Love your videos! We are looking for iron and sulfur filter. Can you confirm that these systems in this video don't need any filter changing? I want the least maintenance possible. Thanks.
Finally, after multiple days, phone calls, and manuals/spec sheets your channel says what the FOC means that is written on the inside cover!! Any idea why there's a brine setting when this unit is in filtered mode? It's not connected to a brine tank and the manual doesn't show that setting
Hi Gary, I appreciate your videos and have learned a lot from watching them over the past few months! I just purchased a house that has a 12 year old Hellenbrand Iron Curtain. I recently had a company come to my home to test the water & make sure my equipment was operating correctly. When the guy was here, he told me that the valves on my iron filter were plugged and that it was shot and needed to be replaced. He immediately began trying to sell me an Ozone iron filter as I have iron bacteria and he said that the air injected filters make iron bacteria worse. My question is, are ozone iron filters worth the money ($2500)? Are they a good, dependable choice or do the ozone generators require a lot of upkeep? I read somewhere that ozone generators only last 3 to 5 years. Are the ozone generators expensive to replace? Just wanted to get a trusted second opinion. I am having a Hellenbrand service company come out to evaluate my unit, but I want to be prepared if I do infact need to purchase a new system. If ozone is not a good option, what would you recommend to mitigate the iron bacteria and 2ppm of iron? Thanks! - Josh
Great questions, I have a video being published in a few weeks that deals exactly with this. The best (and in my opinion only) way to deal with iron bacteria is with chemical injection. The ozone systems do not last and actually damage the inside of the valve. Find someone in your area that is proficient with chemical injection water treatment and they will help you.
Thanks Gary! I had the Hellenbrand dealer out yesterday and they are repairing my unit. The rep said that Hellenbrand does not offer chemical injection anymore, but they used to. He was confident that if I get on an annual maintenance schedule that they can stay ahead of it. The downside of coarse being that this would be reactive rather that proactive and likely cost more in the long run. If I find a company that deals with chemical injection, do you think they might retrofit my unit or would I be looking at buying a new unit? Thanks!
Thank you for informative video on iron filter. Gary, in a well water situation are there any published guidelines as to how many minutes of backwash the iron filter should be set at so as not to waste water nor use so little that iron is not removed from tank? Or is it just trial and error?
Gary. Hope your offer to help with iron filters. Brand new Sterling Oxy2 regenerated last night at 1:00. Woke everyone up. Sooo loud. Sounded like a flood. What's up, sir?
6 years ago I bought a water softener and an iron filter from a local company. Both are a 3 button Clack. After watching your videos I would have made sure I got the 5 button. The "iron filter" does not have the air valve thing shown in this video. Can I add this? Can a filter act as an "Iron Filter" without this?
No, you don't have a real iron filter, likely just a carbon filter. Yours cannot be modified without the air valve. You might get some iron removal but very little.
Thank you very much for your videos. I have a Clack WS1 water softener and Clack WS1 hydrogen sulfide filter for my home in South Florida and my current water professional hasn't told me much about the systems. Your videos have been a huge help with understanding how my system works. I'm not sure if my sulphur filter is FOB, FOC, or FOK. When I asked my water professional, he said it was a mix of 6 types of media that works best for my area and that the well water doesn't have much iron. A quick question, should water spray out of the air inlet screen for a few seconds when the backwash starts on my sulphur filter?
Thank you for watching, appreciate your comments. No, there really should not be water coming out of the air inlet. There is a check valve in there that must not be sealing fully.
I'm in South Florida as well.. Fort Myers and it's been smoke and mirrors trying to find out what the 2 tanks and controllers do. I finally figured most of it out with these videos and multiple phone calls and emails...
Great information, Gary. What if I have very high iron (14 - 16 ppm) in a mildly acidic water (pH 6.5)? All the systems you reviewed seem to be capped ~ 5 ppm for iron removal. Many thanks
The FOK waterestore.ca/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-filter-fok-1-0-cube can handle up to 20 ppm of iron with a pH of 6.5 BUT, you would need to have two of them inseries (one after the second one) for it to work and then follow it up with a water softener.
I'm more concerned with perfecting the water for my gardens. Is there any system you recommend to deliver a lot of low ppm, neutral ph water to my gardens?
Hi Gary: We had our water tested and have no iron in the water and ~ 2 ppm of sulphur. Your video suggest to use a FOC unit. How long can I expect this media to last? Competitors say that catalytic carbon doesn’t last and needs to be replaced every couple of years. Is this true for your systems as well?
Can you confirm that you have one of these that draws air in during the regen cycle? Likley better off to help you by email. We are at info@waterestore.com
GARY...It sound to me that the fok unit is the most all around best unit to go with due to its wide range of use...... I guess its all about the price....
Hello Gary, Why would water be dripping from the air inlet filter? I followed your troubleshooting recommendations to check if air was being drawn into the unit and it is. I took the stainless steel external filter off and pressed my finger to the pipe and it sucked on the tip of my finger thereby confirming it was drawing in air. However, when the unit is regenerating, water drips out of the air inlet filter.
Hi Gary. I currently have a 1.5 cu/ft iron filter that was originally filled with birm media, which is now totally exhausted. My iron is pretty high, about 9-10 ppm. I'm about to replace the media and wondered if there's any harm in switching to katalox media? My flow rate from well pump is 15gpm, so I think I'm ok from that perspective. Just wondered if the valve is programmed any different for FOK vs. FOB?
Gary, thanks for your videos. My question is I have an iron filter that sits for 6 months at our summer cottage and I would like to clean and sanitize the media because it sets for such a long time. How can i perform that task? The manual states to use Hydrogen peroxide to accomplish this. Is there another way?
I tested my Iron and have a 5 with Ph 6.58. How do I test for the manganese? By viewing your videos it appears I need the FOK filtration filter but not knowing the manganese I'm not sure! Thank you!
I had an iron filter installed and when the guy installed it, he said that I should clean the media once a year with hydrogen peroxide. I can't seem to find any information on this any where. Is this something you'd recommend? I did clean the injector and it did certainly had a fair amount of iron on it. If I can do simple maintenance to try to prevent more costly repairs then I'm down with that.
We had a before/after water test done on the well water in the house we are buying. The before iron level was 1 ppm and the after level was 7 ppm, causing them to tell us that the "water treatment equipment is not working properly and may be full of iron". I believe the previous occupants only used a water softener (Clack WS1) but no additional iron filter. If the iron level is indeed 7 ppm, won't we need a special iron filter or at least use iron removing salt in the brine tank? Or was this elevated level of iron caused by some type of build up, and our actual iron level in the well water is 1 ppm? I wish your store had a location in Ohio!!
You definitely need an iron filter like this before the water softener waterestore.com/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-filter-fok-1-0-cube and I would clean the media in the water softener using the advice in this video th-cam.com/video/c8QKYr3B02I/w-d-xo.html
I have city water and it smells HORRIFIC!! My place is in a rural area. I ALSO have well water, but it doesn't smell bad but has high content of iron. Can I connect both systems to one of these filter system, like maybe the FOK? Do you have any representatives in Hammond, La. that can meet me at my home to discuss which one would be best for my situation?
You can connect the systems together and then have the water tested to help determine what you need to fix it. I don't know of anyone local to your area.
You are located about an hour and a half from me. I bought an iron max filter from my local water filter company. when it regenerates we get a BRUTAL water hammer. Seem like the transition between the cycles is too rapid? Maybe you can help me? I dont even want to run it anymore as it wakes everyone up and I worry about bursting a pipe.
@@water_estore I've talked to him and had no reply(still waiting- I guess) I may attempt to install them myself. the pipes have been secured very tightly but still I am thinking the unit itself has a design flaw.
Not sure which chemical free iron filter is best for your families well water? Check out this video.
Mr.Gary what is your email ?
@@abc_elite2778 info@waterestore.com
Gary...how do I contact you..need help on a system
Gary ...how do we contact you
@@newfut8713 our email is info@waterestore.com
Really helpful, thanks! I've come back to this video multiple times while I've been doing my research.
Glad it helped. Please share with friends and family.
Love your videos! We are looking for iron and sulfur filter. Can you confirm that these systems in this video don't need any filter changing? I want the least maintenance possible. Thanks.
Yes, they are. We have them here waterestore.ca/search?type=product&q=iron*%20hum*%20fo*
Finally, after multiple days, phone calls, and manuals/spec sheets your channel says what the FOC means that is written on the inside cover!! Any idea why there's a brine setting when this unit is in filtered mode? It's not connected to a brine tank and the manual doesn't show that setting
The same valve is used mostly on water softeners. The brine setting is actually air draw.
Thanks so much for your work on this channel. It is much appreciated.
Thanks for watching! I appreciate the support!
Hi Gary,
I appreciate your videos and have learned a lot from watching them over the past few months! I just purchased a house that has a 12 year old Hellenbrand Iron Curtain. I recently had a company come to my home to test the water & make sure my equipment was operating correctly.
When the guy was here, he told me that the valves on my iron filter were plugged and that it was shot and needed to be replaced. He immediately began trying to sell me an Ozone iron filter as I have iron bacteria and he said that the air injected filters make iron bacteria worse.
My question is, are ozone iron filters worth the money ($2500)? Are they a good, dependable choice or do the ozone generators require a lot of upkeep? I read somewhere that ozone generators only last 3 to 5 years. Are the ozone generators expensive to replace? Just wanted to get a trusted second opinion.
I am having a Hellenbrand service company come out to evaluate my unit, but I want to be prepared if I do infact need to purchase a new system.
If ozone is not a good option, what would you recommend to mitigate the iron bacteria and 2ppm of iron?
Thanks!
- Josh
Great questions, I have a video being published in a few weeks that deals exactly with this. The best (and in my opinion only) way to deal with iron bacteria is with chemical injection. The ozone systems do not last and actually damage the inside of the valve. Find someone in your area that is proficient with chemical injection water treatment and they will help you.
Thanks Gary!
I had the Hellenbrand dealer out yesterday and they are repairing my unit. The rep said that Hellenbrand does not offer chemical injection anymore, but they used to. He was confident that if I get on an annual maintenance schedule that they can stay ahead of it.
The downside of coarse being that this would be reactive rather that proactive and likely cost more in the long run.
If I find a company that deals with chemical injection, do you think they might retrofit my unit or would I be looking at buying a new unit?
Thanks!
Thank you for informative video on iron filter. Gary, in a well water situation are there any published guidelines as to how many minutes of backwash the iron filter should be set at so as not to waste water nor use so little that iron is not removed from tank? Or is it just trial and error?
Typically it’s a 15 minute backwash followed by 30 minute air draw.
Gary. Hope your offer to help with iron filters. Brand new Sterling Oxy2 regenerated last night at 1:00. Woke everyone up. Sooo loud. Sounded like a flood. What's up, sir?
They are loud but you should check with whoever you bought it from about changing the time so it doesn’t wake everyone up.
6 years ago I bought a water softener and an iron filter from a local company. Both are a 3 button Clack. After watching your videos I would have made sure I got the 5 button. The "iron filter" does not have the air valve thing shown in this video. Can I add this? Can a filter act as an "Iron Filter" without this?
No, you don't have a real iron filter, likely just a carbon filter. Yours cannot be modified without the air valve. You might get some iron removal but very little.
Thank you very much for your videos. I have a Clack WS1 water softener and Clack WS1 hydrogen sulfide filter for my home in South Florida and my current water professional hasn't told me much about the systems. Your videos have been a huge help with understanding how my system works. I'm not sure if my sulphur filter is FOB, FOC, or FOK. When I asked my water professional, he said it was a mix of 6 types of media that works best for my area and that the well water doesn't have much iron.
A quick question, should water spray out of the air inlet screen for a few seconds when the backwash starts on my sulphur filter?
Thank you for watching, appreciate your comments. No, there really should not be water coming out of the air inlet. There is a check valve in there that must not be sealing fully.
I'm in South Florida as well.. Fort Myers and it's been smoke and mirrors trying to find out what the 2 tanks and controllers do. I finally figured most of it out with these videos and multiple phone calls and emails...
Hi , should the water softener be installed before the sulfur remover or the other way around. I'm curious what your setup is. Thank you
Great information, Gary. What if I have very high iron (14 - 16 ppm) in a mildly acidic water (pH 6.5)? All the systems you reviewed seem to be capped ~ 5 ppm for iron removal. Many thanks
The FOK waterestore.ca/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-filter-fok-1-0-cube can handle up to 20 ppm of iron with a pH of 6.5 BUT, you would need to have two of them inseries (one after the second one) for it to work and then follow it up with a water softener.
I'm more concerned with perfecting the water for my gardens. Is there any system you recommend to deliver a lot of low ppm, neutral ph water to my gardens?
Yes, this video should help th-cam.com/video/XfTap1_ZkGc/w-d-xo.html
Hi Gary:
We had our water tested and have no iron in the water and ~ 2 ppm of sulphur. Your video suggest to use a FOC unit. How long can I expect this media to last? Competitors say that catalytic carbon doesn’t last and needs to be replaced every couple of years. Is this true for your systems as well?
W can’t speak about their systems but out FOC’s used with no iron typically last 15-20 years before the media needs to be changed
How do I purchase a FOK in the USA?
You can order it on line from us here waterestore.com/products/hum-fob-chemical-free-iron-filter
Gary I need you help my whole house smells. It doesn’t matter what we run it smells I have these tanks you have in your video. What can I do
Can you confirm that you have one of these that draws air in during the regen cycle? Likley better off to help you by email. We are at info@waterestore.com
@@water_estore
Please check your email
GARY...It sound to me that the fok unit is the most all around best unit to go with due to its wide range of
use...... I guess its all about the price....
Flow rate also comes into play. With an FOK you need about 7 gpm flow rate to back wash properly while the FOB gets by with about 5.
@@water_estore Please help! How many gpm would be needed to properly back wash a 1.0 cubic foot FOC system?
@@Heynow312 at least 5 gpm.
Hello Gary, Why would water be dripping from the air inlet filter? I followed your troubleshooting recommendations to check if air was being drawn into the unit and it is. I took the stainless steel external filter off and pressed my finger to the pipe and it sucked on the tip of my finger thereby confirming it was drawing in air. However, when the unit is regenerating, water drips out of the air inlet filter.
The check valve is not working correctly. We have the replacement here waterestore.ca/products/clack-fob-c-k-strainer-check-valve-air-intake-assy
Hi Gary. I currently have a 1.5 cu/ft iron filter that was originally filled with birm media, which is now totally exhausted. My iron is pretty high, about 9-10 ppm. I'm about to replace the media and wondered if there's any harm in switching to katalox media? My flow rate from well pump is 15gpm, so I think I'm ok from that perspective. Just wondered if the valve is programmed any different for FOK vs. FOB?
Same programming, yes, in your situation the Katalox would be better waterestore.com/products/katalox-lite-replacement-media-1-cubic-foot-free-ship
B is for Birm
C is for Carbon
K is for? What does the K stand for?
Great question. K is for katalox media
@0:39
Gary, thanks for your videos. My question is I have an iron filter that sits for 6 months at our summer cottage and I would like to clean and sanitize the media because it sets for such a long time. How can i perform that task? The manual states to use Hydrogen peroxide to accomplish this. Is there another way?
Yes, absolutely, check out this video for the procedure th-cam.com/video/JWldz8W3xyg/w-d-xo.html
@@water_estore Thank you. When spring opening arrives I will surely give it a try. Thank you for your informative information!
hello Gary I have an XL736 Sulphur Filter it regenerates every day. Can you program it to just a few days a week instead. Thank you.
Sorry, I have never heard of this model so I don’t know how to program.
Where can I buy the FOK?
We have them here waterestore.com/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-fok-filter-1-5-cube
Can I use Katalox Light for my FOB instead of buying an FOK?
I have 1.5ppm iron and a 10 g/min well pump
Yes, but you will need to also change the flow restrictor to the correct size for your tank. Don't forget to add gravel when replacing the media.
@@water_estore Thankyou so much! I have the new 9gal/min flow restrictor for the backwash and gravel.
...and my tank is a 12/48
I plan to use 1.5 cu.ft. of katalox.
Hi would the fok be best for my house.
7ppm iron
Ph 7.0
Hardness 22gpg
Yes, if you have more than 8 gpm flow rate from your well pump waterestore.com/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-fok-filter-1-5-cube
@@water_estore thank you!
Ok sounds good how do I contact you ?
I tested my Iron and have a 5 with Ph 6.58. How do I test for the manganese? By viewing your videos it appears I need the FOK filtration filter but not knowing the manganese I'm not sure! Thank you!
You need to have the water tested for manganese using a manganese test kit or at a lab.
I had an iron filter installed and when the guy installed it, he said that I should clean the media once a year with hydrogen peroxide. I can't seem to find any information on this any where. Is this something you'd recommend? I did clean the injector and it did certainly had a fair amount of iron on it. If I can do simple maintenance to try to prevent more costly repairs then I'm down with that.
I have been told by the manufacturer that hydrogen peroxide will damage the media.
@@water_estore Thanks for your response! I appreciate it. I'll just stick to periodically cleaning the injector.
@@darrenblake7248 yes, I would too!
Can a sewage drainage pee trap be connected to any of these filtration systems
Yes, you can cannot the drain line to a p trap.
How much water needs to be drained every three days? Does it need a special drain?
About 50 gallons per regeneration. It can be drained into sump pit, or connected to the household drainage system or even run outside.
We had a before/after water test done on the well water in the house we are buying. The before iron level was 1 ppm and the after level was 7 ppm, causing them to tell us that the "water treatment equipment is not working properly and may be full of iron". I believe the previous occupants only used a water softener (Clack WS1) but no additional iron filter. If the iron level is indeed 7 ppm, won't we need a special iron filter or at least use iron removing salt in the brine tank? Or was this elevated level of iron caused by some type of build up, and our actual iron level in the well water is 1 ppm? I wish your store had a location in Ohio!!
You definitely need an iron filter like this before the water softener waterestore.com/products/hum-chemical-free-iron-sulphur-manganese-filter-fok-1-0-cube and I would clean the media in the water softener using the advice in this video th-cam.com/video/c8QKYr3B02I/w-d-xo.html
I have city water and it smells HORRIFIC!! My place is in a rural area. I ALSO have well water, but it doesn't smell bad but has high content of iron. Can I connect both systems to one of these filter system, like maybe the FOK? Do you have any representatives in Hammond, La. that can meet me at my home to discuss which one would be best for my situation?
You can connect the systems together and then have the water tested to help determine what you need to fix it. I don't know of anyone local to your area.
@@water_estore Thanks for reply
You are located about an hour and a half from me. I bought an iron max filter from my local water filter company. when it regenerates we get a BRUTAL water hammer. Seem like the transition between the cycles is too rapid? Maybe you can help me? I dont even want to run it anymore as it wakes everyone up and I worry about bursting a pipe.
Wow, that’s no good. Did you talk to the installer about installing a water hammer suppressor? Also, can the pipes be secured more thoroughly?
@@water_estore I've talked to him and had no reply(still waiting- I guess) I may attempt to install them myself. the pipes have been secured very tightly but still I am thinking the unit itself has a design flaw.
Hello sir, my water softner and the pipes around it are wet, seems like condensation. Is this normal?
Yes, cold water running through pipes in a warm, humid area will definitely cause condensation on the pipes.
@@water_estore thank you
How does the air cap oxidize if it’s not open to air?
it sucks in new air every 3 days. When the water passes through it oxidizes the iron and sulphur out of the water with the air in the air cap.
Where do you find a water sulphur test?
I have never found a reliable one other than taking it to a lab or just using my nose.
Can you send me a price please!!!
We have several different system with different sizes. Email us at info@waterestore.com and we can recommend a system with pricing for you. Thanks
Nevermind, I see Ontario. I am in Florida☹️
Yes, we are in Ontario Canada but we ship coast to coast in the USA. You can check out our USA website here waterestore.com/
can we mail you a sample
Yes, the info is here waterestore.com/pages/free-water-test-evaluation-the-water-estore