Sediment filter recommendations?

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Need to install a sentiment filter on my well system. The small black grit clogs up the faucet aerators, the screens in my garden hose, and is affecting the washing machine. There's not a lot of sentiment, but over time, it does collect, with negative affect.

I'd prefer to avoid a filter that requires buying and changing disposable filters, instead preferring what's known as a spin down filter. These have a fine screen that collects the sediment, and relies on backwashing the screen out through a built-in valve.

Some of these spin down filters are small and fully manual. Others are fully automated with an internal scraper to knock the sediment off the screen, so you don't need to shut the whole system down, to remove the screen and manually clean it in the sink, with a toothbrush.

When I called the well company that services my well, they recommended a couple of American Plumber models that have disposable filter cartridges. He said that iron in the water has been known to cause problems with the spin down models. I'm willing to take the chance that a spin down model with an internal scraper will minimize the requirement to remove the stainless steel screen to clean it.

Any tips on brand and model would be appreciated! Or, if you have high iron content water, and have any experience with the various filter types, please share!

 

[Highbeam]

Need to install a sentiment filter on my well system. The small black grit clogs up the faucet aerators, the screens in my garden hose, and is affecting the washing machine. There's not a lot of sentiment, but over time, it does collect, with negative affect.

I'd prefer to avoid a filter that requires buying and changing disposable filters, instead preferring what's known as a spin down filter. These have a fine screen that collects the sediment, and relies on backwashing the screen out through a built-in valve.

Some of these spin down filters are small and fully manual. Others are fully automated with an internal scraper to knock the sediment off the screen, so you don't need to shut the whole system down, to remove the screen and manually clean it in the sink, with a toothbrush.

When I called the well company that services my well, they recommended a couple of American Plumber models that have disposable filter cartridges. He said that iron in the water has been known to cause problems with the spin down models. I'm willing to take the chance that a spin down model with an internal scraper will minimize the requirement to remove the stainless steel screen to clean it.

Any tips on brand and model would be appreciated! Or, if you have high iron content water, and have any experience with the various filter types, please share!

I have highish iron water (no sign of the stringy iron bacteria) and grit that would clog my house screens and valves. First in line on my treatment train after the well's expansion tanks is a sediment screen type filter so it sees all of the iron. You will notice that the screen types have pretty big holes so they catch pretty big stuff only and will not catch the finest sediments. In other words, the stuff that sinks to the bottom of your glass or that clogs aerators will be caught but chocolate milk water will stay chocolatey.

My next device in line is a real backwashing iron filter. That filter also acts as a fine sediment filter but you don't want to fill it up with grit, it's been in service for nearly 10 years after all. The media needs to stay fluffy so it backwashes all of the iron balls properly.

So my screen filter is a clear plastic bowl type with a manually opened valve head that flushes the water backwards through a drain opening at the bottom. No need to depressurize the system or to brush the screen, it gets blown clean. It is a Lakos Twist-to-clean filter. No replacement elements, and very high flow. It catches well scale and other chunks. You can choose the screen rating. Finer screens have more possible flow loss.

I also used to worry about my water heater filling up with grit. The house plumbing is squeeky clean now. No iron, manganese, or grit.

If you have the well scale or grit then this screen prefilter is important for all downstream equipment.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I have highish iron water (no sign of the stringy iron bacteria) and grit that would clog my house screens and valves. First in line on my treatment train after the well's expansion tanks is a sediment screen type filter so it sees all of the iron. You will notice that the screen types have pretty big holes so they catch pretty big stuff only and will not catch the finest sediments. In other words, the stuff that sinks to the bottom of your glass or that clogs aerators will be caught but chocolate milk water will stay chocolatey.

My next device in line is a real backwashing iron filter. That filter also acts as a fine sediment filter but you don't want to fill it up with grit, it's been in service for nearly 10 years after all. The media needs to stay fluffy so it backwashes all of the iron balls properly.

So my screen filter is a clear plastic bowl type with a manually opened valve head that flushes the water backwards through a drain opening at the bottom. No need to depressurize the system or to brush the screen, it gets blown clean. It is a Lakos Twist-to-clean filter. No replacement elements, and very high flow. It catches well scale and other chunks. You can choose the screen rating. Finer screens have more possible flow loss.

I also used to worry about my water heater filling up with grit. The house plumbing is squeeky clean now. No iron, manganese, or grit.

If you have the well scale or grit then this screen prefilter is important for all downstream equipment.

Thanks HB! Our water is clean and clear except the small amount of sediment, so I think we can get away with just the sediment filter. I just need to decide what sized mesh to get.

That lakos filter is exactly what I'm looking for, but I hadn't seen this brand before. Easy to use, without needing to disassemble anything, at least not often.

 

[Highbeam]

Be warned, it takes a long time to blow the chunks out of your home pipe system so you'll be getting some grit for a few years after. Especially when there's some sort of high flow event.

 

[mellow]

Just a heads up incase you didn't see it in your search:
Effective May 25, 2018 LAKOS no longer manufactures or services the TwistIIClean product line.
TwistIIClean products are now manufactured and sold by The Source company.
Please contact The Source company for all TwistIIClean related questions/comments.

 

[mellow]

My question is, with it being so easy to clean would going with the 200 mesh be the best route to take for filtering out the junk?

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

My question is, with it being so easy to clean would going with the 200 mesh be the best route to take for filtering out the junk?

Thanks Mellow!

That is my next question, what size mesh? I've read that some folks have had issues with pressure when they tried to go too small. I hope to lose no pressure when the screen is clean, and to catch the stuff that is too large to go through the faucet aerators, and screens in my irrigation system.

I was planning to call the customer service line to discuss screen size, but any advice here is always welcome and appreciated!

 

[Highbeam]

Thanks Mellow!

That is my next question, what size mesh? I've read that some folks have had issues with pressure when they tried to go too small. I hope to lose no pressure when the screen is clean, and to catch the stuff that is too large to go through the faucet aerators, and screens in my irrigation system.

I was planning to call the customer service line to discuss screen size, but any advice here is always welcome and appreciated!

They seem to recommend the 100 mesh which is 150 microns.

3/4" unit | TwistIIClean

www.twistiiclean.com

I can check what I have but all I know is that it has never been a problem. Maybe I could have gone to a tighter mesh. Even the 200 mesh is 74 microns which seems pretty big. The big blue media filters are typically rated for 50 microns.

This link from a vendor I've used shows the second choice, the common rusco spin down filter, but also describes the mesh size options and why you would choose one or the other.

Spin Down Filters, Rusco filters, spindown filters, flushable filters

Spin Down Filters Cartridges, Filters & Strainers

www.cleanwaterstore.com

The rusco is also able to be washed down without depressurizing the whole system but it doesn't wash it backwards.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

They seem to recommend the 100 mesh which is 150 microns.

3/4" unit | TwistIIClean

www.twistiiclean.com

I can check what I have but all I know is that it has never been a problem. Maybe I could have gone to a tighter mesh. Even the 200 mesh is 74 microns which seems pretty big. The big blue media filters are typically rated for 50 microns.

This link from a vendor I've used shows the second choice, the common rusco spin down filter, but also describes the mesh size options and why you would choose one or the other.

Spin Down Filters, Rusco filters, spindown filters, flushable filters

Spin Down Filters Cartridges, Filters & Strainers

www.cleanwaterstore.com

The rusco is also able to be washed down without depressurizing the whole system but it doesn't wash it backwards.

Listen, I'm still trying to figure out the conversions from °F to °C, and yards vs. metres, etc. Now I have to keep track of mesh vs. micron? It's like we have to know two languages to get anything done anymore. And, don't get me started on the varying ID and OD of different pipes and tubes!!

Anyway, sorry for the, hopefully funny, rant.

On one manufactures website (ispring), there seems to be a problem with pressure loss at 50 microns, which the customer service seems to fully remedy by sending 100 micron screens (according to multiple reviews from folks with seemingly similar situations). That said, they also offer 140 micron, 200 micron screens. I'm saying microns, it might be mesh, can't remember...

Of one thing, I can be certain: whichever mesh I go with, the first one will be wrong.

 

[mellow]

That is the good thing, the filter is replaceable with whatever size you need. I have one with the blue filter sitting in my cart on amazon, cheapest price I could find on them. Probably will put that order in this weekend if I don't find anything better in the meantime.

 

[Highbeam]

Listen, I'm still trying to figure out the conversions from °F to °C, and yards vs. metres, etc. Now I have to keep track of mesh vs. micron? It's like we have to know two languages to get anything done anymore. And, don't get me started on the varying ID and OD of different pipes and tubes!!

Anyway, sorry for the, hopefully funny, rant.

On one manufactures website (ispring), there seems to be a problem with pressure loss at 50 microns, which the customer service seems to fully remedy by sending 100 micron screens (according to multiple reviews from folks with seemingly similar situations). That said, they also offer 140 micron, 200 micron screens. I'm saying microns, it might be mesh, can't remember...

Of one thing, I can be certain: whichever mesh I go with, the first one will be wrong.

Hey folks, I went out and “cleaned” my screen today. I have the white one so whatever mesh that is. The guys at the cleanwaterstore helped me choose it. It’s filtered all of my house domestic water for over ten years.

On edit, that’s 100 mesh which is pretty big.

 

[mellow]

I got mine in with the blue filter, beefy unit, I am still gathering parts to install it as this will take some rerouting of my existing setup.

 

[Ashful]

Highbeam's setup is awesome, and he knows way more about this stuff than me, but I will say the simple sediment filter I installed on my system seems to be also reducing the amount of iron in my water. It's one of the larger 20" Big Blue canisters, and came with a 5-micron element, which I initially assumed would be too small to use without a coarser pre-filter. But I installed the 5-micron cartridge, thinking I'd give it a whirl before ordering something more appropriate, and found it actually works better than expected. I change it annually, beginning of irrigation season, and even after a full year of whole-house usage (> 300 gal/day in summer), the gauges I installed fore/aft of the filter still aren't showing much drop at any normal usage.

My filter was installed mostly to protect irrigation valves, the benefit to the house water is a secondary benefit, but one we're enjoying. It is installed upstream of our water softener, with the irrigation and outside spigots getting "hard" filtered water and the rest of the house running thru the softener after the filter.

The filter cost $27 last year, and there's no interruption to water service to change, as I installed a bypass valve around it. Throw the valves, hit the pressure release button, unscrew canister, and carry it outside. Dump the water and old filter out, rinse canister, drop new filter in, lube o-ring, and re-install. Then re-open valving to filter to re-fill, purge air, close bypass valve, with no one upstairs even knowing what I've done. 5 minute job.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

Highbeam's setup is awesome, and he knows way more about this stuff than me, but I will say the simple sediment filter I installed on my system seems to be also reducing the amount of iron in my water. It's one of the larger 20" Big Blue canisters, and came with a 5-micron element, which I initially assumed would be too small to use without a coarser pre-filter. But I installed the 5-micron cartridge, thinking I'd give it a whirl before ordering something more appropriate, and found it actually works better than expected. I change it annually, beginning of irrigation season, and even after a full year of whole-house usage (> 300 gal/day in summer), the gauges I installed fore/aft of the filter still aren't showing much drop at any normal usage.

My filter was installed mostly to protect irrigation valves, the benefit to the house water is a secondary benefit, but one we're enjoying. It is installed upstream of our water softener, with the irrigation and outside spigots getting "hard" filtered water and the rest of the house running thru the softener after the filter.

The filter cost $27 last year, and there's no interruption to water service to change, as I installed a bypass valve around it. Throw the valves, hit the pressure release button, unscrew canister, and carry it outside. Dump the water and old filter out, rinse canister, drop new filter in, lube o-ring, and re-install. Then re-open valving to filter to re-fill, purge air, close bypass valve, with no one upstairs even knowing what I've done. 5 minute job.

Could I bug you for a pic of your setup, please? Just the sediment filter, bypass, and pressure gauges would do the trick.

Apparently the micron size doesn't cause issue with the cartridge filters, but does with the stainless screens. I hypothesize that the surface area is much smaller with the stainless screen, while the cartridge filters adds the third dimension and greatly increases the surface area (and thus, great increase in 5 micron holes).

I'd greatly prefer a setup that doesn't require a bypass and doesn't require a subscription (filter cartridges). That said, I'm very curious about the idea of a bypass, and the pressure gauges are a must.

 

[Ashful]

Could I bug you for a pic of your setup, please?

No problem, here you go. Excuse the dirty primitive boiler room, this is the unfinished 1890's addition basement, only used for utilities.



All copper is 1" up to where softener splits off, as I have 1" running out to the irrigation system (hard water).

1. Line in from well, to expansion tank tee, where I located the inlet pressure gauge near the floor.
2. The first tee near floor is where water can go right to the filter or straight back to the bypass valve.
3. Valves on either side of filter, so I can shut off filter. Filter outlet pressure gauge is on vertical pipe where filter wrench is hanging.
4. Bypass valve is on vertical down at knee height, below where filter outlet reconnects with main line.
5. That back electronics box at hip height on vertical pipe is a Fortrezz Z-wave whole-house valve, designed to shut down the house if a water leak is detected in laundry, attic water heater, basement, or any other place I put a water sensor.
6. Main goes up from that Fortrezz valve to tee between water softener inlet and irrigation plumbing, hidden behind Big Blue filter canister.
7. Boiler drains on either side of Fortrezz valve (first one near pressure tank tee), so either side of system can be drained for maintenance / shutdown.

As noted, to service filter, I simply open that vertical bypass valve at knee height, then close the valves mounted either side of the filter. Hit the red relief valve button on top of filter head, and then use wrench to unscrew canister.

No subscription for filters, I just order a new one from Amazon each spring:

Amazon product ASIN B01M0CBYBT

 

[Highbeam]

No problem, here you go. Excuse the dirty primitive boiler room, this is the unfinished 1890's addition basement, only used for utilities.

View attachment 305072

All copper is 1" up to where softener splits off, as I have 1" running out to the irrigation system (hard water).

1. Line in from well, to expansion tank tee, where I located the inlet pressure gauge near the floor.
2. The first tee near floor is where water can go right to the filter or straight back to the bypass valve.
3. Valves on either side of filter, so I can shut off filter. Filter outlet pressure gauge is on vertical pipe where filter wrench is hanging.
4. Bypass valve is on vertical down at knee height, below where filter outlet reconnects with main line.
5. That back electronics box at hip height on vertical pipe is a Fortrezz Z-wave whole-house valve, designed to shut down the house if a water leak is detected in laundry, attic water heater, basement, or any other place I put a water sensor.
6. Main goes up from that Fortrezz valve to tee between water softener inlet and irrigation plumbing, hidden behind Big Blue filter canister.
7. Boiler drains on either side of Fortrezz valve (first one near pressure tank tee), so either side of system can be drained for maintenance / shutdown.

As noted, to service filter, I simply open that vertical bypass valve at knee height, then close the valves mounted either side of the filter. Hit the red relief valve button on top of filter head, and then use wrench to unscrew canister.

No subscription for filters, I just order a new one from Amazon each spring:

Amazon product ASIN B01M0CBYBT

That big blue is a hoss! So big and with a pleated element there are bazillions of 5 micron holes. If that doesn't hurt flow and you get a year out of each element then I would definitely prefer 5 micron filtration over 100 mesh.

Another fun thing you can do with a filter bowl like that is fill it with bleach and run a shock through your system. Almost no well water is chlorinated so I've found that things like aerators and laundry washers can get a little funky.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

No problem, here you go. Excuse the dirty primitive boiler room, this is the unfinished 1890's addition basement, only used for utilities.

View attachment 305072

All copper is 1" up to where softener splits off, as I have 1" running out to the irrigation system (hard water).

1. Line in from well, to expansion tank tee, where I located the inlet pressure gauge near the floor.
2. The first tee near floor is where water can go right to the filter or straight back to the bypass valve.
3. Valves on either side of filter, so I can shut off filter. Filter outlet pressure gauge is on vertical pipe where filter wrench is hanging.
4. Bypass valve is on vertical down at knee height, below where filter outlet reconnects with main line.
5. That back electronics box at hip height on vertical pipe is a Fortrezz Z-wave whole-house valve, designed to shut down the house if a water leak is detected in laundry, attic water heater, basement, or any other place I put a water sensor.
6. Main goes up from that Fortrezz valve to tee between water softener inlet and irrigation plumbing, hidden behind Big Blue filter canister.
7. Boiler drains on either side of Fortrezz valve (first one near pressure tank tee), so either side of system can be drained for maintenance / shutdown.

As noted, to service filter, I simply open that vertical bypass valve at knee height, then close the valves mounted either side of the filter. Hit the red relief valve button on top of filter head, and then use wrench to unscrew canister.

No subscription for filters, I just order a new one from Amazon each spring:

Amazon product ASIN B01M0CBYBT

Thanks! Your basement looks exactly like mine, an old PA rubblestone foundation covered with plaster, and a rat slab floor. When I'm done I'll post a pic, you'll get a kick out of how much it looks the same.

Yes, that big filter is a brute.

I'm going all stainless and plastic on my setup. Copper dissolves in my acid well water, and I am not going to add a neutralizer, nor a water softener, as my water tastes awesome, and soap lathers and rinses perfectly. Plus, I'm a chitty solderer and copper is expensive!

I facetiously refer to anything that is a recurring expense as a "subscription". I hear that the car companies are starting to make access to your heated seats and remote starting available on only as a subscription, after a short free trial period. I suspect that mba programs are teaching subscription models now. It's popping up everywhere. Back in my day, it was JIT inventory management. 30 years later, ta-da, supply chain issues everywhere!

 

[mellow]

That makes me so glad I can use PVC/CPVC for my water That is a lot of sweating.

 

[Ashful]

I thought you guys were going to laugh at the random uppy/downy-ness of my system. It was a beautiful layout when I did it 10 years ago, but adding that filter a few years later really put a lot of extra jogs into the system.

But I grew up with a tubing cutter in one hand and a torch in the other, so no big deal on sweating joints. My grandfather owned a plumbing business, where I used to help when I was young, and I was always helping my father with renovating old properties. I actually enjoy that work, like a big jigsaw puzzle.

What I will say is that sweating pipe is pretty easy, with pretty minimal practice and expense. I've taught many friends to do it, most catch the idea after just a few practice joints. Get yourself one length of 1/2" type L copper and a $10 bag of 1/2" elbows, and you'll be an expert by the time you've done a half dozen. Valves and odd fittings are a learning experience, but nothing a reasonably handy person can't self-learn well enough to be dangerous, with a half hour on YouTube.

 

[Ashful]

Thanks! Your basement looks exactly like mine, an old PA rubblestone foundation covered with plaster, and a rat slab floor. When I'm done I'll post a pic, you'll get a kick out of how much it looks the same.

So what's funny is that our basement has 4 sections, with each newer one being worse than the section that precedes it. You're looking at "phase 3", built in the 1890's, with "phase 1" dating back to 1734 and "phase 2" being 1775. The older sections have a nice ceiling height, and are clean and finished, whereas that part is just a boiler room.

What's even more bizarre is that this room has water bubbling up out of the floor in heavy rain, but the older part dug a foot deeper stays dry. Go figure. I'm guessing there's some old well or cistern buried there, which has since been covered by a newer addition.

My prior house, 1877 center hall 2-story Victorian, had the Blair Witch basement. A group of us went to see that movie together, and every one of them looked at me after that basement scene near the end, and said "that's your house!" I'll admit, the similarity was frightening.

 

[Tonty]

Don’t get me started on dirty water. I am on a rural water district, and our water is absolutely filthy sometimes. Here’s a before and after picture, one before our 20” big blue, and one after it:

I don’t use the pleated filters. They don’t last long enough with water that dirty. I use the spun 5micron filters. I’ve been thinking I should charge the water district for the filters, but then my bill would probably just go up. 😂 It isn’t always this dirty, but honestly we don’t even know when it’s dirty with the filter in. When the water starts getting dirty, I change the filter.

 

[Ashful]

Ughhh... what a disgrace, Tonty! Your locale should start a "Vote Out All Incumbents" movement, and continue it until that problem is fixed.

 

[Tonty]

No one wants the job. Rural KS., aren’t many people available. To be honest, the whole pipe system should probably be upgraded/replaced, but the well is miles away, the district covers many square miles, and there isn’t money for it. 🤷🏽‍♂️

 

[Ashful]

I obviously don't know much about your local situation, I actually had assumed it was a treatment problem, rather than a delivery problem. But I also have trouble believing no one wants the job, the companies that do this sort of work travel to far worse places than rural Kansas, just ask ABMax or Poindexter.

So, you can see my location, home of the oldest water and sewer system in this country (thanks to the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793), much of this old plumbing still in use after 100 to 220 years. You'd be amazed at the methods available for reworking existing plumbing, without the cost of replacement, which would be absolutely prohibitive in a city with as much old facilities as Philly.

One of the most fun to watch is when they inflate a bladder inside long runs of pipe and then pump epoxy in around it, to re-line old pipes. Because lead water supplies are still prevalent in this part of the country, they manage it simply by ensuring a prescribed hardness in the water treatment, such that the lead is safely coated in mineral deposits. Lots of options to manage existing old plumbing, without replacement, if the delivery system really is the issue.

 

[Tonty]

I don't think its a treatment issue. I think its due to pipe breaks, and sludge in the system. Temperature swings seem to make it dirtier.
The comment about "no one wanting the job" was in reference to the water board. There isn't a stampede of people that run for it, nor is there a big pool to draw from. Actually, I don't think anyone runs for the position. Since no one does, people just get asked. If you say yes, it is pretty much a life sentence.
I'm sure there would be plenty of companies willing to fix the problem. But, since the client base isn't large, and the miles of pipe per client is large, I don't think there is money to pay for the upgrades. I've heard (whatever that is worth) that they loose money the way it is. Our rates did go up some recently, so maybe that will change.