Sediment Filter: Well Water

[SQLit]

Sand or diatomatious earth comes to mind, both can be used as a swimming pool filter.

Sand would might be less hassle for ya, depending on the amount and pressure your pump can develop. Back washing takes volume and pressure to remove the water.

I used a paper filter as a whole house water cleaner. Changed the paper once every 6 months. It cleaned all of the water I used even the pool and sprinklers.

[Pavel314]

We have a 125' well with a submersible pump. Occasionally, we get some fine silt in the water, either white or rusty, but not enough to cause any problems.

The old pump died last weekend after 25 years of service so we had a new one put in. Unfortunately, this stirred up all sorts of sediment in the lines and we've had frequent spells of orange or murky water. I've been thinking of putting in some sort of filter on the main inlet and found several options on the web through a Google search.

What I'd like is some sort of tank where the water goes through a filter, allowing fine particles to be trapped and sink to the bottom. It should be large enough so that I only have to change or clean the filter every month or so. A filter that can be cleaned and re-used would be preferable to a disposable.

Has anyone had experience with this sort of thing? Any advice or recommendations would be appreciated.

Paul

[Jeff]

I had a black sediment in my well water and got sick of using the prototypical whole house filter. It was difficult to remove, I had numerous resealing problems and I was running through a fair number of filters annually. Finally ended up with this product.

On the first one I tried the mesh was too fine and required back flushing ever other day. I order one with a 250 mesh and it did the trick for my situation. I back flush every 3 or 4 weeks. The unit bottom valve opens and the swirling action of the water removes sediment. I find this doesn't always do the trick, especially for more clayish type substantaces, so periodically, I will turn the water off, remove the filter, brush it, and then reinsert. It will probably pay for itself in a couple of years, depending on the type and how fast you use filters in a typical whole house filter system.

If you have copious amounts of sediment, then you may want to put two of these, with different size mesh, in line.

One final note, the sediment will end up clogging and corroding filters in home applicances (washing machines, refrigerator water dispensors, etc.) so it would probably be best to eliminate the problem before it moves on down the line.

Regards

[Goedjn]

Get the well-water tested in a lab to find out exactly what the contamination is, before investing more than a few dollars in filters that might be addressing the wrong problem.

I'd stick two of those cheap cannister filters from home depot on in series, and not drink the water until the results of the lab-test come back.

I'm .. well, not surprised, but dissapointed, that the people who replaced the pump didn't make this part of the routine. Any time you mess with a well, you should do a water test shortly thereafter.

--Goedjn

[Pavel314]

Thanks for the suggestion; I picked up the filter at Home Depot. The guys who put the pump in gave it an overdose of chlorine to kill any bacteria they may have introduced and said we should get a water test within a week, which I intend to do.

Paul

[Evon Barvinchack]

I would suggest flushing the well. Let is run full open for several hours with no filter. Then get the water tested. When you replaced the pump you probaly surged the well with an air blast when starting the new pump. Also, the new pump will pump harder than the old one. That could loosened the sediment. Now is your oppurtunity to clean the well.