[FlyingXJ]

Good evening gentlemen,

I'm wondering if anyone can help me out with a problem I currently am experiencing with my well that only seems to get worse with time.

We bought out house about a year and a half ago and about every month I have to change the filter that is inline with the well bladder to the softener as the pressure drops so low that the water becomes unusable due to pressure loss. I've never lived in a house before with a well so I'm a bit lost.

Lately when removing the filter housing the water inside looks black and smells, the plastic grated cover on the outside seems to balloon and upon changing the filter and putting pressure back into the house the water seems to be black for about 20 seconds?

It also mostly smells during hot water use but I installed a new hot water tank and I have drained it and its fine for about ten days then starts to smell again.

Why all of sudden is it turning black?

Is this a well problem? Is it an iron issue? Is it a bacteria issue? Is my well air pressure bladder taking a shit?

We had the water tested before we moved in and the water came back great I've also taken it to a water treatment store locally and they say there is very little iron.

I feel like i just replaced this filter at the beginning of this month and it was already time to change it again.

Any ideas?

Thanks! :brilliant:usa:

 

[capone]

This thread here might help you or point you in the right direction.

https://www.diychatroom.com/f7/need-help-smelly-black-well-water-42465/

 

[Kegger83cj7]

Sounds similar to my place. My filters last longer but the rotten egg smell and black soot out of the hot lines are there. It’s sulfur. The anode rods in your hot water heater react to it. I replaced my anode rods with magnesium ones and greatly reduced the smell and soot. I know there are systems that help keep it flushed out but we do not drink or cook with the water. I do not see the reason to spend the cash for them if you don’t drink it. Use the charcoal filters and it helps too. Not fun but it’s what we have.

 

[hondadirtracer]

My neighbor is a well guy if you can't get it figured out on your own

 

[wave_crusher]

My first thought would be that your water heater is rotting out from the inside, there is an rod that screws into the top, called an Anode rode. Which only affects your hot water lines after the filter.

The hot water wouldn't affect the filter as the water heater is after that. Check your anode rod, use youtube to find out about it; other than that. I'd get someone to come take a look for you.

 

[JohnnyJ]

Lately when removing the filter housing the water inside looks black and smells, the plastic grated cover on the outside seems to balloon and upon changing the filter and putting pressure back into the house the water seems to be black for about 20 seconds?

Why all of sudden is it turning black?

I have similar issue that started this spring at my house. Been there 15 years with always changing filter whenever I added water softener salt. (About every 3 months) This spring I started having to change every 3-4 weeks or drop in pressure. New filter brings back pressure.

I called a well driller earlier this year and he gave me a few things to check to verify it wasn't the bladder tank or well pump, and next step was to pull the pump and check it out. It was really wet, so he recommended to wait until its dry.

I was just thinking I need to get moving before it's wet season again, and then I saw this.

My neighbor is a well guy if you can't get it figured out on your own

I'll take his info if you don't mind.

 

[hondadirtracer]

I have similar issue that started this spring at my house. Been there 15 years with always changing filter whenever I added water softener salt. (About every 3 months) This spring I started having to change every 3-4 weeks or drop in pressure. New filter brings back pressure.

I called a well driller earlier this year and he gave me a few things to check to verify it wasn't the bladder tank or well pump, and next step was to pull the pump and check it out. It was really wet, so he recommended to wait until its dry.

I was just thinking I need to get moving before it's wet season again, and then I saw this.



I'll take his info if you don't mind.

Ray's Well Drilling
2482409973

 

[wrath]

It's bacteria, harmless to humans. Use bleach in the whole system. Empty the water heater. It'll take about a day to kill it at safe water drinking levels or you just fill the filter housing entirely with bleach. Pump it through the system and after about a few hours everything will be dead. Then flush it a few times, especially the water heater.

I'm assuming the bladder isn't ruptured in your pressure tank. If it is, then it's impossible to get rid of all the bacteria.

I get about a month on a 5 micron large filter.

 

[wrath]

Oh, and I don't have an anode rod in my water heater. If you have one, a Rheem is best as they have a diode in them to slow down the reaction so you don't have as much garbage in the water if you have a lot of ions in your water already.

 

[FlyingXJ]

Awesome thanks for all the responses everyone!

My water heater is only a year old and is a nicer Reem unit.

I would hope its not rotted out already.

 

[shawn]

Like already said, if youre filter has black slime (bacteria) you need to dump 2-3 gallons of bleach down your well, run a hose down your well casing and rinse well casing down for a couple hours, Then run water through house. Then let sit for 24 hours. Then start the flush, run water out hose somewhere for hours at a time to flush the well. it will take a couple days to get the water straight but that's what you need to do. Don't do laundry for a few days until chlorine is out. Sometimes after a couple days it's best to just dump the water heater, it takes a long time for all of it to get flushed out otherwise.

 

[aber61]

Like already said, if youre filter has black slime (bacteria) you need to dump 2-3 gallons of bleach down your well, run a hose down your well casing and rinse well casing down for a couple hours, Then run water through house. Then let sit for 24 hours. Then start the flush, run water out hose somewhere for hours at a time to flush the well. it will take a couple days to get the water straight but that's what you need to do. Don't do laundry for a few days until chlorine is out. Sometimes after a couple days it's best to just dump the water heater, it takes a long time for all of it to get flushed out otherwise.

This is good to know. Thanks.
When I change the filters I see a little black residue in the filter housing. The first filter before the softener is a paper filter which has more residue than the second filter which is after the softener and is a hard solid one. Its not much but I see it. We do have a reverse osmosis system we use for drinking and cooking.

 

[JohnnyJ]

Ray's Well Drilling
2482409973

Thanks! I think that's who I talked to earlier this year.

 

[XXXJ]

Like already said, if youre filter has black slime (bacteria) you need to dump 2-3 gallons of bleach down your well, run a hose down your well casing and rinse well casing down for a couple hours, Then run water through house. Then let sit for 24 hours. Then start the flush, run water out hose somewhere for hours at a time to flush the well. it will take a couple days to get the water straight but that's what you need to do. Don't do laundry for a few days until chlorine is out. Sometimes after a couple days it's best to just dump the water heater, it takes a long time for all of it to get flushed out otherwise.

My well depth was 40’ , [email protected] 20’. Fairly shallow for the area.
The house was vacant for over a year when I got it. There was always a “scent” to the water. After a new sub pump and bladder tank (from freeze burst), we were going out of town for a week, I dumped a gallon of bleach in the casing ran all the lines in the house for ten minutes, then went on vacation.
Came back and the smell was forever gone. No chlorine smell either.
My wife was afraid I would poison us all. We lived.