rust water, how to cure

We live in rural western NY state and in this particular area the well water is very rusty. We have a Culligan water softener, which came with the house, I'm assuming it's doing it's job, but the water is still very rusty. Is there a whole house filter of some sort that I can add to the pipe coming in from the well that would trap this rust before it gets through to the rest of the house? The water tasts great, there is plenty of it, and it doesn't smell, which we're thankful for, but this rust is all over the inside of the shower, toilet etc. I'm afraid to think of what it's doing to the inside of the pipes and the washing machine.What kind of equipment do I need to fix this problem?

Thanks. Snyde

Reply to
Snydley
Loading thread data ...

I use a whole house filter with a fine mesh insert. It should be before the softener.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

iron is not easy to remove. there are iron filters advertised. i'm not sure how well they work. i do know that iron can foul the resin bed in your softener. i lived in a place with iron in the water, and i had to periodically dump super iron out in the tank. also used "system saver" salt. i'd call your local culligan guy and see what they say.

Reply to
marson

It depends on the type of iron in your water. It is possible that you are getting particles of iron oxide (ferrous iron) from the casing or pipes which could be removed by filtering.

However, it is more likely that you have ferric iron - it is dissolved in the water and is colorless until it turns to ferrous iron upon exposure to the air. There are systems similar to water softeners to remove ferric iron...IIRC, they depend on potassium permanganate.

Reply to
dadiOH

first of all, be sure it is "rust", and not something else like fine silt that looks like rust. Ask your neighbors what it is and what they do. Be prepared for a lot of different answers, and be skeptical. then ask a couple local water contractors. Be prepared for a lot of pricey answers, and be skeptical.

And, most important, post your findings and results later on.

Reply to
123go

I had the same problem with excessive rust despite softening, to the point we couldn't even drink the water. I had to install (well, I didn't do it personally) a potassium permanganate unit. It looks like, and takes up about the same amount of space as, a water softener. Instead of a tank with salt, it has a tank about 1/4 the size to which the potassium permanganate is added. It works very well and is actually less hassle than the water softener, since the potassium permanganate comes in a handy little bottle rather than gigantic, heavy bags, like salt. It cost me a little over $300 to buy and have it installed, and looks like a simple installation (i.e., someone more knowledgeable than I might be able to do it without hiring a pro). Note skull and crossbones all over the bottle of potassium permanganate and keep in a safe place.

Jo Ann

Reply to
jah213

You can pick up filters like this almost anywhere. Might work, might not, but probably worth the price to find out. Other companies make similar filters and advertise "rust" as something they take out.

formatting link
These are all easy to install.

None are recommended for well water because it isn't clorinated, but oh well.

Carbon filters work pretty well, but are short lived, so on my mother's house we put two filtering in series. The first one used a paper cartridge to take out the big stuff and the second was carbon to take out everything else.

I have also been told that if you clorinate your water before you soften it, the clorine is so reactive that it will bond with almost everything and become a molecule that the softener can take out with the iron. But I've never done it.

Reply to
Pat

Well as has been mentioed before, you say "rust" I'll say "red", OK? I live in Oklahoma where are earth is often a nice red color. My well water is from a shallow well and has a lot of red silt in it. When I first set up my water system I went to Sears and bought a Kenmore Solid State Automatic Clarifying Filter I know they are not cheap as I check today they cost $650. The problem I have with out this is that I get a fine silt in the toilet shut off valves and the stains through out the house are a real bear to deal with. This filter is almost maintance free as it recycles itself once a week and so I never have to worry about it. The only problem I ran into was when a tornadoe took out my pump house with the pump, it and my water softner with it but of course you can't blame Sears for that. If I were you and could afford it this is the route I would go. Hope this helps Randy

Reply to
go4it4me

I spoke to the county health dept's water guy yesterday about some other stuff and mentioned iron, just out of curiosity.

He said best bet is to chlorinate your water, then filter it because the disolved iron will settle out once it has been chlorinated. He said you probably have to add piping to ensure that the water as 15 minutes on contact time before being filtered.

Reply to
Pat

I went to Sears and bought a Kenmore Solid State Automatic

can you post a link? I went to sears.com and can't find this. Sounds interesting.

thanks.

Reply to
123go

Try this link and see if it works for you. If not get back to me or drop me a line at hotmail.com and I'll send you the info that way. But any reply from me will be later tonight as I do farm and everything else around here. Today is grocery shopping ;-). Good luck Randy

formatting link

Reply to
go4it4me

formatting link

well, that link didn't do me much good, but I searched the sears site for the product ID within your link, and that worked. thanks!

Reply to
123go

Rust can be a combination of several issues in the water, however your problem doesn't sound like rust. ferric Iron (common in well water) will cause a pink type filme specifically where water sits and/or channels. You will need a well analysis to determine the levels. An Iron filter designed for ferric iron will effectively remove all of the residue. Carbon filters and Softeners work fine but only remove specific issue in the water and neither remove iron or rust effectively.

David

123go wrote:
Reply to
David

Rust can be a combination of several issues in the water, however your problem doesn't sound like rust. ferric Iron (common in well water) will cause a pink type filme specifically where water sits and/or channels. You will need a well analysis to determine the levels. An Iron filter designed for ferric iron will effectively remove all of the residue. Carbon filters and Softeners work fine but only remove specific issue in the water and neither remove iron or rust effectively.

David

123go wrote:
Reply to
David

Rust can be a combination of several issues in the water, however your problem doesn't sound like rust. ferric Iron (common in well water) will cause a pink type filme specifically where water sits and/or channels. You will need a well analysis to determine the levels. An Iron filter designed for ferric iron will effectively remove all of the residue. Carbon filters and Softeners work fine but only remove specific issue in the water and neither remove iron or rust effectively.

David

123go wrote:
Reply to
David

There are several filters available to address rust in the water, unfortunately a softener isn't one of them. If you have this problem throughout your house, then the rust can most likely be traced to the well. However if you have galvanized plumbing there could be area of the pipe that are rusting and may need to be replace. The solution is to test the water at the point of entry to the house, as well as at another location inside the house for comparrison. Your Culligan Man should be able to help. David

Snydley wrote:

Reply to
David

I agree. My "water guy" tested the water at several locations, a couple of different times (tried adjusting softener, etc.) before determining the best system for my situation (whole-house potassium permanganate system). At a different house long ago, I had a filter on the incoming line, which worked okay. It was not much cheaper to buy and install than the KMnO4 system, though, and I found changing the filter cartridges a hassle, and also I didn't like the fact that if you missed getting the filter changed promptly, the rust came back with a vengeance (usually discovered in a wash load of white clothes).

Jo Ann

David wrote:

Reply to
jah213

You should have your water tested. Both before and after the softener. Then you will know where you are at. I have used both Culligan and RainSoft. My water is terrible. Iron is 156 per million with a PH of 3.2. I use a chemical called MagiChem in an injector pump. Then Clorox in a second injector pump. Then to a charcoal filter, then to a softener, then to a 120 gallon settling tank. That gets us clear water and good enough to wash clothes (.3 PPM to wash is a general guideline). We still only drink from a RO in the kitchen.

Both Culligan, RainSoft and some County Health depts. or universities test water.

Reply to
John Galbreath Jr.

You dont need equipment, you need to sell your house and move to the city, where the water is always pure, clean, chlorinated and floridated for your protection, and the chemicals added to the water are there to eliminate rust so your porcelain god is always a nice bright white when you vomit in it from the chemicals in your food and water.

Reply to
logicimplant

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.