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Friday, July 22, 2016

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

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:

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.

ted Iron & Manganese

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.