This article explains using sediment filters or water softeners as options for correcting unsanitary or unsatisfactory aesthetic contaminants in drinking water such as sediment, dirt, sulphur odors, or minerals. This series of articles explains many common water contamination tests for bacteria and other contaminants in water samples.

Sediment Filters & Iron filters for Water Treatment

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We describe what to do about contaminated water, listing common corrective measures when water test results are unsatisfactory.

We include water testing and water correction measures warnings for home owners and especially for home buyers when certain conditions are encountered, with advice about what to do when these circumstances are encountered.

How to remove aesthetic water contaminants and treatment systems: sediment, iron, odors, taste:

Our photo (above) illustrates heavy white stains and mineral deposits on a tile bathroom wall and on the bath tub itself. These white stains may be soap scum but more likely are due to hard water high in mineral content. Red or brown stains are more likely due to high iron content.

At WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS we discuss treatment systems that remove these contaminants. Below we discuss other water treatment methods (such as filtration) that remove other water contaminants.

Paper or charcoal or in some cases ceramic filters are installed at the entry point of water into the building to remove sediment, iron, and similar debris.

TIP: when your water pressure declines or your pump begins clicking on and off rapidly, check to see if the filter has become very clogged and change it out. We once replaced a pump pressure switch only to discover that the problem was a clogged filter.

The water filter shown at left is for sediment in the water supply. The cartridge can be changed to handle odors (see Sulphur Odor Filters) below;

The installation of a water filter may affect the water flow rate and pressure in a building, particularly if the filter has become clogged.

The frequency with which the water filter must be changed depends on the filter type and the level of particles or contaminants that the filter is removing from the water supply.

For details see WATER FILTERS, HOME USE about cartridge type water filters

Indications that the water filter needs to be changed include

• Decline in water pressure
• Water pump short cycling on and off (maybe)
• Passage of sediments, debris, or odors through the water filter

Watch out: particulates in the drinking water supply can significantly reduce the effectiveness of water treatment for contaminants such as bacterial or other pathogens. For examples
see WATER DISINFECTION LIMITATIONS

Watch out: also that rapid short cycling of the water pump, as may be caused by a clogged sediment filter, can damage or even destroy the pump.

See WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING

Sulphur odor filters or Sulphur Treatment Systems

If your water smells like "rotten eggs" the problem is likely to be sulphur dissolved in the water. The level of odor often varies seasonally as the level of the water table changes in the ground.

You may also notice that the sulphur or rotten egg smell is much worse when water is first run in a building after you've been away several days.

Our photo (left) shows sulphur-bacterial staining in a toilet tank. This cosmetic staining often accompanies high sulphur odors in water and can be addressed by well-established water treatment methods.

While a chlorine injection system will reduce low levels of sulphur odor in water, potassium permanganate ("Green sand" in the words of my Culligan™ man) is used in a treatment system where this problem is severe.

Odors in Drinking Water, provides more detail on the causes of odors in water, health risks associated with certain odors in drinking water, and various methods of treatment for water odors - how to get rid of the smell in water.

For details about sulphur odors in drinking water see

• WATER ODOR DIAGNOSIS - SULPHUR
• WATER ODOR TREATMENTS, CURES - SULPHUR
• WATER SMELLS or ODORS, OTHER

Water Softeners to Treat Hard Water, Iron, Lime, Mineral Deposits, Sulphur, Clogged Piping

Water softeners principally remove minerals (mostly calcium and magnesium) from a "hard" water supply but may remove some lower levels of other contaminants such as iron and sulphur. If those problems are significant, an additional treatment step may be required.

If your water is hard (measured in "grains of hardness") you want a water softener installed not only for aesthetic reasons (like getting a good lather when shampooing your hair) but also to avoid clogging the water supply piping with minerals (especially the hot water and very especially where tankless coils are used to provide hot water).

Most water softeners work by an ion-exchange process: swapping a small amount of salt or sodium into the water to cause calcium and manganese to precipitate out as dirty sludge (which is periodically removed by back washing the treatment system).

If building occupants require a zero level of sodium in drinking water they may want to install a reverse osmosis point of use supply treatment or in some homes people simply run a water supply line from ahead of the water softener to a single faucet to be used for drinking water.

For complete details about using and maintaining water softeners see the articles listed

at WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS

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Reader Q&A - also see RECOMMENDED ARTICLES & FAQs

Details on where to look for sediment or scaling clogs in water pipes

Sediment will tend to accumulate at either low points in the pipes, or places where pressure drops occur (small or restricted pipe to a larger pipe).

Corrosion will occur wherever air gets trapped in the pipes (metal pipes).

Given the Age and weather conditions, you probably have iron pipe. Iron pipe can corrode completely shut over relatively few years especially when the water has little movement ( i.e. in the case of a vacancy).

Good news is that flexible pipe is much cheaper and easier to install, and if you are handy, you can structure it as a DIY repair rather than have to pull a permit and hire a contractor/plumber. But, do your homework and understand your risks.

For the guy with the WV hotel. Considering the age of the hotel, assuming the water pressure coming from the city is not dropping (as claimed), that tends to point to sediment and corrosion in the existing pipes.

From your side of the water meter, disconnect the water and see if you can reproduce the problem, if so, then you have proven it is the city's problem.

If it is not the city's problem, then move to the first T.

Repeat your test, if the condition is reproduced, then the problem is likely sediment/corrosion and you will need to replace it. But if there was sediment/corrosion in the pipe, then it is likely all through the system and you will probably need to replace all of the plumbing feed lines. On 2018-07-28 by jmoney -

 

Short cycling pump and sediment in the water

About 4 days ago we had a rainstorm drop 150mm in about 14hrs, yesterday my well water had a very fine silt and rust color in it, 1 day later and my less than a year old pump started cycling, on for 15-20 seconds and then off for approx same amount of time, then back on again.

It worked flawless until now, where should I check first as the most likely culprit?

Also the water color has gotten better and less silt also. I figure I need to inspect the pump, which is a small tank on pump kind 3/4 HP, I think its a 1 gallon but that I'm not sure of atm.

Where would you guy check first? I have turned the pump off for the time being so it doesn't burn out from all the cycling, not a problem to prime and get working again though. Thanks for your time (Oct 8, 2015) Steve

Reply: most-likely cause is a sticking check valve - possibly sediment-jammed

Usually a short-cycling well pump is due to loss of the air charge in the water pressure tank.

Now it's possible that sediment could clog the sensor port or tube on a pressure control switch OR that sediment could jam or clog a check valve or foot valve, causing erratic pump operation or a foot valve leak.

But if your pump is cycling on and off whe you're not running water, I suspect that there's a foot valve or check valve leak.

Steve see WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING and look for low well water, debris clogging pressure control switch opening, or a leak in well piping or casing.

The fix may be to pull the well pipe and clean or replace the foot valve.

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Continue reading at WATER ODOR DIAGNOSIS - SULPHUR or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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WATER FILTERS - SEDIMENT & IRON at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

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INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

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