Sediment filter for well water recomendation?

6BangBronk

6BangBronk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2005
Location
Durham
I've got to choose a sediment filter for my well. I only need to filter sediment for I have to clean the cold hookup on the washing machine monthly or when power is disrupted and my water is simply awesome except for the grit.:rolleyes: But my hot water heater is so full now the drain doesn't work. And I just lost an element. We're going to try air to get it to release but I want to install a filter now!

Any recomendations / experiences?

1. Price is not an issue for the best.
2. Maintenance free (less filters to buy and replace) would be huge plus.
3. Considering professional installer. Any on here?

Everything I hear about the common Lowe's / HD units is bad.
 
I'm cheap and got the $30 in line type. It works very well. I have to change the filter every few months though. Sorry, I'm of no real help. We used to have the same types of sediment issues.
 
I have a whole house unit from HD that is just a temp thing, but has been on for about 18 months till i find some time / money to actually do something better, but it has been great for what i need. I have to replace the element every 3 months but i installed it very close to my entry door under the house.
 
So do you know what kind of stuff you have coming in - e.g. high mineral content, sludgy, high salt content, etc?
That would dictate what's the best route for filters.
in our house we just have the standard drop-in cylinder type, $30 case from HD. I've tried several different filters, from the $5 cheapies up to $30 ultra-fine ones.
our water has a lot of minerals and is pretty acidic. At the end of the day I found it was best to just use the one-step-up-from-cheap, not the paper type but mush-like that are maybe $6-7 or something, and change them every 3 months or so. When i used the ultra-fine ones, in no time my water pressure was terrible, it was just too restrictive and got clogged.
Then i got an extra filter set for the sink, where we have a separate tap just for drinking water. Also got a basic one for the fridge icemaker.

Frankly i don't see how you could ever have a filter that would not need servicing or replacement. The fact is you have crap in the water that has to be blocked, all that stuff has to go somewhere.
 
You can go with the standard cartridge type filter or drop the coin on a back washing filter. Sadly, I have to use both. If your sediment is large enough to clog the screen in the washer lines, you might be able to get away with a simple flushable sediment bowl.

To really get to know your problems, you should have your water tested to see what you're dealing with.

http://www.purewaterproducts.com/5600.htm This is the place I got my filter from. They did a free water analysis and got the the filter media I needed to make my water crystal clear. They are awesome people to work with and are bery helpful.
 
The house I recently bought and moved into has two filters inline, one is a flushable style that resembles a fine fine screen material that is a pre filter and the second is a drop in cartridge type. I made the mistake of buying the "best" filters when we bought the house and like stated above the water pressure sucked miserable in a mater of days. I went to lowes and talked to a guy and he sold me some gray colored filters and they have been awesome. We've owned the house for one month and all is well so far.
 
Awesome. Thanks for the help. Plumbing is 1 of 3 things I simply refuse to do unless I'm right next to a Lowe's or HD. Just too many parts needed (too many trips) and something breaks every time I work on mine and end out with an ill wife who can't run water over night. Horror stories every time...

Ratlab, I have no idea what exactly it is so I'll probably start by getting it tested as willness stated. I had a feeling this was going to get complicated. Had a carpenter explain one time that there's over 100 varieties of just the common 8 penny nail.
 
Sent an email to purewaterproducts. Guess there's not any plumbers in the RDU area that wheel??? Anybody on here recommend a good licensed plumber locally? I've got family and friends licensed in almost everything. Plumbing is about the only catagory I do not have an answer for...
 
In all honesty, if a simple screen is catching the sediment, it's fairly large and your answer is cheap and simple. Check out the spin down trapper filter. It will simply install inline right at the well head.

http://www.budgetwater.com/dirt_turbidity_filter.htm

I've used one of these on another well that had sediment. Worked perfect. My current well is very turbid and has pretty high iron which is why my current filtration system is a little more involved.

Good luck with it.
 
Cool option. I knew there were many options besides the common filter change.

I've decided to have the water tested anyways. There's other issues as well. The big grit cloggs the wash machine. There's a fine gray color particle that collects on the sink and in the toilet bowl. My wife has white uniforms that gray in no time if she washed from home. And there's hard water stain where water drips. If I'm going to do it, I might as well go all out...

Tremendous help though! I didn't really know where to start?
 
6BangBronk said:
Cool option. I knew there were many options besides the common filter change.

I've decided to have the water tested anyways. There's other issues as well. The big grit cloggs the wash machine. There's a fine gray color particle that collects on the sink and in the toilet bowl. My wife has white uniforms that gray in no time if she washed from home. And there's hard water stain where water drips. If I'm going to do it, I might as well go all out...

Tremendous help though! I didn't really know where to start?
Click to expand...

Wow. What do you have how now? This sounds almost like it is basically unfiltered.
 
May be time to pull the wel pump and examine the filter there....

Your house isnt iron pipe by chance is it?
 
6BangBronk said:
And there's hard water stain where water drips.
Click to expand...

If you have any copper pipes, this is a HUGE problem. Do you have a softener? Is it working?

A cheap particulate filter would help with the sediment, but it really sounds like you need to pull the pump and see how deep it its below the water line. It sounds like the pump is down too far in the casing.
 
We've got some pretty dirty water. If you run some in a bucket, you can see the grit in the bottom collecting. If you opt for the cheaper sediment in-line filters, use the cartridge that looks like a roll of yarn and not the one that looks like a roll of paper. The one that looks like rolled up yarn lasted a lot longer between changes. The paper filter would only last a month at best.
 
I don't have any sediment issues, but I do have a recommendation on where to get good stuff, and I'm sure they sell a sediment filter of comparable quality. Our well water has a ton of iron in it, which we knew while we were building our house. Before it was time to move in, I called the local Culligan and Kinetico dealers and had them come out and test my water for free, and quote me a system. Of course they send you a non-itemized quote, so I called and talked to their "engineer" (a usage I'm a little offended by since I actually am an "engineer", not just a guy who sells water filters) to get the details. After hearing their plan, I created my own system, using the same components, at about 1/3 the cost. I got all of my stuff from www.cleanwaterstore.com They were the cheapest place I could find, and actually came down a little more on price when I called them to order. I talked with their "water quality expert", spec'd out the system, and it was here in just a couple of days. It has been working great for about a year and a half.

It's a 2 stage system, the first of which raises the pH of the water (our water was slightly acidic) and the second stage filters out Iron and Manganese. They basically look like 2 big CO2 tanks with a controller on top. Everything is 3/4" pipe or larger, and there is no noticeable drop in pressure since the filter area is so large.
 
The house was built in 1920. The plumbing came after for all my vents are external going up outside my walls. There is no filter on the system for it was installed prior to filters existed. No iron, all copper. The insulation on the pipes were "The Durham Sun" all dated 1954. and I tell you, that was a very dark time in American history. I kept the papers just cause I enjoyed the classifides.

I'm sending out for a free water test this week.

Thanks too much again for as I say, this is all new to me and I need a filter. I'll check out the info Jeepinmat when I get a chance. Thanks!
 
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