New home / iron filter

[leslie B]

Hi,
I just purchased a home and am looking for advice on a new iron filter and/or water softener. Our well has a submersible pump @ 100' depth, w/ 70' of water in the casing, 1.5 HP (variable speed, Gould constant pressure), 18 gpm at the hose cock below the pressure sender.

Basically I paid my plumber to have the water tested (results below). His supplier suggested a 2 cu ft birm iron filter. I also called Culligan and they suggested a 4 cu ft water softener.

Since these two systems seem like completely different ways of attacking the problem, I would like to understand the pros and cons of installing an iron filter alone?

I have no problem installing a water softener, but i would like to steer clear of the monthly service contract. Also the culligan solution is 5x the price of the plumber's solution.

Are there other filters that could address the TDS and PH as well as the iron?

The raw water test: TDS 110 ppm, Hardness 2 grains, PH 6.6, Iron 4 ppm. Not detectable: manganese, iron bacteria, copper, nitrates, sulfides, tanin.

[Akpsdvan]

Neuturlizer then either an iron filter or softener?

Has the plumber that you paid done this kinda thing before?

Part of the question that you need to ask your self is what kind of water do you want to have when all is done..

Some are cool with hardness, others would like that out as well..

The neuturlizer may pull some of the iron out of the water... here as the ph is corrected to 7.1 if there is Iron in the water it will fall out of the water.. not all but some ..

but add a grain or two of hardness to the water.

[Skip Wolverton]

Birm is a very good filtering media for iron but it does have it's limitations. The condiction of operation for the Ph is 6.8 so you will need a neutralizer prior to the Birm Filter. The dissolved oxgen content must be 15% of the iron and the water must not contain any oil or H2S.