High PH & Hard Water

[macdarty]

I have a PH of 9.3 SU and a Hardness of 3.6 mg/L. Culligan had installed a chlorine injection & carbon bed to remove the sulfer smell but our plumbing is repeatedly being repaired ( shower valves . Culligan now is recomending a acid injection system to lower the PH and remove suspended sulfer ? any coments ??
thanks macdarty

[speedbump]

Are you really willing to give them a second chance???


bob...

[macdarty]

good point but the well installer want to sell a water softner but i don't have hard water .. it just acts like it.

[Gary Slusser]

What is the raw water pH or is this 9.3 pH from before the equipment?

The acceptable pH is from 6.5-8.5. What is the high pH doing to your plumbing? Or how do you know it is the pH that is causing problems?

When you use chlorine, it raises the pH. Is there too much chlorine being injected?

The only way to reduce pH is with acid.

[macdarty]

the test was done post treatment not at well head. i do suspect the carbon bed needs rebuilding ... culligan advised us to increase chlorine until we no longer had a sulfer smell .. our problem is pitted fixtures ,clogged shower valves. section of plastic plumbing have white powder or hard black build up at copper elbows.

[Gary Slusser]

You need a test on the raw water to be able to compare the two readings to see if the chlorination is causing the high pH.

[speedbump]

culligan advised us to increase chlorine until we no longer had a sulfer smell .. our problem is pitted fixtures ,clogged shower valves. section of plastic plumbing have white powder or hard black build up at copper elbows.

That's one of many reasons I discourage the use of Chlorine.

bob...

[Gary Slusser]

Mac, are you seeing that stuff on the outside of the fixtures and pipes or inside them?

Do you smell chlorine in your water?

[macdarty]

I have green mineral deposits on chrome shower heads & rush on cheap chrome soap holders. Pitting on chrome drain heads. When we moved in the plastic plumbing had black hard rock at elbows that blocked all flow to several bathrooms. Now were seeing off white power in the whole house filter, elbows, tolit tanks, and shower mixing valves. Cullligan thinks it is sulfer in suspension.
No we do not smell chlorine. I'm buying a chlorine & PH tester while the well people will test inside and at the well again for free.

mac

[Gary Slusser]

That doesn't mean there is something in the water causing those problems with the fixtures, it could be the quality of those parts or cleansers and soaps used.

Green is usually corroded brass or copper deposits.

The stuff in the pipes is definitely caused by the water and probably is stained water hardness scale.