I built a new house 7 years ago. This is my wife and I's first home. I have never dealt with well water before, but my wife has. She had great water where she lived, but where we live now, we have been dealing with poor water quality since we built our house.
Our well is about 45 feet deep and we have between 10 and 11 GPM. So we have great water flow and never had an issue there. When we first built the house we had the water tested and it tested a little bit hard and a very faint odor of sulphur, so the well guy recommended a water softener.
Water treatment 1 - about $800
So we purchased a water softener. Our water seemed soft and no real smell of sulphur. After a while, the sulphur got a bit stronger, but not terrible, but annoying enough to want it to be treated.
Water treatment 2 - Cost about $2500
We had a company come and test our water. The results of the test were .5 iron, some odor detected, 280 TDS and PH of 7.0. So they recommended a chlorine injection system with a retention tank and a carbon filter. We chose an affordable option and opted to go with a 40 gallon retention tank. (We now know it to be too small) They put the equipment in the following order - chlorine injection into well line before pressure tank, then retention tank, then carbon filter, then the softener. They recommended we use pool chlorine a ratio of about 3.5 gallons in a 15 gallon solution tank. This seemed to work for a little while, then the chlorine pump keep getting all gunked up. The company fixed it once and the second time, we had to pay about $130 to get it cleaned and fixed. The pump is a pulsafeeder 220V that is wired into the well pump. This became problematic, so I looked for another option. I looked at scraping all the equipment and start from scratch, and looked at things like a filox, terminator and other air injected options. So I called another water treatment guy.
Water treatment 3 - $1100
This guy recommended 2 options, 1 the cheaper route and 2 a more expensive route. We chose the cheaper option. This guy switched out the pulsafeeder for a 110v and added a fulsafeeder flow switch. He tested the water and came up with about the same results as the previous company. He said that based on the tests, he felt the water softener should be first in line. So he rerouted the plumbing lines and this is now the layout. Well line in, pressure tank, water softener, chlorine injection (sideways - not vertical which concerns me with the ball check), retention tank, then the carbon filter. This worked for a short time, no more sulphur odor. The company said to switch from a pool chlorine to regular bleach and use a 1 part bleach to 10 part water ratio. So a 1.5 gal to the 15 gallon retention tank. Our new problem is that our water is very brown looking and feels hard compared to our previous treatment setup. We also go through a 15 gallon solution tank every week. On the old setup we went 6 weeks to 2 or 3 months on one solution tank. (One note, this company told us to switch from the iron out salt bags to the regular salt bags for the softener. I just switched back to the iron out ones this weekend.)
I am now looking to do any/all water treatment myself from now on. I have spent too much money to be still dealing with poor water quality.
I would like to purchase a 120 gallon retention tank and a new chemical pump feeder. I am looking at a Stenner l7 GPD odjustoble feeder - 115v, a Stenner pulse control module, a 3/4" I pulse per gallon water meter, and switching to a 35 gallon solution tank.
Could someone give me any suggestions, especially in what order I should install all the pieces of equipment. I am frustrated and don't know what to do.
Thanks,
Our well is about 45 feet deep and we have between 10 and 11 GPM. So we have great water flow and never had an issue there. When we first built the house we had the water tested and it tested a little bit hard and a very faint odor of sulphur, so the well guy recommended a water softener.
Water treatment 1 - about $800
So we purchased a water softener. Our water seemed soft and no real smell of sulphur. After a while, the sulphur got a bit stronger, but not terrible, but annoying enough to want it to be treated.
Water treatment 2 - Cost about $2500
We had a company come and test our water. The results of the test were .5 iron, some odor detected, 280 TDS and PH of 7.0. So they recommended a chlorine injection system with a retention tank and a carbon filter. We chose an affordable option and opted to go with a 40 gallon retention tank. (We now know it to be too small) They put the equipment in the following order - chlorine injection into well line before pressure tank, then retention tank, then carbon filter, then the softener. They recommended we use pool chlorine a ratio of about 3.5 gallons in a 15 gallon solution tank. This seemed to work for a little while, then the chlorine pump keep getting all gunked up. The company fixed it once and the second time, we had to pay about $130 to get it cleaned and fixed. The pump is a pulsafeeder 220V that is wired into the well pump. This became problematic, so I looked for another option. I looked at scraping all the equipment and start from scratch, and looked at things like a filox, terminator and other air injected options. So I called another water treatment guy.
Water treatment 3 - $1100
This guy recommended 2 options, 1 the cheaper route and 2 a more expensive route. We chose the cheaper option. This guy switched out the pulsafeeder for a 110v and added a fulsafeeder flow switch. He tested the water and came up with about the same results as the previous company. He said that based on the tests, he felt the water softener should be first in line. So he rerouted the plumbing lines and this is now the layout. Well line in, pressure tank, water softener, chlorine injection (sideways - not vertical which concerns me with the ball check), retention tank, then the carbon filter. This worked for a short time, no more sulphur odor. The company said to switch from a pool chlorine to regular bleach and use a 1 part bleach to 10 part water ratio. So a 1.5 gal to the 15 gallon retention tank. Our new problem is that our water is very brown looking and feels hard compared to our previous treatment setup. We also go through a 15 gallon solution tank every week. On the old setup we went 6 weeks to 2 or 3 months on one solution tank. (One note, this company told us to switch from the iron out salt bags to the regular salt bags for the softener. I just switched back to the iron out ones this weekend.)
I am now looking to do any/all water treatment myself from now on. I have spent too much money to be still dealing with poor water quality.
I would like to purchase a 120 gallon retention tank and a new chemical pump feeder. I am looking at a Stenner l7 GPD odjustoble feeder - 115v, a Stenner pulse control module, a 3/4" I pulse per gallon water meter, and switching to a 35 gallon solution tank.
Could someone give me any suggestions, especially in what order I should install all the pieces of equipment. I am frustrated and don't know what to do.
Thanks,