10 Year old filter system having troubles

[cvap]

I have a ten year old home with a 2 cubic foot backwash filter and a 1 cubic foot softener to remove high levels of Manganese.
Last year the backwash filter developed a leak in the bottom so I replaced it with new gravel and calcite.
Recently, the Manganese has been precipitating in the toilets which must be cleaned every 3 days or so.
The softener's media has never been replaced.
Both units cycle once a week with two of us living in the home.
There is also a large 5 micron inline filter after the others which never seems to get dirty.
I was thinking of replacing the media in the softener and possibly increasing the frequency or time of regen or both, though it was set by the people who tested the water and sold the units.(Cuno).
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Gary Slusser]

How much raw water and treated water manganese, pH and hardness content?

How many permanent residents in the house?

Any large tubs or showers with more than one regular shower head?

[cvap]

Water analysis

Raw , ph 6.17- tds 220 - turb 11 - hard 155 - fe 2.26- mn 10.2 - tannins 1.1 - alkalinity 180
Treated has never been checked but I just started having trouble

[NH Master]

I have a ten year old home with a 2 cubic foot backwash filter and a 1 cubic foot softener to remove high levels of Manganese.
Last year the backwash filter developed a leak in the bottom so I replaced it with new gravel and calcite.
Recently, the Manganese has been precipitating in the toilets which must be cleaned every 3 days or so.
The softener's media has never been replaced.
Both units cycle once a week with two of us living in the home.
There is also a large 5 micron inline filter after the others which never seems to get dirty.
I was thinking of replacing the media in the softener and possibly increasing the frequency or time of regen or both, though it was set by the people who tested the water and sold the units.(Cuno).
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks

Before you re-bed the softner, try adding an iron removal product to the brine tank and back washing.

[Andy CWS]

Raw , ph 6.17- tds 220 - turb 11 - hard 155 - fe 2.26- mn 10.2 - tannins 1.1 - alkalinity 180
Treated has never been checked but I just started having trouble

You have severe water issues if your Mn is really 10.0ppm AND Fe is 2.26ppm (mg/l)
Next to hardness, the presence of iron is probably the most common water problem faced by consumers and water treatment professionals. The secondary (aesthetic) maximum contaminant levels (MCL) for iron and manganese are 0.3 milligrams per liter (mg/l) and 0.05 mg/l, respectively. After these levels stains will be noticeable.

If Mn levels are at 0.05 and you have 10.0, then specialized treatment would be recommended--A basic Calcite backwashing filter and softener will not be enough. Replacing the meida in the softener will help but the problem will return soon enough. ncreasing the regeration frequency will also help. Use an iron removing resin cleaner, too.

Moreover, I don't see any specail treatment for tannin removal.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

[cvap]

reply to Andy

Thanks for the data Andy,
What special treatments are available?
Would it be less hassle to try another well?
I remember when the well was bieng drilled we hit 15gpm at two hundred feet; nice and clean looking, the driller said lets go one more section. Half way through he stopped and looked at his partner. They loaded up and left, documenting 220 feet at 12 gpm.
It cost about 1800 dollars to do that well.(only one casing), since we're on ledge.
At some point rather than maintaining all these filters, i will take the risk of trying another well.

[Gary Slusser]

Thanks for the data Andy,
What special treatments are available?
Would it be less hassle to try another well?
I remember when the well was bieng drilled we hit 15gpm at two hundred feet; nice and clean looking, the driller said lets go one more section. Half way through he stopped and looked at his partner. They loaded up and left, documenting 220 feet at 12 gpm.
It cost about 1800 dollars to do that well.(only one casing), since we're on ledge.
At some point rather than maintaining all these filters, i will take the risk of trying another well.

A new well does not come with any guarantee of water quality.

You could drill a new well and end up with worse water quality than you have now and a lot less money to buy water treatment equipment with, or to fix the equipment you already have.

Water treatment comes with a guarantee of quality because if it doesn't work, you can always sue the dealer that sold it to you. You can't do that with a well because there is no guarantee of the volume of water to be found or its quality.

[NH Master]

I have a ten year old home with a 2 cubic foot backwash filter and a 1 cubic foot softener to remove high levels of Manganese.
Last year the backwash filter developed a leak in the bottom so I replaced it with new gravel and calcite.
Recently, the Manganese has been precipitating in the toilets which must be cleaned every 3 days or so.
The softener's media has never been replaced.
Both units cycle once a week with two of us living in the home.
There is also a large 5 micron inline filter after the others which never seems to get dirty.
I was thinking of replacing the media in the softener and possibly increasing the frequency or time of regen or both, though it was set by the people who tested the water and sold the units.(Cuno).
Any input would be appreciated.
Thanks

The 5mic. filter should be the first one on the line, before the softner. From the test data I would iron out and regen the softner. Add an iron filter before the softner and move the particulate filter to the front of the pack.

[Driller1]

Thanks for the data Andy,
What special treatments are available?
Would it be less hassle to try another well?
I remember when the well was bieng drilled we hit 15gpm at two hundred feet; nice and clean looking, the driller said lets go one more section. Half way through he stopped and looked at his partner. They loaded up and left, documenting 220 feet at 12 gpm.
It cost about 1800 dollars to do that well.(only one casing), since we're on ledge.
At some point rather than maintaining all these filters, i will take the risk of trying another well.

Your local heath department will have information on water quality of other local wells. If you should ever try another well, talk to them.

[cvap]

Thank you for your replies

Master, if I put the 5 micron filter first in line, I may have to clean or replace it more than weekly.
I put the big backwash filter first to get the large stuff then the softener to remove the rest of the stuff, then the inline filter basiclly for taste. Though it could be wrong, thats how the sales people told me to do it.

Driller,
My closest neighbor about 4000 feet away has very good to slightly hard water with no need to treat it. You could leave his toilets alone for 3 months and they are still clear. He is also down about 200' but he is about 100' lower in elevation. Most of the other people in town have springs or blasted shallow wells they put the tiles in.

[Driller1]

Master, if I put the 5 micron filter first in line, I may have to clean or replace it more than weekly.
I put the big backwash filter first to get the large stuff then the softener to remove the rest of the stuff, then the inline filter basiclly for taste. Though it could be wrong, thats how the sales people told me to do it.

Driller,
My closest neighbor about 4000 feet away has very good to slightly hard water with no need to treat it. You could leave his toilets alone for 3 months and they are still clear. He is also down about 200' but he is about 100' lower in elevation. Most of the other people in town have springs or blasted shallow wells they put the tiles in.

Maybe I would try another hole.

[Gary Slusser]

Master, if I put the 5 micron filter first in line, I may have to clean or replace it more than weekly.
I put the big backwash filter first to get the large stuff then the softener to remove the rest of the stuff, then the inline filter basiclly for taste. Though it could be wrong, thats how the sales people told me to do it.

Driller,
My closest neighbor about 4000 feet away has very good to slightly hard water with no need to treat it. You could leave his toilets alone for 3 months and they are still clear. He is also down about 200' but he is about 100' lower in elevation. Most of the other people in town have springs or blasted shallow wells they put the tiles in.

You don't want a prefilter unless you brand of control valve requires one. Your AN filter will filter out anything you could see in the water other than a tint/color.

How many permanent residents in the house?

Any large tubs or showers with more than one regular shower head?

CUNO/McClean used Fleck 2500 controls until they changed to the Clack WS-1 a number of years ago. Are your valves brass or black plastic? Clack is an electronic valve so do you have electronic or mechanical metered/brass?

In most states the health department does not have water quality data on private well water.

[NH Master]

Sorry, brain cramp, yes, the 5mic filter does not want to be first in line.