Water Softeners and Air Filtration Systems - Need help w/ Hard water & Iron Problems

Water hardness tested 168 mg/l &

10 G/G in 2 separate tests.

Also orange staining in tubs & sinks sign of high iron levels

What can solve these problems cost effectively?

Are no-salt softners/conditioners a better option & can they solve the iron problem?

System Info:

Well: 510’ Deep Artisan Drilled 10/2/07
Flow 10 GPM

Pump: Sta Rite S5P4JPO5231 HP ¾ 7 GPM
Set @ 290’ #12-3 WG Pump Wire

Pressure tank: Well-X-Trol WX-205 34 Gal

This system is servicing 3 buildings w/5 full baths.

1” Poly Pipe from well to main house 110’

Pipe from main house to studio #1 102’.

Pipe from Studio #1 to Studio #2 195’.

Thanks in advance for your help,

Scott

A water softener can take out both hardness and iron depending on how iron you have. The more iron, the harder the softener must work. Get an iron test and post the results.

Thanks-
Have had 3 tests done since the well was drilled.

Hardness 96 mg/l 10/07 Iron .02
Hardness168 mg/l 6/08 Iron .03
Hardness 10 GPG 9/09 Iron .04

Was told the iron count can be sporadic.
The orange staining I see has not been major.

The iron level is very mild. A softener will remove it, but to keep the resin clean of the iron, I suggest you use either Iron Out powder in the salt or salt with iron out already in it. That will keep the resind clean of the iron and you will be happy.

I was told I need a softener with 60,000 grain capacity.

That's the size I was thinking of as well. A 60k Fleck 5600 meter demand would be a real good softener.

A water softener can take out both hardness and iron depending on how iron you have. The more iron, the harder the softener must work. Get an iron test and post the results.

I was wondering if that iron was 0.4 or 0.04ppm? If it is 0.04ppm, I don't thik any iron is needed. That level is quite insignificant

I don't recommend iron out treatment, especially as a regular treatment, until iron levels reach 2.0ppm with twin tank systems and 1.0ppm with single tank systems. I find that when people use the additive IronOut powder, they use way too much. I recommend two tablespoons for every fifty pounds of salt.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

I was wondering if that iron was 0.4 or 0.04ppm? If it is 0.04ppm, I don't thik any iron is needed. That level is quite insignificant

I don't recommend iron out treatment, especially as a regular treatment, until iron levels reach 2.0ppm with twin tank systems and 1.0ppm with single tank systems. I find that when people use the additive IronOut powder, they use way too much. I recommend two tablespoons for every fifty pounds of salt.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II
I took the iron as .4 ppm because the OP stated they had iron staining.

I took the iron as .4 ppm because the OP stated they had iron staining.

That's why getting test results are so important. I know you have been to houses where the owner says, "You don't need to test my water. Here's the results from the last guy" right? And then you find out they are completely different from your tests.

I strongly advise against selling anything that I haven't tested for. Who gets the grief in the end?

That's one of the problems with online dealers, they have to base their recommendations on little more hearsay and often faulty or old testing, not to mention misplacing a decimal point....

Andy

That's why getting test results are so important. I know you have been to houses where the owner says, "You don't need to test my water. Here's the results from the last guy" right? And then you find out they are completely different from your tests.

I strongly advise against selling anything that I haven't tested for. Who gets the grief in the end?

That's one of the problems with online dealers, they have to base their recommendations on little more hearsay and often faulty or old testing, not to mention misplacing a decimal point....

Andy
And right you are. The first thing I do on a service call is test the water 9hot, cold and raw). It tells me a lot on what's going on. I've had customers say it's soft but tested hard and vice versa.

These are the real numbers:

Hardness 96 mg/l 10/07 Iron .02
Hardness168 mg/l 6/08 Iron .01
Hardness 10 GPG 9/09 Iron .00

Seams that I don't have an Iron problem at all!

In 2003 I added a Studio Suite w/ a 2 person whirl pool tub & shower, purchased @ Home Depot.

In another talk w/my well company, who took the last water sample, we realized the staining I saw was only happening in this tub.

He thinks the lower quality of parts used in Home Depot products may have included galvanized washers which could cause this problem.
What do you think?
I still need to be sure the pump & pressure tank are adequate for a system this size.

What information can you see when you test: Hot, Cold & Raw?
Thanks for your help!

The raw tells what hardness is in the water prior to treatment. Finding hard water (or some hardness) on the hot but not the cold tells me the unit is not regening soon enough. Finding partial hardness on both hot and cold tells me the unit is trying to work, but may need an o ring or another regen. It has helped me for years testing the water prior to disassembling a unit.

After more thought, the staining I have seen is mostly apparent in the tub, not in the toilet or the 2 sinks, which I don't use much warm water.
I flushed out the water heater, but will do it more thoroughly tomorrow.