.1mg/L
Manganese: none found
Sulfur total: 1.7mg/L
Hardness (gpg): 7.6 grains/gallon
Hardness: 130 mg/L (as CaCO3
ph: 7.2
TDS: 190 mg/L

 

[Reach4]

calcium total: 22.3mg/L
Iron total: .04mg/L
Hardness (gpg): 7.6 grains/gallon
Hardness: 130 mg/L (as CaCO3
ph: 7.2

Nice. A softener should be able to treat that readily. Many/most people with that raw water would not bother treating, but a softener is nice. It softens and removes your low level of iron easily.

How much water do you use in the house? People usually figure 60 gallons per day per person.

Look thru your report. Are there any items with an MCL number where your number is 50% or more of that MCL number? (good pH is a range, so should not actually have a "Maximum Contaminant Level" listed as such.)

 

[beaurrr]

Nice. A softener should be able to treat that readily. Many/most people with that raw water would not bother treating, but a softener is nice. It softens and removes your low level of iron easily.

How much water do you use in the house? People usually figure 60 gallons per day per person.

Look thru your report. Are there any items with an MCL number where your number is 50% or more of that MCL number? (good pH is a range, so should not actually have a "Maximum Contaminant Level" listed as such.)

It's just me, and I don't use much water.
No other values approach or exceed 50% MCL

 

[Reach4]

I would consider one of these softener sizes for you:
8" x 44" 0.75 cu. ft. ( "24,000 grains" )
9" x 48" 1.00 cu. ft. ( "32,000 grains")

If you were height-challenged in your placement spot (crawl space, for example), you could opt for a shorter selection.

I opted for 10% crosslinked resin, although I am not sure that was a worthwhile upgrade. I guess I can worry less when I do my sanitizing about every 2 years.

A Fleck 5600SXT demand controller would work well, I think. There are other more expensive alternatives. Even those tanks could be thought of as oversized.

 

[beaurrr]

I would like to know more about the upflow units. What are specific advantages or disadvantages?

Also, should I be concerned about iron fouling the softener media over time? Would it be useful to remove ahead of the softener?

 

[ditttohead]

I would recommend a 1.5 CF system since it is nearly the same cost but 2X larger. I rarely find a reason to go smaller than 10x54. Iron at that low of a level will be of little issue to the softener, just be sure to add some citric acid resin cleaner to the brine tank every few months.

Upflow, don't bother and don't read the hype. I have gone over it several times in this forum, it is an old topic that is simply not worth the problems it creates. It is primarily marketing hype. The real world numbers are simply not what the claims online are. Same goes for specialized resins etc. I am sure you can read through my old posts on the topics, I sell both but approximately 98% of our units go out downflow. Most of our customers want simple, efficient, and bulletproof... no problems...