Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - water iron problem PLEASE HELP ME
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jane
02-15-05, 10:08 PM
THIS IS A LITTLE LONG BUT WE REALLY NEED HELP It has been over six months with no resolve.
In July of 2004 we had our water tested by a testing lab. iron bacteria was positive , iron was 695.0 mg/L and sulfate was 1090 mg/L with no coliform bacteria or nitrate. During this time period we also found we had a broken pipe in the cisten that our well water goes into before it enters the house. The well/plumber guy fixed it we cleaned the cistern 3 times scrubbed it really good one of theses times. In the house we have had horrible rust problems in toilet sinks, showers. clothes turned rusty with a smell of more rust than rotten egg smell. When I wear the clothes out in the sun or hot I can smell that rusty smell. From this time I installed one of those whole house filters(the one from menards) the plumber installed a new water softner, for $1000 he said would help the problem the rust problem. NOT. So we had Culligan out to check the problem they said they could fix it with an iron filter called culligan Iron-Cleer well that was another $1900. That was before Xmas well it is now Feb. and this is what we have now WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THE KITCHEN FAUCETS THAT HAS A HARDNESS OF 10 OR MORE NOT AS MUCH RUST COMING BUT THE SMELL IS STILL THERE.
We have had Culligan out to check it and he said his unit is working correctly its is the softner that is not working. So we had the plumber some out and flushed the softner out with iron out and he said it works fine, and said the iron filter is not taking out the rust and or iron bacteria. Neither have been payed yet and we still have 30days of the 90 day free trial period on the iron filter. Lastweek end we had to pull the pipe in the well because it had rusted through, they replaced it with a metal pipe and when we put it back down the well it did not go down as far as the old pipe went so the plumber figures that a rock had slid and possibly blocked the pipe from going down as far. We are down at 240 ft and when we turned on the well it we ended up putting a restricter in the pipe going into the cistern because it ranthe pump out of water so at least we have water now. BUT NOW THE PLUMBER WANTS US TO HAVE CULLIGAN TAKE OUT THE IRON FILTER SO HE CAN PUT IN A SENRTY I, WHICH WILL CHLORINATE,AERATES,OXIDIZES AND SANITIZES ALL IN ONE APPLICATION. WHICH WILL COST CLOSE TO $3000. PLEASE HELP ME. I HAVE SENT FOR MORE WATER SAMPLE BOTTLES TO SEND IN AND HAVE THEM ANALIZED SO WE CAN SEE WHAT HAS CHANGED BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST 6-7 MONTHS. OR SHOULD WE LOOK AT POSSIBLY DOING A NEW WELL? I REAIZE NOW BOTH UNITS IRON FILTER AND SOFTNER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY ONE , BUT THE WELL/PLUMBER HAS DONE ALL OUR FARM WATER ANDWELL WORKS AND WE DIDNT WANT TO PISS HIM OFF EITHER OR HE WOULDNT BE AS QUICK TO COME OUT AND FIX THINGS. ITS ALL AND AWFULL DEAL WHAT A MESS
In July of 2004 we had our water tested by a testing lab. iron bacteria was positive , iron was 695.0 mg/L and sulfate was 1090 mg/L with no coliform bacteria or nitrate. During this time period we also found we had a broken pipe in the cisten that our well water goes into before it enters the house. The well/plumber guy fixed it we cleaned the cistern 3 times scrubbed it really good one of theses times. In the house we have had horrible rust problems in toilet sinks, showers. clothes turned rusty with a smell of more rust than rotten egg smell. When I wear the clothes out in the sun or hot I can smell that rusty smell. From this time I installed one of those whole house filters(the one from menards) the plumber installed a new water softner, for $1000 he said would help the problem the rust problem. NOT. So we had Culligan out to check the problem they said they could fix it with an iron filter called culligan Iron-Cleer well that was another $1900. That was before Xmas well it is now Feb. and this is what we have now WATER THAT COMES OUT OF THE KITCHEN FAUCETS THAT HAS A HARDNESS OF 10 OR MORE NOT AS MUCH RUST COMING BUT THE SMELL IS STILL THERE.
We have had Culligan out to check it and he said his unit is working correctly its is the softner that is not working. So we had the plumber some out and flushed the softner out with iron out and he said it works fine, and said the iron filter is not taking out the rust and or iron bacteria. Neither have been payed yet and we still have 30days of the 90 day free trial period on the iron filter. Lastweek end we had to pull the pipe in the well because it had rusted through, they replaced it with a metal pipe and when we put it back down the well it did not go down as far as the old pipe went so the plumber figures that a rock had slid and possibly blocked the pipe from going down as far. We are down at 240 ft and when we turned on the well it we ended up putting a restricter in the pipe going into the cistern because it ranthe pump out of water so at least we have water now. BUT NOW THE PLUMBER WANTS US TO HAVE CULLIGAN TAKE OUT THE IRON FILTER SO HE CAN PUT IN A SENRTY I, WHICH WILL CHLORINATE,AERATES,OXIDIZES AND SANITIZES ALL IN ONE APPLICATION. WHICH WILL COST CLOSE TO $3000. PLEASE HELP ME. I HAVE SENT FOR MORE WATER SAMPLE BOTTLES TO SEND IN AND HAVE THEM ANALIZED SO WE CAN SEE WHAT HAS CHANGED BETTER OR WORSE IN THE LAST 6-7 MONTHS. OR SHOULD WE LOOK AT POSSIBLY DOING A NEW WELL? I REAIZE NOW BOTH UNITS IRON FILTER AND SOFTNER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE BY ONE , BUT THE WELL/PLUMBER HAS DONE ALL OUR FARM WATER ANDWELL WORKS AND WE DIDNT WANT TO PISS HIM OFF EITHER OR HE WOULDNT BE AS QUICK TO COME OUT AND FIX THINGS. ITS ALL AND AWFULL DEAL WHAT A MESS
Gary Slusser
02-16-05, 09:55 PM
IMO you need to tell them both to come get their equipment and start new; unless there's a typo in your 695 mg/l of iron. Should that be 6.95 possibly? Either way, their equipment is misapplied and can not work. I suggest buying from someone on the internet and installing it yourself. I would look into a special inline erosion pellet chlorinator and special mixing/retention tank followed by a Centaur carbon filter and softener. The plumber wants too much for the Sentry 1 Open Air. You can buy it for less delivered to your door and have him install it. He may not like that and probably won't do it but there are other plumbers. And I suggest not being so much friends as business partners with you being the payee. :)
Even so, you have IRB (iron reducing bacteria) problems if I'm right. When you cleaned out the cistern, was there a slime, or do yu have slime in toilet tanks? Flush and wipe the palm of your hand from the water line down and see if there is a clear to rusty slime. If so you have to kill the bacteria or any non-disinfectant type treatment to fail.
Possibly you should have chlorine or ozone in the cistern or chlorine in the well so the cistern stays cleaner.
Gary
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Company Name Removed Only
Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2
Even so, you have IRB (iron reducing bacteria) problems if I'm right. When you cleaned out the cistern, was there a slime, or do yu have slime in toilet tanks? Flush and wipe the palm of your hand from the water line down and see if there is a clear to rusty slime. If so you have to kill the bacteria or any non-disinfectant type treatment to fail.
Possibly you should have chlorine or ozone in the cistern or chlorine in the well so the cistern stays cleaner.
Gary
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Company Name Removed Only
Doug Aleshire, Super Moderator 2