Good afternoon,
I have a problem with sediment clogging up my filters. Our house was built two years ago. I installed a a set of big blue filters with two spin-down filters in from of them. I have 150 micron mesh first, then a 100 micron mesh followed by the Big Blue filters which are the iSpring 4"x21" three stage filters for sediment (5 Micron)+(carbon filter)+(iron/manganese filter). My Spin-down filters continually get clogged, especially the finer 100 Micron filter. Also, with that in place, the 5 Micron sediment filter will last from 2 weeks to 3 months. Lately I've replaced the filter element twice in the span of 3-4 weeks. We live in Georgia and what I am seeing appears to be our fine red Georgia clay clogging up the filters. I did ask the vendor that installed out well pump about it and they seem to think that it is iron bacteria that I'm seeing. This was about 4 months ago and I went ahead and shocked the well. That did not appear to have much effect on the sediment that is clogging up the filters.
So, my question is, does anyone have any suggestions for what type of sediment filter I would install? As far as I can tell, the best option is a automatic backwash type filter. I'm not finding to may vendors though and I'd like a recommendation if anyone has one to give.
As far as to the source of the sediment, I really suspect that the well driller did not correctly seat the well casing. As far as the bacteria thing, I know that it can come back and sometimes you just have to periodically shock the well on a regular basis but it just seems to me that if it were iron bacteria, it would be a constant ramp up in the amount of bacteria. So far, it seems like the problem increases after we get some rain. As I mentioned, with regards to the 5 micron filter, some times I can go 3 months between filter changes. And the spin-down filters, sometimes I don't have to purge the filter for a week, lately I'm having to do it multiple times per day. This alone seems to suggest that it is not some active bacteria but sediment getting into the well. I'm waiting for a neighbor who is a biology teacher to lend me a microscope so that I can take a close look at the residue.
And just to add to the information about our well driller, they spent ~6 weeks drilling a 440ft well. Apparently their old equipment kept breaking. They claim that they had to use steel casing because the plastic casing broke on some rock shelf they ran into. Then as to sealing the well, all I saw them do is to pour a few bags of bentonite around the well casing. At the time I did not know better but then when researching all this, I came to understand that for proper sealing, they should be clearing a space around the well casing, then bentonite grouting should go down around 10' or so. I really don't that that it was done.
Anyways, I know that I need to have someone come out and put a scope down the well to see if the casing is properly seated on bedrock but at this time I really want to get this filter issue resolved.
thanks.
PS. after the well drillers left, they left behind probably about 5 gallons of oil, probably hydraulic oil from their old equipment.
Attached, pictures of my current filter setup and picture of the sediment filter removed after just ~ two weeks.
I have a problem with sediment clogging up my filters. Our house was built two years ago. I installed a a set of big blue filters with two spin-down filters in from of them. I have 150 micron mesh first, then a 100 micron mesh followed by the Big Blue filters which are the iSpring 4"x21" three stage filters for sediment (5 Micron)+(carbon filter)+(iron/manganese filter). My Spin-down filters continually get clogged, especially the finer 100 Micron filter. Also, with that in place, the 5 Micron sediment filter will last from 2 weeks to 3 months. Lately I've replaced the filter element twice in the span of 3-4 weeks. We live in Georgia and what I am seeing appears to be our fine red Georgia clay clogging up the filters. I did ask the vendor that installed out well pump about it and they seem to think that it is iron bacteria that I'm seeing. This was about 4 months ago and I went ahead and shocked the well. That did not appear to have much effect on the sediment that is clogging up the filters.
So, my question is, does anyone have any suggestions for what type of sediment filter I would install? As far as I can tell, the best option is a automatic backwash type filter. I'm not finding to may vendors though and I'd like a recommendation if anyone has one to give.
As far as to the source of the sediment, I really suspect that the well driller did not correctly seat the well casing. As far as the bacteria thing, I know that it can come back and sometimes you just have to periodically shock the well on a regular basis but it just seems to me that if it were iron bacteria, it would be a constant ramp up in the amount of bacteria. So far, it seems like the problem increases after we get some rain. As I mentioned, with regards to the 5 micron filter, some times I can go 3 months between filter changes. And the spin-down filters, sometimes I don't have to purge the filter for a week, lately I'm having to do it multiple times per day. This alone seems to suggest that it is not some active bacteria but sediment getting into the well. I'm waiting for a neighbor who is a biology teacher to lend me a microscope so that I can take a close look at the residue.
And just to add to the information about our well driller, they spent ~6 weeks drilling a 440ft well. Apparently their old equipment kept breaking. They claim that they had to use steel casing because the plastic casing broke on some rock shelf they ran into. Then as to sealing the well, all I saw them do is to pour a few bags of bentonite around the well casing. At the time I did not know better but then when researching all this, I came to understand that for proper sealing, they should be clearing a space around the well casing, then bentonite grouting should go down around 10' or so. I really don't that that it was done.
Anyways, I know that I need to have someone come out and put a scope down the well to see if the casing is properly seated on bedrock but at this time I really want to get this filter issue resolved.
thanks.
PS. after the well drillers left, they left behind probably about 5 gallons of oil, probably hydraulic oil from their old equipment.
Attached, pictures of my current filter setup and picture of the sediment filter removed after just ~ two weeks.
