Yet another 'any experts here' thread....

[cptlo]

Whole house water filters....not specifically water softeners. Anyone have one? If so, good? Bad?

Turns out I should have gotten my well water tested before moving in (stupid me...I was so focused on the house, I didn't think about the water). The well is over 40 years old and the water has what appears to be rust in it as well as bacteria according to the county health department. I'm working with a local well company to 'shock' the well that will hopefully get rid of the bacteria but I'm not confident it'll work long-term.

I've read so much info online about water filters in the last few days that I'll probably dream about them for the next month.

The water is somewhat hard (8 on whatever the scale is) but I'm not hugely concerned about that. I'm more concerned with filtering out the sediment and bacteria.

I think what I need is a pre-filter to get most of the sediment, another filter to get more of the bad stuff, and a UV light to kill the bacteria. I've gotten a couple quotes from local companies but they are more focused on softening the water so they priced in their water softener systems which I might want but I'd rather see what is needed to get the water clean before worrying about the hardness.

I haven't lived with well water since I was a kid and back then it wasn't something I cared or even thought about.

Oh, did I mention that these huge combo softener/filter/UV systems can get VERY expensive?

Fun, fun, fun....

 

[Paxilpapa]

Whole house water filters....not specifically water softeners. Anyone have one? If so, good? Bad?

Turns out I should have gotten my well water tested before moving in (stupid me...I was so focused on the house, I didn't think about the water). The well is over 40 years old and the water has what appears to be rust in it as well as bacteria according to the county health department. I'm working with a local well company to 'shock' the well that will hopefully get rid of the bacteria but I'm not confident it'll work long-term.

I've read so much info online about water filters in the last few days that I'll probably dream about them for the next month.

The water is somewhat hard (8 on whatever the scale is) but I'm not hugely concerned about that. I'm more concerned with filtering out the sediment and bacteria.

I think what I need is a pre-filter to get most of the sediment, another filter to get more of the bad stuff, and a UV light to kill the bacteria. I've gotten a couple quotes from local companies but they are more focused on softening the water so they priced in their water softener systems which I might want but I'd rather see what is needed to get the water clean before worrying about the hardness.

I haven't lived with well water since I was a kid and back then it wasn't something I cared or even thought about.

Oh, did I mention that these huge combo softener/filter/UV systems can get VERY expensive?

Fun, fun, fun....

The pre-filter will take out the rust and sediment on an ongoing basis. Be sure to keep several replacement cartridges on hand and be sure it is mounted in a heated area so that it can't freeze. I would definitely have a reverse osmosis filter somewhere in the kitchen to provide absolute pure water for coffee makers and icemaker in the frig as well as storage water for power outages. Shocking the well will kill the bacteria, but it may take more than one time. Once gone, you shouldn't have a recurring problem as long as the well remains sealed and active. What kind of well is it, Bored or deep drilled?

 

[cptlo]

The pre-filter will take out the rust and sediment on an ongoing basis. Be sure to keep several replacement cartridges on hand and be sure it is mounted in a heated area so that it can't freeze. I would definitely have a reverse osmosis filter somewhere in the kitchen to provide absolute pure water for coffee makers and icemaker in the frig as well as storage water for power outages. Shocking the well will kill the bacteria, but it may take more than one time. Once gone, you shouldn't have a recurring problem as long as the well remains sealed and active.

Thanks for the info.

What kind of well is it, Bored or deep drilled?

Deep drilled, I think.

 

[Paxilpapa]

Thanks for the info.



Deep drilled, I think.

If deep drilled, is it a submerged pump or above ground, and is it new or old? If it is old, you may need to pull it out and freshen everything up. A well guy can do that but there is no telling what they will charge.

 

[cptlo]

If deep drilled, is it a submerged pump or above ground, and is it new or old? If it is old, you may need to pull it out and freshen everything up. A well guy can do that but there is no telling what they will charge.

I'm almost certain it is a submerged pump. The well itself is 40+ years old and I don't recall any major work done on it within the past 20+ years so I assume the pump is at least 20+ years old and possibly the same age as the well itself.

 

[J-man]

Could consider a Berkey Water Filter System for your drinking water, they are somewhat expensive but considered “the best.”

Berkey Water Filtration Systems - Water Purification Products

We offer the best deals on Berkey water filtration systems and emergency preparedness kits, Berkey water purifier systems, weekly specials and more.

www.usaberkeyfilters.com

We’re on county water here but found an old well on the property. We haven’t tested the water yet but it’s on our “bucket list” so hopefully we can be used it on our garden and lawn.

 

[Boss 302]

Could consider a Berkey Water Filter System for your drinking water, they are somewhat expensive but considered “the best.”

Berkey Water Filtration Systems - Water Purification Products

We offer the best deals on Berkey water filtration systems and emergency preparedness kits, Berkey water purifier systems, weekly specials and more.

www.usaberkeyfilters.com

We’re on county water here but found an old well on the property. We haven’t tested the water yet but it’s on our “bucket list” so hopefully we can be used it on our garden and lawn.

I had a friend who, while a state trooper in Pontiac, MI, got a little upset with the city because of the high they raised water/sewerage rates. He had a friend in the well business drill a well in his basement. He had water lines from it that ran to water spigots on each side of the house. He used that water to wash his vehicles and water his lawn.

 

[The Sound Guy]

I had a friend who, while a state trooper in Pontiac, MI, got a little upset with the city because of the high they raised water/sewerage rates. He had a friend in the well business drill a well in his basement. He had water lines from it that ran to water spigots on each side of the house. He used that water to wash his vehicles and water his lawn.

My wife's Uncle in Mt Vernon GA got tired of bad water at high rates that the city provided, so he and a couple of neighbors hired a crew to put in deep wells that they used for water and watering their massive garden.

The city's response was to refuse to issue permits for any more wells to be dug after they got theirs complete.

 

[Guard Dad]

I've ran whole house filters for ages, well at least for the kitchen and drinking water. I don't filter the bathroom water or hose bibs.

Removing sediment is easy; you can either use a replaceable cartridge type filter or a self-cleaning type filter that back washes on a regular bases. The later is probably the better long term solution.

Removing taste and odor is also fairly simple by using an activated charcoal filter. But, these must be replaced on a regular basis, and usually at least every six months.

Killing bacteria in water is much more difficult. Filters won't usually do this, and if they do they tend to be extremely low flow. Basically the two choices are to use UV disinfection or chemical disinfection. The UV device has a chamber that exposes the water to UV light for a sufficient amount of time to sterilize it. The chemical system adds chlorine or a similar disinfectant to the water to kill bacteria. Neither are cheap and both will require maintenance.

I would still advise a sediment filter before these devices and a charcoal filter afterward to improve taste and remove chlorine.

I have heard tails of the well itself being disinfected by introducing a chlorine "shock" to it, but I don't know if that is a lasting solution.

 

[cptlo]

The quotes I have so far range from $4500 to $4800 for a softener/filter/UV solution. I've talked to a local plumber that installs systems like this and he is coming out later this week.

Here's what I think I'm leaning towards at the moment:

Incoming water line
200 micron sediment filter
50 micron sediment filter (figured it couldn't hurt to have 2 sediment filters since they are only about $50 and each would theoretically lengthen the life of the next filter in the chain)
3 stage system with 25 micron sediment filter, anti-scale filter to prevent scale buildup in pipes due to hard water, and a carbon filter
UV light filter
Line to house

All that comes to around $900 and the brand gets good reviews online. Add in whatever the plumber charges to install and I'll still be way under the other quotes. This won't soften the water but it should prevent the scale buildup in pipes and more importantly clean and disinfect the water. In theory....

 

[Boss 302]

The quotes I have so far range from $4500 to $4800 for a softener/filter/UV solution. I've talked to a local plumber that installs systems like this and he is coming out later this week.

Here's what I think I'm leaning towards at the moment:

Incoming water line
200 micron sediment filter
50 micron sediment filter (figured it couldn't hurt to have 2 sediment filters since they are only about $50 and each would theoretically lengthen the life of the next filter in the chain)
3 stage system with 25 micron sediment filter, anti-scale filter to prevent scale buildup in pipes due to hard water, and a carbon filter
UV light filter
Line to house

All that comes to around $900 and the brand gets good reviews online. Add in whatever the plumber charges to install and I'll still be way under the other quotes. This won't soften the water but it should prevent the scale buildup in pipes and more importantly clean and disinfect the water. In theory....

Use fabric softener when washing your clothes.