Is rusty water causing the wife to become a redhead? Here is how to fix that.

Is the wife normally blonde but suddenly finding herself becoming a Redhead?  You could try telling her "red hair" is in vogue these days and she looks great as a redhead but that's probably not the best approach to solving the problem or keeping her happy!  I have a better idea.  Tell her you can fix the water and she will always be that naturally beautiful blonde you married!  You can make that happen.  She can have beautiful blonde hair again and maybe even take off a few years in the process. Great water makes everything better and her happier!

The culprits causing the problems?
Iron, Manganese, and hydrogen sulfide are the most obvious problems with well water, causing staining on everything and everyone Hydrogen sulfide also has that nasty, rotten egg smell.  All three can cause problems, even at very low levels.  The good news is you don't have to live with water like this because all these water problems can be fixed and you can be the HERO.

Fixing water like this does require some experience though.  Far too often I run into homeowners that have in-line filters before and after water softeners trying to remove iron and odor from the water. This can work to a certain extent, in the short term, but there are much better solutions to fix these water problems that will actually give you the water you are looking for and cost less in the long run.

A proper water analysis is the key to finding the right water treatment solution to fix any water problem.  Basic water testing should always include Hardness, Iron, PH, Nitrates, and TDS on well water.  Manganese and Hydrogen sulfide should also be tested for when suspected.  When testing for iron it is important to determine what type of iron is present to determine the proper water treatment method.  At times it may be necessary to have a more comprehensive water analysis done by a certified water testing lab if concerns about the water arise that can not be tested for with a basic, in-home, water test kit such as Bacteria, Arsenic, VOC's, Etc.  A true water treatment professional should always insist on using a certified lab to be sure the correct water treatment system is recommended when any "red flags" pop up with in-home water testing.  Quite frankly they would be stupid not to.  Just to make sure they recommend the right solution.

Types of problem water:
1. Ferrous - Referred to as "Clear Water" iron.  The iron that is in solution/dissolved still. The easiest way to check for this is simply to draw a glass of water and look to see if the water is clear.  Generally, this means all or the majority of iron is ferrous iron.

2. Ferric - Referred to as "Red Water" Iron.  This type of iron has been oxidized and shows up as rusty water. When that glass of clear water sits out all night and is all rusty in the morning the air has oxidized the iron and it falls out of the water. This is the process of ferrous iron turning into ferric iron. Heating the water will cause the same thing to occur.  Ferric iron can also form "Colloidal" particulates creating very fine particles of oxidized iron that can pass through everything and stain everything.

3. Manganese - Manganese shows up as blackish, grey, or brown staining on fixtures, hair, fingernails, and clothing.  It can leave a bad taste in water and when oxidized will give off odors similar to hydrogen sulfide.

4. Iron Bacteria - Nuisance bacteria present in the well water combine with iron to form "Iron Bacteria".  The most noticeable evidence of this will be in the toilet tank.  Iron bacteria form stringy filaments which will be present in the toilet tank on the float, fill valve, and sides of the tank.  Particularly at the water level.  Iron bacteria can also cause many different odors in the water such as fishy, earthy, musty, and oily smells at times.

5. Organic Iron - Referred to as Tannins.  Tannins are caused when low-PH water and decaying vegetation combine with iron causing tea-colored water.  This is usually evident in the toilet bowl with discolored weak tea-looking water.

6. Hydrogen Sulfide - Hydrogen Sulfide imparts a rotten egg smell to the water as it aerates out of the water. Small amounts of H2S can be removed by air induction systems and carbon tanks (short-term).  High amounts of H2S (3+ppm) can be very corrosive and require chlorination and filtration.

7. Low PH Water - Water low in PH (6.5 or below) is considered acidic and needs to have the PH elevated by introducing calcite to the water, before any treatment system, which will in turn elevate the PH to neutral or slightly alkaline for filtration.

Tannin's in Well Water

Iron Stained Shower Grout

Rust (Ferric Iron) In Toilet Tank

The PH of water plays an important role in how we treat iron removal also.  A water softener can

remove ferrous (clear water iron) iron if the PH is from 6.5 to 7.0 as long as the iron levels are relatively low at .1ppm to 1ppm.  Higher amounts of iron can be removed by softening but the water-softening resin eventually becomes fouled by iron so this is not the most practical, or long-term, solution for consistent iron removal.  When the PH is above 7.0 it is necessary to treat the water, before a water softener, with a filtration system to remove iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide for the best quality water.  This is why a proper water analysis is so critical in determining the correct water treatment methods and options to fix your water and keep the wife, with blonde hair, happy.

Before we get any more in-depth into this let's make something perfectly clear.  Filter housings before a water softener, with a cartridge filter that gets replaced periodically, are NOT

iron filters!  Filter cartridges are sold as sediment, iron, rust, and odor filters but they are designed for "sediment removal" only.  Filter cartridges may reduce some iron but as the iron passes through the cartridge it oxidizes (Ferric Iron) and passes right through the water softener. Carbon filters may remove odor for a very short period and when the filter fails the hydrogen sulfide fouls out the resin causing an even bigger problem and premature failure of the water softener.  Filter housings can harbor bacteria also, potentially fouling the water softener.  Bacteria can be introduced into the water from your hands when changing filters.  It is imperative to sanitize the filter housing when changing filters.  If it is determined sediment and or scale is coming from the well this method is a definite consideration before a water softener.  Otherwise "DON'T DO IT"!

Filtration systems generally have 3-4 stages for regeneration. I prefer to have filter systems that can run by gallons and have a day override for regeneration purposes.
1. Backwash Cycle - Reverses the flow of water in the tank to lift the media and rinse off particulates.
2. Draw Cycle - Air or chemical draw to aid in the oxidation process
3. Slow Rinse - Rinses off excess oxidants and starts to compact media.
4. Final Rinse - Fast rinse to compact media bed and prepare for service.

Filtration Media:  There are so many different types of filter media and multiple filter media options for the same application it is just staggering and confusing.  Some of the filter media in use today are Birm, Greensand, Filter Ag, Pyrolox, MTM, Zeolite, Coconut Shell Carbon, Centaur Carbon, and others depending on the application.  The most prevalent filter media for iron removal is still Birm but my preference would be Zeolite media.

This is an extremely small sample of base media, filter media, and resins.

The Solutions:  If you have what we refer to as "Problem Water", Iron bacteria, Tannin's, and Low PH,  I would leave it up to a water treatment professional to help you solve your specific water problems as they are more familiar with the water chemistry in their area.  This can get rather complicated at times when faced with challenging water problems so let's just keep this simple.  Here is a basic water analysis you might find with well water.  We will recommend filter system options that work best.

For this application, we would suggest a 10x54 filter tank that runs by gallons or a 3-day override option.  Single tank systems where the air is drawn directly into the filtration tank are the best solution.

Example:
1. 2.5ppm Ferrous Iron, .5ppm Manganese, PH 7.4, 20gpg Hardness:
10x54 Air Induction filter system with 1.25 cubic ft of BIRM or ZEOLITE filter media.
System settings - 500 gallons and 3-day override.  Backwash - 15min / 40min air draw / 6min rinse.
Water Softener: 9x48 / 32k capacity that would regenerate about every 7 days.  *See blog article on "How Water Softeners Work".

In my experience, this is really the best option to treat water like this. This option offers low maintenance, quality water, and longer run life on the media.  You can expect to get 10+ years with this system before having to re-bed/replace the media.

I hope this helps you keep that blonde happy and give your family many long years of great water.



Good Days and Good Water!

R.J. DeChene,
The Water Softener Blog


More information regarding topics of this blog are in the links below:

Six Scientific Differences (and Facts) Between Blondes and Brunettes

Treatment systems for household water supplies: Iron and manganese removal

PH - Water properties

Water Quality Association

Groundwater-Quality

Iron Bacteria What You Need to Know


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