Replacing a Whole House Water Filter Way too Frequently

This is a new well (200 feet) and a new house.

There is a whole house filter and it was installed with a 30 micron filter.

For 6 weeks of normal water usage, there was no problem. Then, the water would come out of the faucets/showers as if there was no water pressure. I changed the filter (with another 30 micron), and immediately everything was fine.

10 days later, the same thing happened. I changed the filter, and water flow was back.

This cycle of loss of flow, replacing the filter and restoring the flow repeated 4 days later, then 2, then 2, then 2, then 1, then 1, then it was only after taking one shower that I had to replace the filter again. The pump is producing plenty of water. The bladder tank is producing enough pressure. It really seems to be the filter.

All the while, the filters don't "look" dirty (they were a light gray color), meaning I couldn't scrape or wash away any muck or dirt. I've tried 30, 20, and 5 micron filters, as well as the pleated paper, "felt" material, and string types. I was told to try a 50 or 100 micron filter, but that doesn't seem to make sense (why do I want more sediment to get through?). The water straight from the pump is clear when coming out of a hose, but filling up a bucket shows that the water is a bit cloudy (white/gray).

The only other tidbit of information is that around the time of the first filter change there was a big rainstorm, and it has been pretty wet ever since. There are a few drainage issues that the builder hs yet to work out, so there is some standing water when it is not raining.

Any help? Do I simply need a larger micron filter? Is this a normal part of a new well and will it cear up in 2-, 3-, 6-months?

Thanks.

Reply to
DarMan
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have you tried running water backwards thru the filter with say a garden hose?

Reply to
hallerb

Maybe the pipe is too deep in the well.

You could also consider using 2 filters. A coarse prefilter and a second fine filter after that.

Also try to find a filter that is 2 filters high. So the filters get stacked in a case. You will get longer life out of the filters that way.

Reply to
Art

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean I should take the filter cartridge out and run water through it to see if it is indeed clogged? Please elaborate.

Reply to
DarMan

Art,

If we theorize the pipe is too far in the well (or that the problem is something erroneous with the well installation), is there any way of testing to see if that is true without having to physically pull up the pipe (i.e. convince the well digging company they installed the pipe incorrectly and to fix it)? Or is it a lot of trial and error?

Other than that, it sounds like you feel I simply have well water that is carrying a lot of sediment and that additional filters or filtering systems are needed, correct? I was told that it wouldn't be a health hazard to remove the filter altogether, but that just sounds silly.

Thanks for your patience. I'm learning a lot about well water.

Reply to
DarMan

What hall is referring to is known as "backflushing". Basically, you are cleaning the particles out of the filter by reversing the flow. It is worth a try, but some filter designs are made to fall apart when you do this, the filter makers want you to replace, not recycle.-Jitney

Reply to
jtnospam

I suspect that the rain and maybe some problems with the well construction may be your problem. If you are getting ground water mixed in, it could be causing the clogging and it also could be a danger.

If you can rule out the above, then I suggest using a larger micron filter and or the duel filter idea, and or going to a large industrial size filter that will handle the water problem you have and will back flow clean out the larger sediment.

Good Luck

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

My filters last a few weeks. When they need to be replaced they are caked with crud. I don't understand why your filter look clean when they are clogged; sounds to me like crappy filters. What kind are they?

I have a coarse "sand" filter I haven't gotten around to installing. It is

50 microns and can be cleaned by simply opening a flush valve. That might help you out; but I still have to wonder about why your filters clog without any build up.
Reply to
Toller

Toller,

Correct, the filters are not caked with anything--simply dirty gray--and that is why this seems so mysterious. In the canister which holds the filter there is usually about 2 to 3 millimeters of fine gray sediment. The water is cloudy, and the particles do seem to remain suspended in the water (I have a bucket which has been standing for a couple days now and it doesn't seem to have settled).

The filters I've bought were from Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Home Depot. Ace Hardware had the same types of filters, but nothing larger than 30 microns.

I have heard of the sand filter (my brother-in-law has one, but he had a similar situation to yours with coarse sand), but I really don't think the sediment I have is course enough for that to be effective.

Reply to
DarMan

Joseph,

If ground water is getting into the well quickly, then it may be of benefit for me to get the well water tested to see what's in it. Any suggestions for a simple way of finding out if the well construction is to blame, or should I just get the guy who dug it out here?

Thanks.

Reply to
DarMan

I hate to suggest this, but I would call a water treatment company; if only to hear what they have to say about it. My guess (and that's all it is) is that you have an enormous amount of fines in your water and you probably need something more expensive than a hardware store filter. My water is clear and the coarse stuff that clogs my filter drops right out in a bucket. (tastes like crap, but that's a whole other story...)

Reply to
Toller

How much water have you run out of the well? Perhaps you need to run water out onto the ground for a few days or weeks. Unfiltered, of course. My neighbors had a new well installed and they ran water out onto the driveway for many days. I guess the drilling company told them to.

-rev

Reply to
The Reverend Natural Light

I would guess the best way is going to get someone, maybe not the one who put it in, to take a good look and see what they think. The original professional, may overlook something that he overlooked the first time. A new set of eyes is more likely to find something if it is there.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

That is a good point.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

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Reply to
buffalobill

Rev,

I have heard of what you could call "bloodletting" the well, but the thing is we had about 6 weeks of water without changing the filter, and the frequency of filter changes has increased seemingly exponentially. I'm not sure if our useage of the the well for 6 weeks has caused this problem, but I do not seem to have any problem with the volume of water directly from the pump (before the filter).

Thanks.

Reply to
DarMan

If this was a problem with a new well I would have expected the opposite. that is filter clogging very quickly and getting better and better as time progressed.

If there was a lot of sediment shown on the filter a courser prefilter would be a good idea.

You seem to be indicating a lot of very fine particulate matter which tends to stay in suspension.

I would take a water sample and get it tested. Your local health department may be able to do it for you.

Once you identify the material causing the problem you can start searching for the right solution. It might be practicle to filter only your kitchen faucets and leave the others unfiltered.

The only whole house filter I have ever used was about 3 feet long and

8 inches across. Washed down every 3-6 months and changed annually.
Reply to
marks542004

marks542,

That is a good synopsis/analysis of the situation, and a good course of action to pursue.

Thanks.

Reply to
DarMan

I believe the volume and total among to water you used over 6 weeks would not give the same effect as the suggested procedure would.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

My own well has a problem with rust. The water was so bad that it would clog a filter in a couple of days and I couldn't even wash cars with it. And the more water I'd use, the worse it would get. Finally I called a drilling company in desperation.

They sent a crew out to pull the pipe from the well (plastic, thankfully), raise the pump a few feet, and run all the water out of it. It ran straight out of the well pipe onto the yard at full blast for 45 minutes. So much rust came out that it actually stained the yard. About half way through it started to clear up and was pretty much clear water at the end.

Now I run the garden hose for a couple hours twice a week or so, and it's almost crystal clear all the time. Combined with 35 micron filters (used 5 micron before), the filters last for months.

Oh, and if you haven't already installed two filters in parallel, I'd recommend it. Two filters last much more than twice as long as a single.

-rev

Reply to
The Reverend Natural Light

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