Carbon tank not working

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Mrs. Smith

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We purchased a home 2 years ago with a carbon tank set up. It has pot tank connected to it for Bleach addition every 3 months. This was the only means of iron removal in the home and it worked great for 2 years. Now the rust is coming in full force. Can I add a product such as Iron Out or Potassium Permanganate to the pot tank to help remove rust build up in the carbon tank?
 

Southern Man

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Activated carbon is like a molecular sponge, except that it adsorbs contaminants at different affinity rates. In other words, it "likes" certain chemicals more than others. If the "sponge" is full and a more attractive guy comes through, it can toss out some less attractive bloke to make room. That particular contaminant may not be to your liking.

Find out the age of the tank and when it was last regenerated, and hire an expert to get the system serviced.
 

Speedbump

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Activated carbon is like a molecular sponge, except that it adsorbs contaminants at different affinity rates. In other words, it "likes" certain chemicals more than others. If the "sponge" is full and a more attractive guy comes through, it can toss out some less attractive bloke to make room. That particular contaminant may not be to your liking.

That is a great explaination of how carbon works.

Most carbon filters when used to remove chlorine won't last much beyond two years in average use. They are definately not used as iron filters. This will just gum them up even more. If you have iron, get an iron filter. Then you can use chlrorine, potassium permangenate or air which ever you prefer.

bob...
 

Gary Slusser

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I think you are wrong about it being a carbon filter. You don't regenerate carbon and to use the bleach, the filter has to regenerate. Carbon is only backwashed.

I think you have a Pyrolox filter, they (can) use bleach. Or it's a manganese greensand filter. Greensand is the only mineral that commonally uses potassium permanganate, a serious poison.

Never mix potassium permanganate with anything but especially not with chlorine or Iron Out or similar products.

Bleach sitting in a non sealed tank will weaken substantially, especially over 3 months. Replace the bleach and start a manual regeneration. When the control starts to suck bleach, watch it and just before the bleach runs out, unplug the unit for 20 minutes. Then plug it in and when it goes into backwash, unplug it and let it backwash for 15 minutes and plug it in again and let it finish from there on its own. That may or may not clean the mineral.

BTW, carbon also absorbs 'contaminants'.
 
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