Cleaning of water softener filter

[naammanow]

I had a stainless steel water softener filter installed, after the iron (metal) filter taking in the well water. It removes the manganese from the water. It is a 50 L. filter and filled with manganese resin. I was told that in order to re-generate the resin I can just add 10 Kg salt into the filter (remove the hatch at the top) Let it stand for 1 to 2 hours, flush and check for hardness. Is this correct? I can test the water re hardness, now it is blue (meaning soft) and re-generate when color is pink. I read somewhere that I have to make a brine first and trhen add to the filter. Can somebody explain to me please how I should do the cleaning/flushing with salt. Tks.

[Ackybang]

Hello Naammanow,

What medium is in your primary filter ?

If you're getting manganese in your water, then I presume you've got zeolite in it, or manganese green sand, to remove rust ?

To soak your filter, first turn off the incoming supply, and then bleed the system - you should see a release valve at the bottom of the filter - open it, and take off the porthole at the top of the filter. This should break the vacuum, and release all the water out at the bottom. I can't see the valves on your filter, but usually, you'll have a breather at the top, a release at the bottom, and a series of four valves in and out, which can allow you to reverse the flow, for backwashing.

Once the water is drained, close the release valve and do what they said, make a brine in a bucket, and mix, say a kilo of salt in a 5 liter bucket, with warm water, if it helps the salt dissolve easier, or cold, it doesn't really matter - but make sure you use all the salt recommended, dissolved evenly between however many buckets you need. Pour it into the filter and repeat until full.

Once it's full, I would open the release valve, and catch the water coming out in a bucket, and pour it into the top again several times, to make sure the salt solution is evenly distributed, and then close the valve again. Leave to stand for a few hours, and then drain the water again. Bolt the lid back on, and allow a good amount of clean water to flow through the filter and out, or even backwash under good pressure, before letting it run back into your tanks.

If your main filter is manganese / zeolite - you can use pottasium permanganate in solution to soak the filter in the same manner, and release all the dirt the maganese invariably accrues, increasing it's lifespan. You can buy it in most chemists - ask for 'TAPTIM', and you'll recieve sachets or small bottles of the purple crystals. You want to use around around 50 grams for a filter that size, and once again, fill the filter, and then let the fluid out, and keep pouring it back into the filter a few times, to disperse the solution evenly. If you get this stuff on your clothes (vivid purple colour when mixed with water), it won't wash out, so wear old rags when you're doing it. Afer a good 2 hour soak, give it a good backwash, under good pressure, and make sure the water is clear before you let it enter your next stage filter.

Backwash your filters regularily, and use a 2 meter copper rod to stir them at the same time periodically with the lids off, to prevent your filters 'channelling', and becoming less effective.

Hope this helps.

Edited August 27, 2013 by Ackybang