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Next in the ongoing series of new-to-us-home repairs/updates: whole-house water filter.
We're on a well, and the water is stinky except from the fridge and the shower that has a filter.
- Anyone use the readily available canister filters on amazon to combat stinky water? (maybe 4.5x10?) If so, does it help? Am thinking of a canister with a sediment filter and one with a carbon filter.
- We're in the Tampa area, so winters are very mild with extremely low risk of freezing water lines. The well and much of the piping for it are outside and exposed. Any reason I couldn't/shouldn't also put the filters outside? We have an indoor water-softener, and it would be great to be right next to that, but the softener is crammed under the stairs with the water heater and is already a very confined space. I envisioned mounting the filters right next to the spigot with the house shut-off valve. It's easily accessible, out of the way, and wife is doesn't mind that little section being ugly.
Other advice?
Thank you,
Andy
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(03-12-2020, 07:22 PM)brax71 Wrote: Next in the ongoing series of new-to-us-home repairs/updates: whole-house water filter.
We're on a well, and the water is stinky except from the fridge and the shower that has a filter.
- Anyone use the readily available canister filters on amazon to combat stinky water? (maybe 4.5x10?) If so, does it help? Am thinking of a canister with a sediment filter and one with a carbon filter.
- We're in the Tampa area, so winters are very mild with extremely low risk of freezing water lines. The well and much of the piping for it are outside and exposed. Any reason I couldn't/shouldn't also put the filters outside? We have an indoor water-softener, and it would be great to be right next to that, but the softener is crammed under the stairs with the water heater and is already a very confined space. I envisioned mounting the filters right next to the spigot with the house shut-off valve. It's easily accessible, out of the way, and wife is doesn't mind that little section being ugly.
Other advice?
Thank you,
Andy Andy,
I lived in Sarasota County for a number of years and was on a well. I used a filter system but it was more to remove the sediment. All the well systems down there had large aeration/holding tanks. When your well pump sprayed the water into the tank in a fine mist, the rotten egg smell from the decaying limestone/sulfur smell dissipated. I had to be religious about changing the filters and a few times a year drain the holding tank and scrub it down with bleachy water.
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I have one of those we use the activated charcoal filter and it does hepl
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We used those for about 2 years 2 houses ago. I had to change the charcoal cartridge about every 3 weeks. I couldn't put it outside, but that would have made the changing process a little easier.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
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03-13-2020, 08:40 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-13-2020, 08:47 AM by Snipe Hunter.)
I always ask the same questions in these water threads. Before we start treating water we need to know what we are trying to treat.
What is the source of the smell?
Have you tested your water?
A consideration for outside filters would be degradation of plastic parts from UV exposure. This is why PVC pool piping and components should be painted.
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Thanks all --
- We don't have a holding tank (just the pressure tank next to the well-head)... that sounds like a pain to maintain!
- Every 3 wks sounds like a huge pain - was kind of hoping i could put a sediment filter first to extend the life of the charcoal
- We had to get a well test for the mortgage, but unfortunately it only tested for lead, nitrates, and nitrites. It doesn't say anything about iron, lime, or any of the 'usual suspects.' I'm guessing that it's got something to do with iron -- either iron itself or the iron bacteria. The sprinklers use water that has not been softened and the previous owner said that they turned the side of the house orange. inside there's not much orange (everything inside seems to be 'after' the softener), just a rotten egg smell.
You're pushing me one step closer to the filter set-up...
Andy
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SH is right. If you don’t know what the problem is, you can’t solve it. Get a complete test done. A sediment filter will not extend the life of a charcoal filter unless you actually have sediment. 2 different processes to treat 2 different problems. There are larger filter canisters available to extend service interval / cartridge life. Only worth looking at if a cartridge style filter can solve your water problem. Why guess?
Blackhat
Bad experiences come from poor decisions. So do good stories.
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03-14-2020, 06:16 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-14-2020, 06:36 AM by Snipe Hunter.)
Sometimes I want to bang my head against the wall. No sense in throwing parts at a well water problem without knowing the true nature of the problem.
There are several different types of Iron problems and they're all treated differently. Filtering doesn't really do much for most of them. It might help a little but it won't fix the problem. And, Iron may not be the only problem. If the PH balance isn't within tolerable levels, the chosen Iron treatment system may not work well. It's important to know the full context of your water issues.
Here's a quick guide to Iron issues and removal methods but again, without a water test, none of it will help.
Some filters might reduce the smell a little but they don't fix the problem. Same with various odor reducing anodes (powered and impressed anodes) in the water heater. They may help the smell but really don't treat the cause. The smell isn't the problem, it's the symptom.
If you treat the cause by removing the iron as opposed to masking the odor, it's fixed!
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I am guessing that the stinky smell is sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs.
You can shop around, but they seem pretty expensive at about $1,200.00 to about $1,800.00. I have no first hand knowledge about them, but I've been told they are sold mostly to people with home wells.
https://www.cleanwaterstore.com/odor-sys...gLh9vD_BwE
https://www.cleanwaterstore.com/air-char...lters.html
No animals were injured or killed in the production of this post.
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(03-16-2020, 02:48 PM)Cooler Wrote: I am guessing that the stinky smell is sulfur, which smells like rotten eggs.
It's the sulfur bacteria/sulfur dioxide from decomposing iron in the well water. It gasses out when it hits oxygen. Heating water in a water heater accelerates it because there's both heat and oxygen in a water heater. The perfect storm. Certain anodes can help the smell but not address the iron problem. To really treat it, you need to what form the iron is in. It can be in one of three forms and all require a different treatment. If it has a real low iron content, a softener with iron reducing salt can help but then you're screwing with the mineral content too. You don't want the water too soft. Some iron treatment systems actually harden the water so a softener is needed to get it right again.
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