More Info on Well Bacteria Fix
Hi, I'm the Mike in the Pat and Mike team. I'll try to explain a bit
more of how the bacteria killer works.
Iron and sulphur bacteria are small living organisms that naturally
occur in soil. They combine iron or manganese, present in well
water, and form unpleasant a slimy coating on everything. For those
who understand a bit of chemistry, here is a description of one
process.
The slime is caused by iron bacteria converting the ferrous iron,
Fe2(+), to ferric iron, Fe3(+). The equation is
Fe2(+) + H(+) + 1/4O2 --> Fe3(+) + 1/2H2O
The ferric iron (Fe3(+)) then reacts with water to form insoluble
iron hydroxides (Fe(OH)3) as shown here:
Fe3(+) + 3H2O --> Fe(OH)3 + 3H(+)
Similar reactions can also occur with manganese and sulphur. More
information is here:
http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/gwemo/reports/Iron_Bact_Remediation.pdf
For those who prefer word descriptions, here is a description from
Wikipedia:
In the management of water-supply wells, iron bacteria are bacteria
that derive the energy they need to live and multiply by oxidizing
dissolved ferrous iron (or the less frequently available manganese).
The resulting ferric oxide is insoluble, and appears as brown
gelatinous slime that will stain plumbing fixtures, and clothing or
utensils washed with the water carrying it. They are known to grow
and proliferate in waters containing as low as 0.1mg/l of iron.
However, at least 0.3 ppm of dissolved oxygen is needed to carry out
oxidation."
Common effects of excess iron in water are a reddish-brown color,
stained laundry and poor tasting coffee. An equally common but less
well understood problem is infestation of water supplies with iron
bacteria. Iron bacteria are a natural part of the environment in
most parts of the world. These microorganisms combine dissolved iron
or manganese with oxygen and use it to form rust-colored deposits.
In the process, the bacteria produce a brown slime that builds up on
well screens, pipes, and plumbing fixtures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_bacteria
The usual method to control well bacteria is by shock chlorination.
Here are some examples of the procedure:
http://www.prairiewaternews.ca/back/vol2no2/v22_st7.html
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/agdex1142
www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/dwg/febact.htm
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/droponwaterFAQ_IronBacteria.pdf
Unfortunately, chlorination has a number of problems. It is
time-consuming, it can leave an objectionable residue in the system
that may take weeks to dissipate, and it does not always work very
well.
Pat has been using a different method for many years. It consists of
silver coins attached to a copper pipe. He used it to keep his well
clear of bacteria, and he posted the techique to a forum where I
spotted it.
It was clear the technique works due to a small voltage that is
generated when the silver and copper are in contact and placed in a
conductive solution.
The Galvanic Table from MIL-STD-889 shows that copper is positive
with respect to silver:
http://l-36.com/corrosion.php
The metals that are closer to the top of the list are positive, or
anodic with respect to metals closer to the bottom of the list.
Copper is number 55 in the list, and silver is number 90. This means
the copper will act as the anode and silver as the cathode. This
means only copper ions will go into solution, and not the silver.
We know that copper and silver electroysis has been used for decades
to deposit the ions in swimming pools and jacuzzis. Here is one
example:
http://www.almostheaven.net/aho/ionizers.htm
Instead of a dc voltage that is generated from the contact
potential, these systems apply AC to the electrodes. This means the
silver and copper will alternate and become the anode on each half
cycle, so both ions will enter the solution.
Unfortunately, they do not tell you that the silver ions will
quickly combine with various substances in the water and form
insoluble compounds. For example, silver hydroxide, silver chloride,
and silver sulphide are highly insoluble and have very little
antibacterial activity. On the other hand, the copper compounds are
mostly soluble, which leaves the copper ions in solution and
available to kill bacteria.
This means we really do not need the silver in the process. It is
very expensive and does not contribute to the killing power, which
is due to the copper ions.
So all we need is a subsitute for the silver to act as the cathode
in the electrolysis process. After a bit of searching, we quickly find that
most varieties of stainless steel should work as well as silver, and
would be much less expensive. For example, see the "Galvanic Series
Of Metals And Alloys", at
http://www.mcnallyinstitute.com/04-html/4-1.html
This leads directly to the bacteria killer for wells. There is such
a huge variation in well size and depth that it is not feasible to
try to make a commercial product. So there is no web site describing
it, and no place to buy the assembly.
However, it is so simple that one approach would be to take an
ordinary stainless steel shower curtain rod which is available at
most hardware stores, and simply wrap copper tubing loosley around
it. Most hardware stores have a small tool area where they could
drill a hole in the end to clamp the copper to the rod, and attach a
nylon rope to lower the assembly into the well.
If the hardware store cannot do this, maybe a neighbor with an
electric drill might be able to help. Drilling stainless steel can
be tricky since the steel will work harden and no drill will be able
to penetrate it. I use cobalt drills and find them much more
effective than any other drill. They go through stainless like a hot
knife through butter, but you still have to apply cutting fluid and
apply the proper pressure for best results.
As far as the copper level in the water, it depends on the size of
the assembly and the amount of water in your individual well. The
amount of copper ion needed to kill bacteria is very low.
We need a trace amount of copper in our diet anyway. Here is some
information on how it is used in the body and what happens when we
get too much or too little:
http://www.drlwilson.com/articles/copper_toxicity_syndrome.htm
However, the natural electrolysis process in this system is very
unlikely to produce enough copper to present any health problems.
People with copper plumbing obtain a portion of their daily needs
from the copper dissolved from the pipes. This is far below the
level that is needed to develop copper toxicity.
This system will likely produce a similar amount of copper, and give
similar results.
So that's the story on the Pat and Mike Well Bacteria Killer. We
hereby donate the technology to the Public Domain, and anyone can
use it without fear of having to pay for licensing.
Best Regards,
Mike Monett