New Hydrogen Sulfide problem

[270win]

Hello Everyone,

My water has a hydrogen sulfide problem that started this winter. It has gotten increasingly worse as time goes by so it's time to take care of it. When it first started, I assumed it was my greensand filter because it was not sucking in the PotPerm as it should. After replacing the float system in the PotPerm tank, and replacing the Fleck 2510, the solution was drawing correctly during the backwash cycle. Immediately afterwards, the smell mostly went away. Thought I’d had it fixed.

It was good for a while and now it’s back, stronger than ever. The smell still seems to vary with regeneration but never goes away. It was very mild this morning, but awful yesterday. Both the Greensand and Softener regenerated last night. They are usually staggered but once in a while they both run.

Time to ask the guys here!



My well information:

• Drilled well is 18 years old. I’m the original owner here.
• Never had H2S issues before this year
• Only performed the initial sanitize (bleach) when we installed the well 18 years ago.
• The water is nasty with iron. If I put raw water in a bucket and leave it, it goes brown with an oily looking surface.
• Well depth is 480 feet
• 6” bore
• Only about 5-10 feet of casing if I recall. Nice rocky New Hampshire lot
• Pump is dropped to around 450 feet
• 6 GPM
• Static level originally about 30 – 40 feet from the top. This past month water is pushing out of the top with all the rain we’ve had

System Information:

• Water treatment (in order)
• PH Neutralizer 10x54 tank with Fleck 2510 valve filled with Calcite and Corosex at 2:1 (Raw water about 5.5 ph) re-bedded about 2 months ago. Ph now around 7.0 I think its on a 3 day regeneration cycle.
• Green sand 10x54 tank, Fleck 2510 valve. Pot Perm for regen. Regenerates every 2 days
• Water Softener 10x54 tank, Fleck 2510 valve with salt brine tank. Regenerates every 3 days
• Activated charcoal up flow, 12x36 tank, no valve
• Big Blue spin on particle filter
• Original water test attached as JPG

I did some reading on the forum yesterday and found the popular Moravec procedure to disinfect and figure that is a good starting point. But I really want to have a logical process to attack this issue. So where should I start?

• 
  
• Disinfect with the Moravec procedure first? (Reach 4’s post)
• Get a new water test done? If so, before I start?
• Etc. etc

I have also several questions:

After a disinfect is done, should I consider re-bedding any of my tanks? The PH Neutralizer and Greensand are original, so 18 years now. When asking this before, I was told to test the water and if they are working, there is no need to re-bed.

Should I disinfect the tanks? Can only imagine a big dark petri dish like environment

If I disinfect the tanks, will that ruin the media?

I plan on just changing the charcoal anyway. Imagine its fouled by now.



I very much appreciate your feedback as always. It’s a great forum!



*On a side note, my neighbor just recently dug up his drywell near the property line because it was backing up to the house. I think he dumps graywater in it. It’s been there for years but wondering if it may have something to do with my new issue? It is about 150 feet away from my well.

 

[Reach4]

Disinfect with the Moravec procedure first? (Reach 4’s post)

That one. Include the WH and the softener (limiting the bleach to the resin) and tanks. Include all of the piping.

Order pH and chlorine-measuring stuff now. Figure where you will dump the sanitizing solution to minimize killing plants and bacteria in your septic. You may want to buy or borrow extra hose. Be able to get more vinegar and bleach, because they get exhausted. You will not be able to compute how much you need.... They get consumed while doing their jobs. Prefer bleach without the laundry additives. Chlorox says to not use their laundry bleach for sanitizing, and sell a sanitizing bleach. I get my bleach from Aldi. I get my vinegar from Sams.

Also check if H2S may be being generated in the WH. Sanitizing the WH and other pipes will help that. But you might also consider switching to a powered anode.

I don't think you or your neighbor should put a dry well near the property line, unless this is a joint venture.

I really don't think that his dry well is likely to be contaminating his your well. Can you put your used sanitizing solution into his new dry well? If your driveway were big enough, you could use that. Otherwise use the weed-filled ditch.

In my recirculation of sanitizing solution back into the well, I use a spare Big Blue housing and filter. It picks up rust-colored stuff. I have procured a washable pleated cartridge for my next sanitizing. Previously I used an old cartridge I had taken out of service. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....n-clarifying-water-and-more.65986/post-490196

I don't know what that is. Dead IRB? I find no indication that IRB is rust colored. I was thinking maybe a mix of clay and finely divided ferric oxide.... the bleach is a reducing agent, which would be expected to turn ferrous iron to ferric. Your well has more iron and depth than mine, so I expect a filter would pick up more crud.... might as well IMO.

Take photos and notes.

 

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[270win]

That one. Include the WH and the softener (limiting the bleach to the resin) and tanks. Include all of the piping.

Order pH and chlorine-measuring stuff now. Figure where you will dump the sanitizing solution to minimize killing plants and bacteria in your septic. You may want to buy or borrow extra hose. Be able to get more vinegar and bleach, because they get exhausted. You will not be able to compute how much you need.... They get consumed while doing their jobs. Prefer bleach without the laundry additives. Chlorox says to not use their laundry bleach for sanitizing, and sell a sanitizing bleach. I get my bleach from Aldi. I get my vinegar from Sams.

Also check if H2S may be being generated in the WH. Sanitizing the WH and other pipes will help that. But you might also consider switching to a powered anode.

I don't think you or your neighbor should put a dry well near the property line, unless this is a joint venture.

I really don't think that his dry well is likely to be contaminating his your well. Can you put your used sanitizing solution into his new dry well? If your driveway were big enough, you could use that. Otherwise use the weed-filled ditch.

In my recirculation of sanitizing solution back into the well, I use a spare Big Blue housing and filter. It picks up rust-colored stuff. I have procured a washable pleated cartridge for my next sanitizing. Previously I used an old cartridge I had taken out of service. https://terrylove.com/forums/index....n-clarifying-water-and-more.65986/post-490196

I don't know what that is. Dead IRB? I find no indication that IRB is rust colored. I was thinking maybe a mix of clay and finely divided ferric oxide.... the bleach is a reducing agent, which would be expected to turn ferrous iron to ferric. Your well has more iron and depth than mine, so I expect a filter would pick up more crud.... might as well IMO.

Take photos and notes.

Thanks for your feedback. I have ordered some of the Hydrion Cm-240 test strips to measure the chlorine levels. They'll be here tomorrow, so other than smoking a brisket or ribs for the weekend, looks like I'll be treating my water.

Although I've had a whiff of H2S from my old water heater, this new one I installed last year is certainly amplifying things. Probably because of the fresh anode.

The neighbors drywell has been there for years. He had to open it up to sort it out. Now we know why there are 100 ft well radius rules I guess!

I'll let you know how I make out.

 

[Reach4]

Order the cheap pH meter and calibration solution making packet. Buy distilled water to mix with the calibration packet. Find a clean jar that can hold the 250 ml of solution. Buy vinegar. It is possible to use muriatic acid, but that stuff is very dangerous and should be pre-diluted.

https://www.amazon.com/2024-All-New-Meter-Water-Certification/dp/B0DHW47XH8?

which includes calibration packets.

The anode on the old WH might have been depleted, or might have been an aluminum/zinc anode rod, which is less active at supporting SRB than magnesium rods are.

 

[270win]

Order the cheap pH meter and calibration solution making packet. Buy distilled water to mix with the calibration packet. Find a clean jar that can hold the 250 ml of solution. Buy vinegar. It is possible to use muriatic acid, but that stuff is very dangerous and should be pre-diluted.

https://www.amazon.com/2024-All-New-Meter-Water-Certification/dp/B0DHW47XH8?

which includes calibration packets.

The anode on the old WH might have been depleted, or might have been an aluminum/zinc anode rod, which is less active at supporting SRB than magnesium rods are.

I already have the PH meter, and I just recalibrated it with the 3 different solutions. Glad to know you think that is a good way to go.

Yeah, the old anode was probably gone. Once I get disinfect done and hopefully cleared up I'll look into that.

 

[Reach4]

Check the conversations (envelope icon)

 

[270win]

Could I use a liquid pool chlorine in place of bleach? Just thinking what to do if I cannot find an unscented, suitable bleach.

Sam's club has Clorox "with CloroMax technology" and lists the ingredients as 7.5% Sodium Hypochlorite and the remainder as Other ingredients".

 

[Reach4]

Could I use a liquid pool chlorine in place of bleach? Just thinking what to do if I cannot find an unscented, suitable bleach.

Sam's club has Clorox "with CloroMax technology" and lists the ingredients as 7.5% Sodium Hypochlorite and the remainder as Other ingredients".

Yes. I think you can also use pool shock granuals. I think you don't want the granuals sitting on the pitless for a long time, so you could pre-desolve or be careful about washing them off.

The liquid pool chlorine is 10%. Pour while circulating water so that the high concentration does not sit on the pitless for a long time. Alternate chlorine, pause, vinegar. Let all of the mixing occur in the well, because chlorine and vinegar directly will produce poisonous chlorine gas. With the diluted vinegar circulating, the pH does not get low enough to generate chlorine.

 

[270win]

Yes. I think you can also use pool shock granuals. I think you don't want the granuals sitting on the pitless for a long time, so you could pre-desolve or be careful about washing them off.

The liquid pool chlorine is 10%. Pour while circulating water so that the high concentration does not sit on the pitless for a long time. Alternate chlorine, pause, vinegar. Let all of the mixing occur in the well, because chlorine and vinegar directly will produce poisonous chlorine gas. With the diluted vinegar circulating, the pH does not get low enough to generate chlorine.

Got it. Thanks.

I would only want to use liquid so may be less of a chance for leaving some residual behind. The granules might not dissolve quickly without agitation.