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- Previous Next List Information Item Actions NAME Kasco Fountains VX Series Overview (video)
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- Salt Dosage Chart for Swimming Pools
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- Closing Your Swimming Pool for the Winter (Winterizing)
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- Our Best Pond or Pool Net - Pond Shark Pro
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- Water Treatment
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- How Does Ultraviolet Water Treatment Work?
- UV (ultraviolet) Water Disinfection FAQ
- UV Dosage Chart
- Tap Water Filtration
- Under the Sink Filtration Installation Diagram
- Well Water Testing
- Should I disinfect or chlorinate my well?
- Hard Water vs Soft Water
- Why does my hot water smell like rotten eggs?
- What are Tannins in my Groundwater
- Water Conditioning Basics - Water Analysis
- Top 5 Contaminants That You Can Remove From Drinking Water
- What You Need to Know About Lead In Your Water
- Water Conditioning Basics - Sizing Parameters
- Water Conditioning Basics - The Hydrologic Cycle
- Water Conditioning Basics - Guidelines for Solving Water Problems
- Cysts in Water Supply: Treating Water Born Disease Causing Protozoa
- Pump Maintenance
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- ECOMIX (Video)
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- How Water Softening Works
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- How to Reset Your UV Dynamics After Replacing the Lamp
- PVC Installation Tips: How to Glue PVC Pipe
- Thread Sealants - Teflon Tape or Paste?
- Product Info
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- Stenner - Proportional Chemical Feed System
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- General Information
- What is Ground Water (Video)
- Groundwater FAQ
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- Constant Pressure Systems for Low or Fluctuating Water Pressure
- Top 5 Cause of Low Water Pressure
- What's In Your Well?
- Victoria Water History
- Water Conservation Tips
- Understanding Drought Levels and Water Restrictions
- Pump Maintenance
- Uniseal - Innovative Pipe Penetration Seals
- Bulk Tubing and Hose
- Friction Loss and Water Velocity Chart
- Filter Screen Mesh to Micron Conversion Chart
- Well Decommissioning
- Well Protection & Groundwater Stewardship
- Groundwater Protection Act - British Columbia
- Licensing Groundwater Users - British Columbia
- Water Sustainability Act - British Columbia
- Why A Submersible Motor Costs What It Does
- Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) - Water Pump
- Choose the Right Pump by Calculating Total Dynamic Head
- Water Systems Glossary
- Unit Conversion Chart
- How-to Articles
- Managing Your Well During a Drought or Dry Spell
- Servicing a Water Pressure Tank
- Winterizing Your Water Well System
- #1 Cause of Pump Failure
- What are Tannins in my Groundwater
- Franklin Electric Jet Pump Motors (video)
- PVC Installation Tips: How to Glue PVC Pipe
- Thread Sealants - Teflon Tape or Paste?
- Product Info
- Franklin Electric Inline 400 Pressure Boosting System by Franklin Electric
- Franklin Electric 3200 Series Groundwater Pumps
- Red Lion Gas Powered Pumps
- Franklin Electric Vertical Multi-stage Pumps
- New Franklin Electric Connect App
- Franklin Electric AIM Manual
Article reprinted from 2015/2016 Hydrotech - Product Catalog: Water Conditioning Products.
The following sections will attempt to clarify some of the more common problems and solutions presently available:
PROBLEM:
- Hard Water
- Clear Water Iron (Ferrous)
- Red Water Iron (Ferric)
- Bacterial Iron
- Manganese
- Acid Water
- Aggressive/Corrosive Water
- Hydrogen Sulfide
- Marshy, metallic or chlorine taste and/or odors
- Turbidity (Sand/Sediment)
- Tannins
HARD WATER
Symptom:
Spotting on dishes and glassware; scale on inside of water heater, pipes and water-using appliances; soap curd and bathtub ring; clothes look gray and dingy.
Cause:
Calcium and magnesium in water, measuring 1.0 gpg or more.
Corrective Equipment:
- Water Softener
- Max. Hardness 100 gpg
- Max. Clear Water Iron 1.5 ppm
CLEAR WATER IRON (FERROUS)
Symptom:
Yellow, brown or rusty stains on plumbing fixtures, water-using appliances and fabrics; metallic taste in foods and beverages; water is clear when drawn from the faucet but oxidizes when exposed to air, then changes color ranging from yellow to brown.
Cause:
Iron in the water measuring 0.3 ppm or more.
Corrective Equipment:
- 0.3-1.5 ppm Water Softener
- 1.5 – 10.0 ppm HIM Specialty System Softener
- 1.5 – 30 ppm Chemical Free Iron Filter (Note 1).
RED WATER IRON (FERRIC)
Symptom:
Same symptoms as Clear Water Iron but iron has already oxidized and has a yellow to rust color when drawn from the faucet.
Cause:
Iron in the water measuring 0.3 ppm or more.
Corrective Equipment:
- 0.3 – 30 ppm Chemical Free Iron Filter (Note 1)
- 0.3 – 7.0 ppm Iron & Sulfur Filter
BACTERIAL IRON
Symptom:
Same symptoms are Clear & Red Water Iron but can have clumps or balls that may foul plumbing lines and other water-using appliances; particularly noticeable as a yellow to reddish slime in toilet flush tanks.
Cause:
Iron bacteria are a group of bacteria which thrive in ironbearing water, utilizing iron as an energy source. This bacteria is not a health hazard.
Corrective Equipment:
- Chemical Free Iron Filter (Note 1)
- Chemical feed pump feeding chlorine followed by a multimedia filter (Note 3)
MANGANESE
Symptom:
Blackish stain on fixtures and laundry; manganese content above 0.05 ppm causes stains.
Cause:
Interaction of carbon dioxide or organic matter with manganesebearing soils. Usually found in combination with iron.
Corrective Equipment:
- 0.05 – 1.0 ppm Chemical Free M Iron Filter (Note 1)
- Iron & Sulfur Filter (Note 2)
ACID WATER
Symptom:
Blue/green or rusty stains and corrosion of plumbing fixtures and other water-using appliances; pitting of porcelain and enamel fixtures and dishes. Pin holes in copper plumbing lines.
Cause:
Generally associated with water with a pH value of less than the neutral 7.0.
Corrective Equipment:
- pH 6.0 – 6.9 Neutralizing Filter
- pH 4.0 – 6.9 Chemical Feed Pump feeding soda ash
AGGRESSIVE/CORROSIVE WATER
Symptom:
Same symptoms as Acid Water but pH is 8.5 or higher.
Cause:
Alkalinity and carbon dioxide or high dissolved oxygen in water. Electrolysis – two dissimilar metals in plumbing lines.
Corrective Equipment:
Contact us toll-free at 1-888-444-8497 or email chris@vanislewater.com
HYDROGEN SULFIDE
Symptom:
Rotten egg taste and/or odor. Turns copper plumbing lines black. Very corrosive.
Cause:
Hydrogen Sulfide is a dissolved gas found in some water supplies.
Corrective Equipment:
- Up to 5.0 ppm BIF Chem Free Iron Filter up to 3.0 ppm use an Iron and Sulphur filter.
- 3.0 – 15.0 ppm Chemical Feed Pump feeding chlorine followed by a Multi Media Filter (Note 3).
MARSHY, METALLIC OR CHLORINE TASTE AND/OR ODORS
Symptom:
Objectionable tastes and/or odors other than hydrogen sulfide.
Cause:
Dissolved minerals or gases; organic contamination or chlorination.
Corrective Equipment:
Activated Carbon Filter for while house water supply or Taste & Odor Cartridge Filter for individual faucets.
TURBIDITY (SAND/SEDIMENT)
Symptom:
Foreign particles, dirty or cloudy water.
Cause:
Tiny suspended particles that are the result of water main scale or silt. Private wells often contain sand or clay.
Corrective Equipment:
Multimedia filter for whole house water supply or a Sediment Cartridge Filter for individual faucets.
TANNINS
Symptom:
Yellow and brown tint or cast in water supply; tannins measuring 0.5 ppm or higher may cause staining and/or interference with various water treatment processes.
Cause:
Result of decaying vegetative matter.
Corrective Equipment:
- Organic Color Removal Filter
- Contact us toll-free at 1-888-444-8497 or email chris@vanislewater.com
NOTE 1: Water must have a minimum pressure of 20 psi, pumping rate of 5 gpm and a pH of 6.5 or higher for proper operation. Most water supplies contain calcium and magnesium which are not removed by an iron filter. We recommend following an iron filter with a water softener.
NOTE 2: Oxidation of manganese is more pH dependent than iron. Therefore a pH of 8.2 or higher must be maintained. If the manganese level is > 2.0 ppm or bacterial iron is present, contact us toll-free at 1-888-444-8497 or email chris@vanislewater.com.
NOTE 3: This system also requires a retention tank to allow adequate contact time (minimum 20 minutes). An optional activated carbon filter for the whole house water supply or a taste & odor cartridge filter for individual faucets may be installed to remove any objectionable taste or odor.
Total Hardness converted from ppm or mg/l to Grains/US Gallon (gpg)
ppm (mg/l) ÷ 17.1 = gpg
If there is a small amount of Iron or Manganese in the water, add the following compensated values:
Iron - ppm x 4
Manganese - ppm x 8
To arrive at the additional compensated load on the softener.
The Total ferrous Iron for the softener to remove should not be greater than 1.5 ppm.
The Total Manganese for the softener to remove should be greater than 0.75 ppm.
If the Total Equivalent Iron is less than 0.5 ppm, a Res-Up Feeder and Pro ResCare can be added as an optional safeguard against fouling or the bed can be cleaned occasionally by adding a small amount to the brine tank manually.
If the Total Iron is 0.5 - 1.5 ppm and or the manganese is 0.1 to 0.75 ppm, the softener can be sized accordingly but a Res-Up Feeder and Pro ResCare is required in addition to the softener to prevent iron fouling of the resin.
If the Total Iron is greater than 1.5 ppm, an Iron Filter is required as pre-treatment prior to the softener.