Reverse Osmosis Water Filter

[tightasadrum]

Thanks cfb,

If it's pH (which is my guess, soil is very acid here in GA), how expensive will it be to correct? If fact, water analysis I did last year indicated water was on the acid side of neutral, but not a lot. I assume that a filter wouldn't change the pH once the minerals have changed it too a lower pH. So are we talking about adding...what ?

 

[ERD50]

I assume that a filter wouldn't change the pH once the minerals have changed it too a lower pH. So are we talking about adding...what ?

I've heard of people running their water through a bed filled with marble chips. Acid eats at the marble and the water becomes more neutral. The chips need to be replaced as they are 'consumed'.

Never looked into the specifics, but I'm sure a google of those terms will turn up a bunch of stuff.

-ERD50

 

[samclem]

Tightasadrum,
- Nope, we didn't have the problems you're having. My pipes (60 years old, never had soft water in them, the main pipe after the meter was 1/2") were getting some scale buildup inside, but no leaching of green copper stuff.
- I second CFB's advice. The biggest enemy to copper pipes is pH that is out of whack. Water below a pH of 6.8 (e.g. acidic) is usually a bigger problem than higher pH, but I've heard levels above 8.0 can start to be a problem.
- Fixing a pH problem requires some work (e.g. another tank to add pH neutralizer to your water, which is yet another expense and a thing to mess with on a recurring basis). Test the easy stuff first, but there are some other "if worse comes to worst" solutions. I've heard of a coating that can be applied to the inside of copper pipes to shield them from corrosion. Of course, re-doing everything in PEX is an (expensive) solution, but your fittings and fixtures would still be at risk.
- Also, is this copper leaching something new, or have you always had a problem with it? If you've just added a water softener (for example), that could be an issue. As CFB noted, the water, if very soft, can cause the copper to be attacked. Also, if the pipes formerly had a buildup of "protective" scale, it might have dissolved in the newly soft water leaving the copper exposed.
- Electric grounding of pipes: Yep. I suspect I've got a problem here, too. My wife has been complaining that one of the faucets is shocking her when she touches it. I can't feel it, so (of course) it was all in her head. Sure enough, I put a VOM on it and there's a little voltage there (tested from the handle to a good ground). (I was even big enough to tell her she was right!) This could be a safety issue, so now I guess I'll have to ground that pipe better.
- The copper you are seeing (or whatever is causing the staining) could also just be naturally present in your water. (if so, your neighbors may have noticed the same issue) . Regardless of the source, excessive copper in drinking water is an issue, so you'll may want to have a water test t see what the levels are.

Good luck.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

You can get a filter that contains calcite or ground limestone which will offset the acidity.

Unfortunately, that can increase the water hardness and you might need a water softener downstream of the acid neutralizing filter.

Something to look into, as besides copper the acidity might be leaching excess lead and zinc along with the copper.

If the water is fine except for the acidity and you're excited about expensive new products, the PEX plastic pipe plumbing is making a couple of my plumber friends very excited. We almost put it into a rehab a couple of years ago, but the local code hadnt allowed it yet.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Sam if you're getting voltage thats detectable by touch, thats probably more than I'd expect from electrolysis. Is it the hot water faucet or cold? If its the hot, the lines arent bonded. If its the cold, the line isnt grounded properly. In any case, I'd want to find out whats draining current to ground.

Unplug all three conductor plug equipped devices until the current goes away. It *could* be an improperly grounded wired light fixture like a fluorescent though.

 

[tightasadrum]

Neighbor at the end of the lake also has the "blue" problem. However, she also has copper pipes and a well. So at least everything is consistent. I'll look up the pH tonight from the water test and see how bad it is. Then get going with a fix. I was hoping this would wait until next year when I will have LOTS of time on my hands.

I was hoping to avoid the PIX solution also since the house is a two story with a full basement. I can't imagine how rough it would be getting those pipes fished through the walls. Thanks for the help. You've pointed me in some excellent directions. I'll let you know what I find out.

 

[travelover]

I.........I bought a Hanna "TDS-EZ" meter on Ebay for around $16. It shows our tap water is pretty good at about 190 ppm TDS, and the R-O system currently takes that down to about 15 ppm. My personal taste-meter suggests that the R-O system is definitely getting rid of something unpleasant in the tap water, but I suspect that has little to do with the TDS.

Membranes aren't cheap so I like the idea of using the meter to make certain it needs to be replaced before spending the money.

I got my Hanna TDS EZ today and it works great - very simple to use. My softened water is at 615 ppm and 45 ppm after the reverse osmosis filter. I like the idea of being able to objectively tell if the membrane is OK.