Which water softener?

January 11, 2012 by michelle · Leave a Comment

I’m purchasing a Nelson Water Treatment System, but want to know if I should choose a 5600 series 2 tank system or a 9000 series 3 tank system. The salesman says we should get the 3 tank so we have a reserve of soft water. We have 4 in our family, 2 teenage girls but one is off to college next year. I’m trying to figure out what we actually need. Any recommendations?

Answer: The primary benefit of a twin tank softener like the Fleck 9000 (two resin tanks with a stand-alone brine tank) is that there is always a regenerated tank available in stand-by. With this design, as you point out, you would never run out of soft water. But in most residential applications, this is not very important. A standard “two tank” softener (single resin tank with separate brine tank) regenerates automatically at a time of your choosing (normally in the middle of the night), and you would probably never notice any difference.

The primary benefit of a twin tank design is that the tank undergoing regeneration is being supplied with pre-treated water. In the case of an on-site well, where iron or manganese content may be elevated, this is a plus. But in a residential application using municipal water, this is generally not an issue. If you are supplied with water from the city, you should be fine with a Fleck 5600 system. If you have water quality information available, just let us know, and we can recommend an appropriate system size for your application – we would also need to know your pipe size at the point of planned equipment installation – we assume that it is ¾ inch, as the 5600 is a ¾ inch valve.

One comment, if you are considering a twin tank softener, take a look at the Noryl body Fleck 9100 control for a residential application – Nelson supplies this valve also. This valve has similar performance when compared to the 9000, and is more appropriate and less expense than the brass body 9000.

How do I stop a beeping sound on my water softner?

January 8, 2012 by chris roman · Leave a Comment

Answer: We would need to know what manufacturer and model water softener you have before we can make a recommendation. Is this possibly a RainSoft water softener? If it is, the beeping is likely due to a “low salt” alarm indicating that the level of salt in your brine tank is low and in need of refilling. We do not know the specifics of how to adjust this alarm, and you may need to contact RainSoft for specific directions.

Salty Water

January 7, 2012 by 7Moons · Leave a Comment

Hi. I am on well water in Kansas. Very hard water naturally. We have an approximately 1.5 to 2 year old Kenmore water softener which uses salt. Incredibly fast usage of salt in my opinion as well….how many lbs of salt should a 2 person household with normal water usage go through each month? That’s my first question.

My second question is the most important one. I see some other folks have asked about salty water and that most answers refer to either a blocked drain or bad resin bed. Here is my concern…we had Sears (*grumble grumble*) come out and look at this issue several months ago. He said some little hose in the back was disconnected but that really didn’t amount to any problems and he reattached that and said the rest of the system checked out great. And left a sizeable bill for all that wonderful information and service that I had to stay home from 8am to 4pm to receive at their fancy. Sorry had to say that. lol Worst of all the intermittent salty water issues continue despite him servicing the machine.

My husband normally deals with this machine and he is gone for 3 more months. The water should never come out of the tap salty right? It leaves a salty residue on dishes and builds up on the soil surface of house plants. I am not sure of our actual salt usage but it seems excessive. At least 3 bags a month.
I don’t want to call Sears again. Been there…done that….no resolution. Thanks in advance. I appreciate you help.

Answer: The actual amount of salt consumed will depend on your water quality and the amount of water consumed. But with 2 residents in the home, using a value of 20 GPG hardness in the water. You can expect to use about one 40 pound bag per month.

The problem that you are experiencing is probably due to an insufficient rinsing of the bed during regeneration. During regeneration, the water softener draws brine (salt) solution into the resin bed. Following the brine draw stage, fresh water is passed through the bed in order to wash any excess salt from the resin and send it to drain. If all of the salt is not removed from the bed, you will notice it in your drinking water for a period of time after each regeneration.

Some of the reasons that the salt may not be effectively removed from the bed may be (as you have read) a blocked drain line, or fouled resin bed. You mention that you are using on-site well water, and if your water contains a significant amount of iron, manganese or sediment, it is possible that the resin bed has become fouled, and requires cleaning or replacement. If this is not the case, and with a water softener only 1-2 years old, it is more likely that there is a problem with the water flow to drain.

Manually regenerate the unit, and check the drain line to be sure there is a very good flow to drain. See if you can find an obstruction in the line, and clear it if possible. Some other causes of this problem can be a faulty/plugged backwash drain control, incorrect salt setting, insufficient rinse time (this may not be adjustable with your unit), or undersized drain line causing a restriction to flow (the drain line should be no less than 1/2 inch ID, and a smaller drain line may part of the problem).

However, there are other possible causes of this problem, and if you are not familiar with the internal workings of your system, a service call may be required. To our knowledge, EcoWater manufactures this unit, and you may be able to obtain a better level of service from their technician – you might contact them directly.

Bad odor in water

December 30, 2011 by ttrainor · Leave a Comment

I live in southern France and my water comes from a 400 foot deep borehole. I have installed a series of particulate filters and a UV lamp for bacteria. Water analysis shows water to be drinkable. However, there is a persistent odor that I qualify as “metallic” (NOT hydrogen sulfide). I have tried activated charcoal filters from a local supplier but that only seems to remove the odor for a few days. Can you recommend a longer-lasting solution? Thanks in advance.

Answer: You will need to identify what the cause of the odor is – the water analysis that you already have may point to the cause of the problem. You can always send a sample of your water to our laboratory for a free analysis, but shipping cost may be prohibitive from France – if the needed information is not in your current analysis, you can probably find a local laboratory that can provide this service. From your comment, it’s likely that the odor is due to either iron or manganese. If you have copper or iron water supply piping, and a low water pH, it is also possible that the acidity of the water is dissolving the piping and causing the odor. If you have additional information available, please let us know, and we can try to help you further.

Correction of an iron/magnesium problem can be accomplished a number of ways, but most frequently, we use a chemical free system known as an Iron-Pro. This system uses aeration along with a polishing media to remove the iron or magnesium contaminant.

If low pH is your problem, you may be able to use a backwashing pH neutralizer to resolve it. Normal pH range is between 7.0 and 7.8 standard units, and operating below 7.0 units will require correction. One word of caution, a calcite based neutralizer adds some hardness to your water (normally 3 to 5 GPG), and hardness should not exceed 7 GPG when a UV system is used. Depending on your initial level of water hardness, you may need to add a water softener after the neutralizer (and before the UV) to reduce the hardness.

Many thanks for the swift response. In answer to your points, the pH is 7.8. Iron and magnesium are only present at trace levels (<20micrograms/liter). I am therefore at a loss to work out where the problem could be coming from. I would appreciate any help you can provide.

Regards Terence Trainor

Answer: This is very unusual if you are sure that the iron and manganese analysis is 20 micrograms/l (and not milligrams/l) – if this is the case, we would not be able to guess at the cause. The only thing we would recommend is that you have a laboratory perform a full screen of all contaminants in your water. The odor must be caused by something that can be measured. We would also recommend that you have the measurement performed by a different laboratory, just to reconfirm the analysis. To make sure that the pH measurement is accurate, be sure to fill your sample bottle to overflowing in order to minimize any entrapped air, and have the measurement made as soon as is possible after the sample is taken. Although you mention that you do not believe that the odor is due to H2S, this presence (and the presence of many other volatile compounds) needs to be measured on site to accurately detect.

Thanks once again for the swift response. Yes, I am sure it is micro not milli (the symbol on the analysis is the Greek letter for micro). The sample bottle was filled to overflowing and the samples were brought for analysis within less than an hour of being taken. I’ll follow up on your suggestion for a second opinion. I totally agree that the odor must be due to SOMETHING that is measurable!

Thanks once again, Terence Trainor

Salt Free Water Softeners?

December 23, 2011 by mgradwell1123 · Leave a Comment

Did your company start offering salt-free softening solutions? Who do I contact?

Answer: We have discussed this topic in the past, and you might search this blog for the terms “Salt Free Water Softeners” (in quotes) to read more. At this time, we do not offer these systems commercially, as the only evidence we have seen to date that these systems work is anecdotal. However, we have in the past produced these systems for our distributers by request, and you can contact us by telephone to inquire about pricing and delivery. One note, we will not be able to provide any performance guarantee with this system – only our standard equipment warranty. Thanks!

Water softener not regenerating

December 14, 2011 by Larry D · Leave a Comment

I have a Kinetico model 30 water softener and it is not regenerating soft water. I tried flushing the system but still no soft water. What might I try to make it work again?

Answer: There are many possible causes of water softener failure, and to try and identify the probable cause we would need to more specifics as to what exactly is occurring. For instance, is the softener regenerating automatically as normal, but not supplying softened water?

If it seems to be regenerating, during the brine draw stage, does the water level in the brine (salt) tank recede? Or, is the brine tank very full of water – full to an unusually high level? If either of these is the case, you may have a “salt bridge” at the bottom of your brine tank. A salt bridge is a large mass of salt that formed on the bottom of the tank over time. This can cause a blockage of the brine draw assembly, and prevent brine solution for being drawn into the softener. If this seems to be the case, you will need to empty the brine tank of salt, clean it out well, and refill with new salt.

It may be a mechanical issue, and you can look in your manual to find the location of the injector, screen, and drain line flow control. Inspect these parts to be sure they are clean and in good shape. If replacement parts are required, only a Kinetico representative can help you here. Kinetico controls are of a proprietary design, and parts can only be purchased directly from Kinetico.

It may also be that the resin bed requires replacement. If this is the case, you probably noticed the quality of the water getting worse over time, before total failure occurred. A model 30 uses two tanks, each containing 1/2 ft3 of resin. A 1 ft3 bag of resin can be purchased online for $130.00 delivered.

Replacing Chlorine Treatment with Hydrogen Peroxide in Well-Water Application

December 13, 2011 by cmcoleman · Leave a Comment

Hello,

We live in a very rural area in Tennessee where there are many wells. Most of them contain sulfur to a certain degree and some iron and manganese. Our well has an occasional “rotten egg” odor, but very infrequently, and it’s gone just a few seconds after we notice it. We have lived here for 7 years, and the people who put in the wells and the water-treatment systems around here have a reputation for ripping people off by installing systems that are not needed… or by disguising used tanks by putting a shiny new tank skin on them and selling them for new to unsuspecting home-owners.

When we first came here, the water treatment for the well water consisted of various filters and softeners, which we did not understand at all… and the water tasted BAD in spite of tank after tank after tank that was “supposed” to be treating the water. What we were told did not make sense to us, so we collected a water sample directly from the well, we had it analyzed by a third party. We were told that our water was just as good, clear and clean as “bottled water” and that we probably did not need all the filters or the softeners. So… just for curiosity, we disconnected everything, and have since only used a chlorine injection system to treat the water. It is amazing how many people come to our house and comment on how good our water tastes compared to theirs… and they only live just down the road… AND they have a slew of filters, holding tanks, and various other “paraphernalia” from the local water-treatment “specialists”.

I have been using peroxide, as well as vinegar, in our home as an everyday cleaner and disinfectant due to our parrots. They are very sensitive to cleaning agents, and these are the safest for them. I have worried about the effect that the chlorinated water might have on them (two have very dry skin in spite of added humidity and we wonder if it might be the chlorine affecting them… even though I let their water sit overnight), even though we dilute the chlorine in the tank quite a bit. But I also worry about how safe chlorine actually is for us, too. I started searching around, and have found several articles about the use of peroxide in place of chlorine to treat well water. Is this true? It almost sounds too good to be…

Unfortunately, I have also come across several different schools of thought on the percentage of hydrogen peroxide that is used… from the standard “over-the-counter” 3% to 35% to 50%. Which is correct? If this is indeed possible, would we just have to throw away the tank that holds the chlorine, as well as the pump/supply line that we are currently using?

If peroxide is indeed a better solution, I would really like to know what I would need to change our system over to a peroxide-based system instead of chlorine-based one, and how we would go about accomplishing such a task.

I do have particulars in regards to the water-test and would be happy to supply those if you feel that information is pertinent. Just let me know what you need to know that would be helpful. Thank you in advance,

Cathy Coleman
Pikeville, Tennessee

Answer: While using hydrogen peroxide is certainly an option here, you would be better off continuing to use chlorine injection, and simply adding a backwashing carbon filter downstream of the chlorine injection point. The reason for this is basically cost. In very high sulfur applications, we recommend the use of hydrogen peroxide (usually available for injection systems in a 7% concentration), as it is a very powerful oxidizer. But it is also more expensive to use this solution when compared to household chlorine bleach. In your case a backwashing carbon filter will remove all chlorine injected into your system, and also remove any residual sulfur (rotten egg) odor. The carbon filter will also act as a self-cleaning filter; and remove particulate formed during the injection process down to 20 microns is size. A typical size for this application is 1.5 ft3, and these are available online for $580.00 delivered.

Please let us know if you have any questions.

rotten egg

November 18, 2011 by michaelfdaley · Leave a Comment

I’ve had two water treatment specialists test my well water. I already know I have hydrogen sulphide problems, but one says we have soft water and one says hard water. The first would charge $4000 for a filter, and the second would charge $1500. He’s suggesting the Nelson 5600 series filter for whole house filtration. I can’t find anything on it, and I would prefer this because it’s cheaper but I don’t want to keep coming back to fix it if this doesn’t work. Do you know whether this filter is a good bet? I understand from what he told me there can’t be any guarantees because it is a deep well, artesian, and because of changes in the aquifer.

Answer: There are a few ways to address this issue, and we will discuss them below, but first a comment about the quotes that you mention. We can’t guess what the $4000 system is comprised of, but it seems likely that the other option, the Nelson Corporation filter using a Fleck 5600 ¾” control, is a backwashing carbon filter. A carbon filter can be effective at removing low levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), but it is not really appropriate for mid to high levels of H2S, as a given filter bed volume has a corresponding finite ability to hold sulfur, and elevated levels of sulfur will eventually result in the breakthrough of H2S. In a higher H2S environment, frequent replacement of the carbon media would be required, and this would not be cost effective in the long run. Consider this option only if the level of H2S contamination is very low. Also, a carbon filter will do nothing to address a hard water problem, assuming it exists.

A hydrogen sulfide measurement needs to be made onsite, as H2S is very volatile, and a measurement taken at a lab would not be representative of the conditions at the source. Let us know your impressions of the odor, mild/intermittent – mid range – strong. This will help us to recommend the best system for your application.
Regarding hard vs. soft water – hardness in water is not subjective – it’s a simple measurement (normally reported in mg/l or grain per gallon CaCO3), and you should have been provided with this data. If you have this information available, please let us know, and we will be pleased to let you know if you should consider a water softener. If you don’t have this information, just visit our site for instructions on how to sample and where to send your water for our free analysis.

Here are a few possible solutions (again, the best method of remediation will depend on your application specifics):

Sulfur Pro
The Sulfur-Pro uses a specially designed control valve and a media tank partially filled with carbon media. The unit keeps 1/2 of the tank filled with air at all times, and the sulfur (along with some levels of iron and manganese) is oxidized by the air, and then polished by the Centaur carbon media. It cleans and flushes the bed very aggressively, as air is also contained in the backwash water. The system removes very high levels of and sulfur, and is priced between $880.00 and $1160.00 delivered (for the 3/4″ 7 GPM or 1″ 11 & 15 GPM system. For correct operation of this system you need to have approximately 7 GPM water flow rate available for 10 min – required for the periodic – 2 times per week backwashing stage for the 7 GPM unit. 10 GPM for 10 minutes for the two larger sized systems.
You can view and purchase this system online at www.caitechnologies – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Specialty Filters” (Sulfur-Pro) drop-down under the Online Store menu.

Peroxide Injection System
For very high levels of sulfur contained in water, we would recommend chemical injection of hydrogen peroxide. The peroxide will oxidize the hydrogen sulfide present in the water to insoluble sulfur oxide, and then this material is filtered out in a downstream backwashing carbon filter. The carbon filter will also polish any residual sulfur not removed during the injection process. The retention tank just provides contact time so that the oxidation reaction can occur . Maintenance requires periodic refilling of the solution storage tank with hydrogen peroxide, annual replacement of a pump tube (you get 1 spare tube with the system). Tubes are inexpensive (pack of 2 cost $35 delivered). Replacement (re-bedding) of the carbon bed in your existing filter system every two to three years is recommended.

This liquid injection system meters hydrogen peroxide solution directly into your water supply. This system is composed of a chemical feed pump, static mixer, solution storage tank and retention tank. When your well pump comes on, the chemical feed pump injects solution into the static mixer (which aids in the uniform mixing process) and enters the retention tank where the disinfection/oxidation process occurs.

a. Stenner 15 gallon STS solution storage & chemical feed pump system
b. 80 gallon retention tank
c. In-line static mixer
d. 5 gallons, 3% hydrogen peroxide solution
Price, $1200.00 delivered

You typically add a straight 3% hydrogen peroxide solution to the 15 gallon chemical solution tank to start. You then vary the pump feed rate until you obtain the desired removal efficiency – typically a setting of 50% works well. A 5-gallon case of 3% hydrogen peroxide is available for $110.00 delivered.

This configuration (for peroxide injection) is not offered for sale on our store, and if you would like to order this online, please visit our special orders page at http://www.caitechnologies.com – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Special Orders” drop-down under the “Services” menu. To purchase this special order online, enter the special order number “3530820″ in the text box as shown. This number pertains to your specific equipment (CI-PEROXIDE) and you can enter the order specifics such as name and address into our secure online ordering system. After checkout is complete, the is a “Special Instruction/Comments” text box where you can note any additional information if you like.

Carbon Filter
Thi filter is probably similar to the 5600 Nelson system you mention. If you inject peroxide into your water you should always incorporate a backwashing carbon filter into your system. The filter would be installed after the chemical injection equipment, and will act to filter out the oxidized sulfur. Our model CF15-M, 1.5 ft3 automatic backwashing carbon filter (Autotrol 263/740i valve and control) is available online at for $580.00. With this very high level of sulfur, you may want to consider the Centaur carbon option – Centaur excels at H2S removal, and will act as a very good polishing bed in the event any residual sulfur gets through the injection process. Carbon filters require that the filter media be replaced every two to four years at a cost of approximately $150.00. The carbon filter would be placed after the chlorination injection equipment and holding tank.

As we mentioned, a carbon filter alone will do a very good job at removing low levels of sulfur without any other installed equipment. However, if sulfur levels are anything other than very low (or periodic), this would not be a cost effective solution, as the carbon contained within the filter would need replacement too frequently. If needed, a water softener would be in last position after the carbon filter.

Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Cost To Service Water System

October 6, 2011 by hap perry · 1 Comment

1 What should it cost to change resin and sand?
2 What causes all the salt to desolve and is it ok? thanks

Answer: The cost to replace the resin and sand (gravel) depends on the size of your unit, but replacement cation exchange resin is available on our site for $130.00 per cubic foot bag, delivered. Gravel is available in 50 pound bags for $60.00 delivered.

During automatic regeneration, water is added to the brine (salt) tank with each refill. The salt dissolves in this water (now called “brine solution”), and some amount of salt is consumed with every regeneration – this is normal operation.

How do I lower pH?

October 2, 2011 by cquillen · Leave a Comment

I have soft water but very high ph (8.5-9.5) and high alkalinity.  The water is destroying my hair.  I have a vitamin c shower filter however it does very little if anything at all.  No one seems to know the answer as to how to reduce the ph in my home.  I am not on a private well however the water district is a well system.

Answer: The only way to do this is by injecting an acidic solution, typically citric acid. A acid injection for lowering water pH system meters liquid citric acid solution right into your water supply. This system is composed of a chemical feed pump, static mixer, solution storage tank and retention tank. When your well pump comes on, the chemical feed pump adds citric acid solution into the static mixer (which aids in the uniform mixing process) and enters the retention tank where the neutralization process occurs. Price is $1160.00 delivered, and equipment included in the package is listed below:

Stenner STS chemical feed pump and solution storage tank system (ties in to well pump electrical – specify voltage of well pump when ordering)
1″ In-line static mixer
40 gallon retention tank
Case of citric acid, quantity of six 4 pound containers of powder concentrate

Dimensions are:
Chemical retention tank – approximately 20 dia. x 25″ height
Retention tank – approximately 18″ dia. x 40″ height

We offer 24/7 technical service support to assist you with any installation or operation questions that you may have. Typical mix is ratio is approximately 16 to 24 ounces of citric acid added to 15 gallons of water. Maintenance is basically refilling the Stenner STS storage tank with citric acid solution from time-to-time. You also need to change a pump tube 1-time per year (a spare tube is included along with the system).

If you would like to order this online, please visit our Special Orders Page. To purchase this special order online, enter the special order number “0301140″ in the text box as shown. This number pertains to this specific equipment and you can enter the order specifics such as name and address into our secure online ordering system. After checkout is complete, the is a “Special Instruction/Comments” text box where you can note any additional information if you like.

However, the standard method of using a chemical injection is in a wll application, where you the point of injection prior to the pressure tank – here flow rate is always the same. If you need to install the system in a municipal water supply application (where the flow is variable), then you would operate the pump using a water meter and PCM module. The reason is that the flow after pressure tank will be variable, and you need to inject the citric acid solution at different pump rates. This system called a “Proportional Feed Add-on Package” is available for an additional $470.00 delivered (3/4” piping) or $510.00 delivered (1″ piping), and includes the Stenner PCM-5 pump control module and Hayes contacting flow meter. This add-on package is also available online at http://www.caitechnologies.com – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Chemical Feed Systems” drop-down under the “Online Store” menu in the upper left portion of the page. Just scroll down the page until you see this add-on package listed. Additional information regarding the PCM is attached.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by email or telephone at 800-580-3033, and best regards!

Advice and recommendation

September 28, 2011 by chrismagg · Leave a Comment

Recently purchased a new house and noticed a rotten egg smell when running the cold water. Had the water tested with the following results:

Hardness: 32 GPG
Iron 1.2 ppm
PH 7.4
Sulfur 1 ppm
TDS 479 ppm

I’m looking for some advice and recommendations on equipment to mitigate current water conditions.

Answer: Regarding removing the “rotton egg” odor due to the sulfur contained within the water, this is a good candidate for a Sulfur-Pro system. The Sulfur-Pro (also known as the Breaker III system) uses a specially designed control valve and a media tank filled with Centaur carbon media. The unit keeps 1/2 of the tank filled with air at all times, and the sulfur in your water is oxidized by the air, and any residual sulfur is “polished” and removed in the carbon media contained within the tank. It cleans and flushes the bed very aggressively, as air is also contained in the backwash water. The Sulfur-Pro is a non-chemical solution that removes very high levels of sulfur. We would recommend the 7 GPM unit (used in 3/4″ diameter piping applications, requires 7 GPM water flow available for backwash) for $880.00 delivered. If you have 1” diameter piping, consider the 11 GPM Iron-Pro system (required 10 GPM backwash flow rate availability), priced at $990.00 delivered. For larger flow applications, the 15 GPM unit (12 GPM B/W flow required) is available, and priced at $1160.00 delivered (additional specifications are attached).

You can view and purchase this system online at http://www.caitechnologies.com - enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Specialty Filters” drop-down under the Online Store menu.

To recommend a water softener to remove the hardness in this application, we would need to know your piping diameter (at the point of planned equipment installation) and the number of residents in your home. If you would like to provide us with this information we will be pleased to recommend a system.

Lamp failure alarm

September 23, 2011 by kimmy · Leave a Comment

I am trying to reset the controller on my Sterilight. I am following all of the steps correctly, however it is not resetting to the 365 days. I am getting A1 flashing. If this is due to moisture build up how can I fix this issue as well?

Answer: On some of the early firmware versions of the newer BA-ICE-S controller, the “A1” fault code was displayed to indicate a lamp failure status. Basically, this should not indicate any problem with the ballast, rather a problem with the lamp. Easiest thing to try is to place your old lamp back into the unit, and see if the fault code goes away. If it does, then you have a bad lamp. O.E.M. Sterilight lamps have a 1-year warranty, and assuming that it is a new lamp, it should be covered.

Water problems with new well and water softner

September 17, 2011 by Rockhard · Leave a Comment

I have installed a new well and water softner. When I first turn on a faucet there is a heavy discharge of cloudy water before it settles down. It has air in the water and in a couple of minutes after it’s in the glass it clears. I think this is what is causing my ice maker to make cloudy soft ice. Can someone help me with this problem?

Answer: First, just to confirm that what you are seeing is actually air, fill a clear glass with water and sit it on the countertop. If the cloudiness clears from the bottom of the glass up, then it’s due to air contained within the water.

Assuming that the problem is due to air, you need to determine where the air is coming from. First, by-pass the water softener and run your tap for a while to see if the problem persists. If it does, the problem is not due to the softener. If the air disappears, check your softener inlet/outlet connections, and look closely around the softener valve for any small leak. When the household water is running, it is possible for a leak location to act as a venturi, and pull air into your water supply.

However, you mention that you installed a new well. It is more likely that you have a leak in the well pump or pressure tank system that is allowing air to enter your water supply. If you by-pass the softener and do not see the problem go away, then we would suggest that you call your well pump installer to discuss this is more detail.

Hope this helps!

WaterRight model ASC1-1054ME-00-01-00-01-00

September 7, 2011 by Dan Dailey · 1 Comment

I have had this water system for 4.5 years and the controller head is broken. I had the company that installed the system come out and they said the warranty on the head is 3 years, however, WaterRight says the warranty is 5 years. The company wants to charge me to rebuild the head at a cost of $735 or buy a new head at $970, but they suggest a whole new system at $2528. Now I’m not stupid, I know that if WaterRight has a 5 year warranty on the head, but the installing company says 3 years, I assume they are trying to rip me off. What are your thoughts on the matter?
Dan, Purcellville, VA

Answer: We are really not familar with the warranty oferred by Water Right – and so we can’t speak to that point. However, Water Right used two different controls in the ASC-1 softener. Newer ones use the Clack WS1 control, and the valve and parts are only available from the company that sold the unit to you originally. However, the other valve used is a Fleck 2510, and there is no restriction on obtaining a replacement valve if this is the one that you have. Assuming your unit uses an microprocessor based control, a replacement head is available on our site for $450.00 delivered.

Softner placement

August 26, 2011 by Hpworks · Leave a Comment

We are in a small home and having a problem with our softner adding too much moisture to the air. My husband wants to move it to the well pit outside our home. Is this something that can be done? He wants to connect to the water there so that the whole house is treated. We are in northern Indiana and it does get cold out there. The pit is insulated and we have not had any problems with frozen water lines. Are there other things we should be thinking about?

Answer: From your description of the installation location in the well pit, everything seems acceptable. Just to be safe, you may want to purchase a hot water heater insulating blanket (found at most “Big Box” stores), and wrap it around the softener valve/resin tank body to prevent any chance of freezing in the winter – the resin tank is more susceptible to damage due to freezing than a pipe would be. You should not have a problem with the brine (salt) tank, as the freezing temperature of the saturated brine solution is about 6 deg. F.

Mettalic smell, everything else *seems* fine?

August 25, 2011 by aboremus · 4 Comments

Hello, great website!

Recently moved in to a new house, city water. The water is crystal clear but smells. I thought it was a sulfur smell, but both professionals (2 competing water softener companies) who have been out say it’s more of a metallic smell. It’s from both hot and cold. If you pour a glass from the tap and stick your nose in it, it’s pretty strong, but if you let the glass sit for a spell, the smell seems to have dissipated. Water heater is only 3 years old and already had the rod pulled out. Culligan water softener (new rental unit) seems to be running fine. We did a water analysis of both water straight from the outdoor hose spigot (bypass the softener) and one from the kitchen tap. Normal levels on nearly everything. Hardness pre-softener is 7, post softener is .5. Iron pre-softener is 4, post is 0. Everything else (alkalinity (250), PH (7.9), nitrites, copper, etc.) are all minimal and within range. Checked the city water department spec sheet and no violations (slightly elevated Radon is about it)

My thought was to install a couple of large capacity (I hate the thought of lowering water pressure) big blues pre-softener, first blue with a sediment filter and the second with an activated carbon filter. Some sites say that a carbon filter will remove the chlorine and cause biofilm to exist everywhere in the house, but if this is the case why do so many people use carbon filters, and isn’t the water already purified by the chlorine when it hits the carbon filter?

I welcome any thoughts regarding the smell and my plan, there must be some reason for it and I would love to know the logic behind it before trying to filter it away.

Answer: Can you confirm that the iron concentration in your incoming water is 4 mg/l (or ppm)? This would be an extremely high iron concentration to be found in municipal water, but if true, would probably be the cause of the metallic odor. A more typical iron level in city water would be 0.04 mg/l. We understand that your post water softener analysis does not show any iron present, but this is probably not an absolute measurement if performed onsite, and also would not account for any iron that may by-pass the softener during the automatic regeneration process. If this is the correct level of iron, then we would recommend a 1 ft3 automatic backwashing Pyrolox/Filox filter installed in advance of the water softener to remove this elevated high level of iron (approximately $700.00 delivered), let us know if you would like to provide a formal quotation for this product.

If this value is not correct, just let us know, there are other ways to proceed.

By the way, your reasoning is correct. Placing a carbon filter inline will remove chlorine (and some levels of off-odor), but will not allow for a buildup of biofilm in your piping, as this is a sealed watertight environment – there is no way for bacteria to enter the system, and assuming municipal chlorination was effective at disinfecting the water – then there should be no issue. The exception to this would be in an place that is exposed to the air – like a toilet bowl – but this is normally no a big issue, as regular cleaning takes care of this anyway.

Aboremus follow up: Thanks for the reply, the mystery continues…I am sending in a sample for a free water analysis, hopefully you will see something causing this. In the meantime, we did the tests for iron bacteria fearing it was in our pipes, but though the water tanks on the toilets are pretty nasty, the stuff we scooped out dried up overnight so it seems to be good ol fashioned iron, not slimy bacteria. We then talked to 3 of our neighbors and NONE have a problem with smelly water from their taps, so I am afeared it is something with our house or pipes. The worst smell comes from the garden spigot which t’s off of the main water line right after it enters the house, so I don’t see how it could be our house pipes (copper) or softener etc, I worry that its a problem with the line feeding our house from the street, not sure how that would happen or what to do about it, and not sure where to sleuth next…

New Well – Need Water Treatment

August 8, 2011 by stemkow · 1 Comment

I recently had a new well put in – the house is in New York. The well is 200 feet deep. The water was tested for bacteria and found to be negative for Coliform and Escherichia coli. A mineral analysis had the following result:

Hardness – 11 gpg
Iron – 2.2 ppm
pH – 8.0
Manganese – 60.05 ppm
Sulphur – Trace (the water has a slight odor that we would like to eliminate)
Nitrates – less than 1 ppm
Total Dissolved Solids – 173 ppm

The pump service company recommended an ASP2 – 1054 with Min Plus Water Right Filter with Sanitizer and softener totaling $2,900 installed.

Is this the right equipment for these mineral levels? Are there any other alternative for treating the water that might be less expensive?

Thanks

Answer: We are assuming that the value you show for “manganese” is either really in ppb (parts per billion) or the result for “magnesium” (the TDS measurement seems to confirm this). This would be a “through the roof” measurment for manganese, and our comments (below) would not be valid, and the recommended system (above) would not be appropriate.

But assuming that our interpretation is correct, the ASP2 seems to be reasonable recommendation. Sizing really depends on the number of household residents in addition to the information you provided. Although we do not supply the ASP2 unit, to our knowledge, it incorporates an automatic chlorine generation system to resolve bacteria issues (and possibly oxidizing some sulfur?), and a proprietary media to remove iron/manganese and provide softened water. Exchange capacity of this 1054 unit using their Crystal-Right TM media is approximately 32,000 grains, and depending on the number of residents in your home, this may be a little undersized – but perhaps not. You might call them for clarification.

You mention that there is only a “trace” odor of sulfur in your water, another option would be to simply install a cartridge based carbon filter in advance of a traditional water softener. A set of three (3) radial flow carbon cartridges, housing and housing spanner wrench would be priced at $250.00. The set of three cartridges would normally be sufficient to last for a year in a very mild sulfur environment, and a replacement set of three would be priced at $152.00 delivered. The system you refer to uses a 1 inch Clack control, and a similar control would be offered in our WS3LM-HC system using an Autotrol 268/762 Logix control in 32K size. You might want to go with the Iron Eliminator upgrade package if you are considering this equipment, and this would add $130.00 to the base price of $755.00, for a total of $855.00 for the softener. Adding both the cartridge filter system and the softener would revise the total to $1135.00 delivered. Assume around $300.00 for plumber installation, or you could do it yourself. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Tank Identification

July 30, 2011 by rimutakaman · 1 Comment

I need to replace the elements in my water system, which were installed prior to me owning my house. The blue tank is a Watersoft AS-32TP. I do not know what the white tank is; I have attached a close-up picture of the only tag on the tank. Could someone tell me what resin, gravel, etc, I need to purchase so I can service these two tanks? Thanks!

Answer: We deleted your picture to save space….the blue tank is a 32,000 grain water softener, which contains about 12 to 15 pounds of gravel on the bottom, with 1 ft3 of cation exchange media on the top. Gravel is available in a 50 pound bag on our site for $60.00 delivered, and cation exchange resin is available in a 1 ft3 bag for $110.00 delivered.

The other (white) tank is a backwashing filter, and it is difficult to guess what media is contained within it – a 9 inch diameter x 48 inch height tank is generally used for a 1 ft3 filter – and if we were to hazard a guess as to what is contain inside, we would think probably carbon. Again you would need 12 to 15 pounds of gravel and 1 ft3 of carbon also priced at $110.00 delivered. To know for sure what is inside of the tank, you will need to remove the control, and identify the media within.

Can I self install the Ironbreaker III ? How much does it cost?

July 30, 2011 by larrydiamant · Leave a Comment

We offer this system on the internet under a different name, the Iron-Pro. The system can easily be self installed if you are familar with basic houshold plumbing procedures.

The Iron-Pro (also known as the Breaker III system) uses a specially designed control valve and a media tank filled with birm media. The unit keeps 1/2 of the tank filled with air at all times, and the iron & sulfur in your water is oxidized by the air, and any residual iron is “polished” and removed in the media contained within the tank. It cleans and flushes the bed very aggressively, as air is also contained in the backwash water. The Iron-Pro is a non-chemical solution, that removes very high levels of iron, and also low to moderate levels of sulfur. Consider the 7 GPM unit (used in most 3/4″ diameter piping applications) for $780.00 delivered. If you have 1” diameter piping, consider the 11 GPM Iron-Pro system, priced at $890.00 delivered, for larger flow application, the 15 GPM unit is available, and priced at $960.00 delivered.

You can view and purchase this system online at http://www.caitechnologies.com – enter the Water Treatment Systems area, and click on the “Specialty Filters” drop-down under the Online Store menu. You can also visit our sister site to see this equipment at http://www.ewateronline.net. Installation instruction can be downloaded under the Services Menu on either site.

Fleck 7000SE programming

July 14, 2011 by SClear · Leave a Comment

I have a water softener that uses the Fleck (Pentair) 7000SE, and I am not clear on how to enter the extended programming mode. After entering program mode it cycles thru Hardness setting, Clock and Calc. only. Can you explain to me how to enter master programming mode? Please help, thanks.

Answer: Just press the Extra Cycle button to exit the programming mode, or press and hold the and buttons simultaneously for five (5) seconds to enter the Extended Setup Programming Mode. The manual for your control can be found at at http://www.caitechnologies.com/images/PDFs/Fleck_7000SE.pdf. Step-by-step programming instructions are at http://www.caitechnologies.com/images/PDFs/PROGRAMMING%20THE%207000.pdf.

Sterilight Ultraviolet

June 17, 2011 by agbeme · Leave a Comment

I bought a Sterilight SC740 UV and it’s 1 1/2″ ports now in catalog says 1″. Question; the model has changed or there is an error?

Answer: The Sterililight Cobalt SC740 UV system is equipped with 1.5″ inlet/outlet ports – there is a print error in the Sterilight catalog. Thanks!

Help with new well

June 12, 2011 by wardlehome · Leave a Comment

We have just moved into our new home with a new well. Recent water tests indicate the following results: Iron 2.94 mg/L, Magnesium 12.4 mg/L, Manganese 0.187 mg/L, Calcium 62.7 mg/L, Hardness 207 mg/L, Total Diss. Solids 225 mg/L, Chloride .54 mg/L, Sulfate as SO4 7.56 mg/L. We have not tested our pH yet (will do this week), but guess it may be acidic. We contacted our well driller company and they are recommending Water-Right system costing anywhere from$1650 to $3500, with an additional $1400+ for a neutralizing system if needed. That doesn’t include installation. My husband thinks they made enough money on us already. We would like a whole house POE system that is great quality, but affordable and would appreciate your suggestions.

Answer: Based on the information you provided, and assuming that your pH is low, it looks like you will be fine using a backwashing pH neutralizer followed by a water softener. Size and specific model would depend on the number of residents in your home, and the pipe diameter at the point at which you will be installing the equipment (normally 3/4 or 1 inch. However we can make some general suggestions for a family size of four residents.
First the pH neutralizer, our model N15-M which is a 1.5 ft3 backwashing neutralizer using an Autotrol Logix 263/470 control and calcium carbonate media. It’s available for $585.00 delivered on our site. This is a 1 inch control that can be used in either 3/4 or 1 inch piping applications.

For the water softener, you will want to select a model that is the same size as you plumbing. Using a compensated hardness of 24 GPG (grains per gallon, includes both your hardness and iron & manganese) in ¾ inch applications, consider our WS1LM model using the Autotrol 255/762 Logix control in in 48,000 grain capacity for $725.00 delivered. In a 1 inch piping application, look at the WS3LM-HC model using the Autotrol Logix 268/762 control, in 48K for $805.00 delivered.

With your elevated iron and manganese levels, we also recommend that you consider the Iron Eliminator add-on package. This package adds a “fine mesh” resin that is better for iron removal, along with a Res-Up feeder in the brine tank. Res-Up (also known a Res-Care) is a liquid material that will automatically drip into the brine tank, aiding in the efficient removal of any accumulated iron within the softener bed. The price is an additional $70.00 for a softener with a 48,000 grain capacity. For example, a 48,000 grain capacity WS1LM softener is priced at $725.00. If you add the Iron Eliminator package for an additional $70.00 this brings the revised total to $795.00 delivered. When purchased with the I/E package, a case of Res-Up solution (4 one gallon containers) is also available for $70.00 delivered. You will use about a 12 fluid ounces per month (0.4 oz/day), and a case quantity will last you approximately 3 years.

Again, this assumes a few things – we do need to know the pH value as well as number of residents – if you would like us to provide you with a free water analysis, just let us know.