dirty water

[shjhhudson]

I have a well, submersible pump, pressure tank, etc. and recently, we have been getting brownish water . It has cleared up in the past, but every now and again ( like tonite), it reocurres. any suggestions?

[cwhyu2]

Mabey install a filter of some kind afteryour pump.

[shjhhudson]

i thought about a filter, but i'm wondering why it only happens every so often, not all the time. it's almost a rust color, but i have plastic pipes from the well.

[patrick88]

sound like you have some iron in your water. Your water can change from rain or lack of rain

[shjhhudson]

good point. it usually happens after a rainstorm, but lately it's been dry dry dry.

[Gary @ Culligan of NH]

Start by installing a 10" or 20" Ametek cartridge filter after the pressure tank with a 20 micron filter. It will stop sediment and iron oxides. Well water can change over time, particularly in periods of drought as we had this summer. If the cartridge clogs more than every couple of weeks you may need a backwashing type system.

[Gary Slusser]

Before you buy anything.... you could have had a slug of rust break loose from inside the drop pipe down the well or underground to the house from the well. Or it could be from IRB (iron reducing bacteria). Or... you could have a problem with dirty water entering the well.

So tell us more about your water system. Submersible or jet pump? If jet, single or two line? Any water softener etc.? Steel or PVC well casing? Fully cased well with screening in sand and gravel or a rock bore well down through rock?

How frequently does this dirty water problem happen and how long has it been happening?

[shjhhudson]

sorry. been out of town, Gary. It' a submersible, steel casing, and that's all I know about the well . I replaced the pressure tank, and cleaned out all the aerators, which wer full of trash, and the water appears to be nice and clean and plenty of pressure now. I got trash and rust out of the old tank ( a.o.smith ) . I have no water softener or filter. .Pvc from the well casing to the new tank. Galvanized out of the bottom of the tank to a steel "t", then pvc and plastic to the house. The dirty water and low pressure has been an ongoing problem. mostly after a good rain. I was afraid the well was going dry, but now everything seems fine. Should I test the water, and/ or install a filter after the tank?

[Gary Slusser]

Only if the problem returns but I'm not a fan of 'whole house' disposable cartridge filters. They were never meant to be used POE (point of entry), only POU (point of use).

This dirty water could have been due to a broken bladder and rusting pressure tank. And steel water lines...

You might want a hardness test and softener if you have hard water.