Well Water

[Baker]

Just curious who runs well water through an R/O system. Does it clean it up well? Do you go through filters like crazy? Looking for your experiences. Thank you.

[spit.fire]

I do

I get 0tds with my vertex ro/di

I change my prefilters every 6 months

[MitchM]

I use well water, but it goes through a water softener before it goes through the RO/DI.
I think it's easier on the RO unit that way.
The PEX pipe going to the water softener is stained red, but the PEX pipe coming out is clear.

[The Guy]

I'm on well water and have 0 TDS reading in the RO/DI water, I'm using an Aquasafe system and do my pre filters every 6-8 months.

[Baker]

Well it sounds like well water isnt really an issue for you guys. Ive been thinking about purchasing an acreage and was wondering if I would still be able to continue reefing. Although, I probably wouldnt have the time. Thanks for your input.

[MitchM]

Depending on where you're looking to purchase the acreage, check with the local municipality.
I live in Mountainview County and they put on regular workshops on how to best look after your well and the maintenance required.

[Slick Fork]

It really depends on the area you're in. We had an acreage west of Innisfail, Alberta and my water out of the well was in the neighbourhood of 800ppm. A water softener helped, but the RO could only get the water down to about 30ppm even with a pump to boost the pressure on the membrane. DI and pre-filters were burned up like crazy.

Ultimately, I gave up on having a large tank because the water was too much of a pain and lugging purchased water from town was getting expensive. When you're looking, take one of those digital PPM meters with you and just see what the water is like out of the tap at any place you're looking at.

[The Grizz]

Slickfork is correct it all depends on the well, our well before ours system is loaded with tannin. Thankfully we have a very large & expensive filtration system that really cleans the water up, out of the tap it's 8 ppm but I think I might get a small RO just for the tank. With very low ppm's out of the tap already my small RO system filters should last a little longer then normal city water.

[asylumdown]

Just curious, if you're on a well I assume you're also on some sort of septic system. If you've got a large tank, how do you deal with the waste saltwater from a water change? One would think that over time the salt buildup could really mess with a septic field?

[The Grizz]

Just curious, if you're on a well I assume you're also on some sort of septic system. If you've got a large tank, how do you deal with the waste saltwater from a water change? One would think that over time the salt buildup could really mess with a septic field?

Also very correct Adam, its a PITA to deal with water changes. Myself I don't dump any tank water down the drain. With my new system I am adding a couple brass check valves into my whole house RO system that drains the waist water directly out into my water slew. This way I can direct pump my water change water directly out there where it will not affect my septic system.

[Doug]

Mine in Manitoba was fine after the softener fed the ro unit. One think I never knew back then was the well was high in alkalinity, and with no DI removing on my ro unit, it was messing with my tank.

My water changes went down with the rest of the water. I assume my and others softener dumps a lot more salt in the septic system than a water change. I guess like Grizz, one could pump it elsewhere to be on the safe side.

[studsrsx]

I too am in Manitoba, my water is over 800 ppm but have no troubles as long as it goes through a softener first. All my water goes straight down the drain.

[MitchM]

Slickfork is correct it all depends on the well, our well before ours system is loaded with tannin. Thankfully we have a very large & expensive filtration system that really cleans the water up, out of the tap it's 8 ppm but I think I might get a small RO just for the tank. With very low ppm's out of the tap already my small RO system filters should last a little longer then normal city water.

Grizz, which filter system are you using?

Kinetico?

[The Grizz]

Grizz, which filter system are you using?

Kinetico?

We have a commercial RO, very expensive unit.

main filter:
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx291/GRIZZtheWELDER/A3767333-95BD-4E79-BB12-1D66625DEC74_zpsq5mcdgtc.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/GRIZZtheWELDER/media/A3767333-95BD-4E79-BB12-1D66625DEC74_zpsq5mcdgtc.jpg.html)

secondary carbon filter:
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx291/GRIZZtheWELDER/A1F4FFF4-C421-407B-9B2F-9656641BB20E_zpsikkewlns.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/GRIZZtheWELDER/media/A1F4FFF4-C421-407B-9B2F-9656641BB20E_zpsikkewlns.jpg.html)

Well water holding tank & bleach container (right):
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx291/GRIZZtheWELDER/A76891BD-CCC7-4A02-81E2-1A535F2CB478_zpsscchzxlb.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/GRIZZtheWELDER/media/A76891BD-CCC7-4A02-81E2-1A535F2CB478_zpsscchzxlb.jpg.html)

Cleaned ready to use water holding tank:
http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx291/GRIZZtheWELDER/61694900-04EF-4B5F-AD63-8B6977357C0D_zpsckg4c4oc.jpg (http://s765.photobucket.com/user/GRIZZtheWELDER/media/61694900-04EF-4B5F-AD63-8B6977357C0D_zpsckg4c4oc.jpg.html)

[MitchM]

Nice, your own chlorination too.

Thanks

[Tracey2]

We are on well water, my RO has 2 prefilters, 1 carbon, 2 membranes and DI resin to get TDS to 0. Adding the second membrand really shortened the time it takes to produce water. I change the prefilters approx every 100g, carbon every 150-200g and DI resin every 800-1000g so yes I think this is alot more than people on city water. We are looking at putting an iron remover in our house.

[StirCrazy]

Just curious, if you're on a well I assume you're also on some sort of septic system. If you've got a large tank, how do you deal with the waste saltwater from a water change? One would think that over time the salt buildup could really mess with a septic field?

I was on city water but had a septic system, after 10 years of water changes and such it never caused any problems. and when we had the inspection done when we sold the house they guy said it was the cleanest system he had ever seen, so.... who knows if that is a worry?

Steve

[The Grizz]

I was on city water but had a septic system, after 10 years of water changes and such it never caused any problems. and when we had the inspection done when we sold the house they guy said it was the cleanest system he had ever seen, so.... who knows if that is a worry?

Steve

Depends on what kind of septic system you have, if its a pump out or gravity feed to a field. If you have a pump that cuts in on your wet side at a certain level and pumps out the tank you will never have any issues but still need to double up on your bacteria additive to break down solids.

If you have a gravity feed out to a field like I do, you need to be very aware of what goes down the drain in the form of liquid. Even when we have a house full during the holidays I have to check the level on the wet side to make sure it does not get to high and go over the weir that separates the solid's from the wet side. So water changes for me are a bit more challenging.

[The Grizz]

Also should mention that I checked up my TDS the other day with a brand new Milwaukee meter and it was a perfect ZERO!!

[StirCrazy]

If you have a gravity feed out to a field like I do, you need to be very aware of what goes down the drain in the form of liquid. Even when we have a house full during the holidays I have to check the level on the wet side to make sure it does not get to high and go over the weir that separates the solid's from the wet side. So water changes for me are a bit more challenging.

I had a gravity to a leach field. my tank was two chambers but had a pipe that spilled from one to another. when we first moved into the house we had it cleaned and inspected and also had a particulate filter/strainer installed on the first chamber side of the pipe. this was so that when there was increased water usage it would not allow solids to pass to the second chamber.

how much water do you change at a time? it would take a heck of a lot of water at once to pass solids, unless it is a old system and some one built a bigger house than it was designed for.

Steve

[The Grizz]

I havent done water changes on a regular basis in my tanks since day one. To me I think the septic tank is to small for 4 adults & 1 child on a regular every day basis and some times up to 12 adults & 2 kids when everyone comes home for a visit. We dont have any type of strainer but I also think that the moles might have damaged the outlet to the field so this spring I will be installing 2 large pumps to keep the wet side low but still not going to pump tank water down the drain easier to pump out with my waist water from the well RO.

[11purewater]

Where do you test your TDS Grizz?

[StirCrazy]

I havent done water changes on a regular basis in my tanks since day one. To me I think the septic tank is to small for 4 adults & 1 child on a regular every day basis and some times up to 12 adults & 2 kids when everyone comes home for a visit. We dont have any type of strainer but I also think that the moles might have damaged the outlet to the field so this spring I will be installing 2 large pumps to keep the wet side low but still not going to pump tank water down the drain easier to pump out with my waist water from the well RO.

ahh makes sence, here is a link to what I had installed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoDK0jpyfdc

might be worth checking out also. we hunted moles for two years on the acrage in leduc befor dad was happy we were mole free :mrgreen:

Steve

[The Grizz]

Where do you test your TDS Grizz?

Kitchen sink where i get my tank water from.

[Tracey2]

We don't have an issue with the volume of water in a water change for our septic but we are concerned about the salt we are putting in our soil. Has anyone experienced damage to soil, trees etc. from the salt?