Water softener problem?

I have city water and recently had a carbon filter and water softener installed. Both are outside (florida) but in shaded area. Within a few weeks of having them installed I've noticed a black slime (mold?) that appears in the toilet bowl. I've checked the toilet tanks and there's little, if any, black slime in there. This never happened before having these installed. I clean bowl and it returns a few days later. I wrapped the tanks with a tarp to prevent any sunlight from getting in there and causing algae...didn't help though. I bypassed carbon filter to see if removing chlorine from water was culprit...ddin't help, still came back. Next I'm planning on bypassing softener to see if that is where problem lies. Installer isn't sure what's going on...he's thinking of replacing softener resin as maybe it was contaminated somehow. Salt in brine tank is sodium...whatever brand installer used. Any ideas on what's causing this?

It be IRB ( iron bacteria ) softener won't get rid of it and it likes to grow in carbon filters. Have to treat it with chlorine.

I thought of that but we have little iron in the water (haven"t tested it but see very little staining of toilet, shower, etc). Maybe it only takes a small amount? Also, I still got the black slime when I bypassed the carbon filter....so I take it that means the iron bacteria is also in the softener now? Maybe I'll try cleaning softener resin with iron out then bleach and then bypass carbon and see if it still happens.

I don't want to add chlorinator....the purpose of the carbon filter was to remove the chlorine for taste, etc. Is IRB harmful to be in the water we drink? If so, maybe I'll disconnect the carbon filter, rebed the softener and go with that. Would the iron bacteria still show up then if no carbon filter?

All reducing types of bacteria are harmless.

This sounds like airborne bacteria etc..

The softener has nothing to do with it and since you are on chlorinated city water, it won't be caused by any type of reducing bacteria.

Thanks Gary. If that's the case then why didn't it happen before installing softener and carbon filter? Is it happening now because carbon is removing chlorine? If so, it's still ok to drink the water or do I need to disconnect carbon filter?

Thanks!!

If you by-pass your water treatment equipment and re-introduce chlorinated water throughout the plumbing (thoroughly), this should solve the issue even if bacteria has colonized in the plumbing. Check to see if you have "dead" lines--plumbing that has been capped and water never flows though it. These would be areas where the chlorinated water can have little effect.

All that being done and you still get these symptoms after having your softener back on line, then your softener may be the culprit. You would need to sanitize it but putting some bleach in the brine tank and manually regenerating it a couple of times. Let us know how that works for you.

Here's an update on my problem. I ran iron out then chlorine thru softener and toilet. I then bypassed softener and ran water only thru carbon tank for 7 days an no algae/mold in toilet. I opened up softener and ran water thru both and about 5 days later there was algae/mold in toilet. So, that may suggest problem is with softener and not carbon? My initial thoughts were that it was from carbon tank removing chlorine was leading to this growth...but maybe not...unless it just took like 12 days to reappear? So I'm not sure I can say for sure problem is with softener. Any ideas?

Second question. I tried removing the nozzle/sprayer from my garden hose the other day and it was stuck on there. Finally got it off there. Never had this problem before. Noticed white "crystals" inside hose nozzle. Is this from the softener? Does the salt in it corrode the metal hose sprayer? I noticed that in the brine tank inside the small white tube with the float that at the bottom is white crystals....I guess some undissolved salt. Is that a problem? System is only couple months old.

Are you using sodium chloride or potassium chloride? I have not seen a problem with sodium chloride recystalizing, but have seen it with potassium chloride.