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paulz
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# Posted: 28 Jul 2023 11:12am
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My water setup:
Well with pump 200’ downhill from cabin. Good water supply year round.
Runs to old sand filled swimming pool filter and then 500 gallon holding tank, both located 25’ above cabin. Gravity feed to cabin with power pump for hot water and showering.
Good setup, been working a long time. But last two times I have filled the tank, the water at the sink has been a bit dirty.
Finally yesterday I filled a 10 gallon bucket using the pipe connecting filter to tank, bypassing tank (and cabin). That was clear, no more brown water. So the good news is the well and filter are fine.
Looking in the tank I see a layer of dirt at the bottom, which I guess gets stirred up when I fill it. It’s a green plastic tank about 8’ high and 4 around. I did tip it over and mop it out some years ago, guess it’s time again. Half day job but oh well.
I suppose even though the test water coming out was clean, after enough fillings it builds up some dirt in the tank. Maybe I could add a second smaller filter at the cabin, with a replaceable paper filter, and leave the dirt in the bottom of the tank be. The brownish water doesn’t bother me much, but the dog gives me growls when he gets a drink.
Anyone been through this?
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spencerin
Member
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# Posted: 31 Jul 2023 10:52pm - Edited by: spencerin
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Well, stuff like that does happen. Are you trying to decide whether to clean out the tank, or add a downstream filter instead? Is there a way to draw the tank down low enough to where you can then raise the end opposite the drain and flush any remaining residue out? Seems like that would be easier than mopping it out. And adding a filter means more potential leak points and maintenance. Or, can you leave it be and be okay with that?
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 10:35am
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Thanks for the input.
Well been over a week since I filled the tank. I tested again today and it is a bit clearer, still not compared to the tank bypass test. I think refilling the tank (new water squirts in from top) stirs up the dirt some.
I can tip over an empty tank (when I get strong again) to wash it out, and I have a few weeks of water to go through first.
Just dawned on me, maybe I should have put the filter I have (an old Tahiti pool filter, takes 2-3 bags of sand) after the tank instead of before. I can do that now, since they are next to each other up the hill, easy as moving hoses.
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 02:46pm
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Look up backwashing a sand filter. That might be your best bet.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 03:20pm
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Thanks Rick
Here’s something cool, an online scan of my old Tahitian filter manual. I did backwash it a few months back, first time, and the water coming out of it on my test last week was clean. But, dirt in the holding tank probably happened a years prior. I will have to go back and read that manual again
https://www.poolinspections.com/manuals/filters/sand_pentair_tahitian.pdf
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NorthRick
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 04:06pm
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I don't think you have any good way around cleaning out the holding tank (or replacing it). After that's done, periodic backwashing of the filter should greatly extend the time interval before you would need to wash the tank again.
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 05:00pm
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Maybe its past time to rework that pre-filter system?
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ICC
Member
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# Posted: 1 Aug 2023 06:20pm
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It may be that it is time for new sand. My experience with using a sand filter to filter swimming pool water is that the sand needs to be replaced every 2 - 3 years and backwashed as needed.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 3 Aug 2023 07:51pm
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Thanks guys. So today I woke up from my nap, walked up the hill, the tank is still over half full so I decided to try switching the hoses. Time I was done, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds, I had the tank water running through the sand filter and then to the cabin.
Well that didn’t work, no water at cabin. I’m thinking maybe the sand filter requires pressure to pass water, which it gets from the well pump, and with the holding tank water just barely above the filter, it doesn’t pass through via gravity. So an hour later I put it all back so I can clean the tank out when it empties.
Oh well, win some..
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 12 Aug 2023 09:23am
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So yesterday was the day..after two showers, a load of laundry (added a washer/dryer a month ago) and washing the truck, I drained the last 100 gallons out of the tank, tilted it over and mopped it out. Lots of dirty water at bottom but the tank itself wasn’t bad. Also gave me a chance to relevel the base, which had sunk a bit.
All done, filter recently backwashed too. We’ll see how it looks next fill, right now I just need the break!
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