6
About the water softener system.
WATER CONDITION INFORMATION
IRON
Iron in water can cause stains on clothing and
plumbing fixtures. It can negatively affect the
taste of food,drinking water, and other beverages.
Iron in water is measured in parts per million
(ppm). The total* ppm of iron, and type or types*,
is determined by chemical analysis. Four different
types of iron in water are:
Ferrous (clear water) iron
Ferric (red water) iron
Bacterial and organically bound iron
Colloidal and inorganically bound iron (ferrous
or ferric)
Ferrous (clear water) iron is soluble and dissolves
in water. This water softener will reduce
moderate amounts of this type of iron (see
specifications).**Ferrous (clear water) iron is
usually detected by taking a sample of water in
a clear bottle or glass. Immediately after taking,
the sample is clear. As the water sample stands,
it gradually clouds and turns slightly yellow or
brown as air oxidizes the iron. This usually occurs
in 15 to 30 minutes.
When using the softener to reduce Ferrous (clear
water) iron, add 5 grains to the hardness setting
fore very 1 ppm of Ferrous (clear water) iron. See
“Set Water Hardness Number” section.
Ferric (red water), and bacterial and organically
bound irons are insoluble. This water softener
will not remove ferric or bacterial iron. This iron
is visible immediately when drawn from a faucet
because it has oxidized before reaching the
home. It appears as small cloudy yellow, orange,
or reddish suspended particles. After the water
stands for a period of time,the particles settle to
the bottom of the container. Generally these irons
are removed from water by filtration. Chlorination
is also recommended for bacterial iron.
Colloidal and inorganically bound iron is of ferric
or ferrous form that will not filter or exchange
out of water. This water softener will not remove
colloidal iron. In some instances, treatment
may improve colloidal iron water. Colloidal iron
water usually has a yellow appearance when
drawn. After standing for several hours, the color
persists and the iron does not settle,but remains
suspended in the water.
SEDIMENT
Sediment is fine, foreign material particles
suspended in water. This water softener will not
remove sediment. This material is most often clay
or silt. Extreme amounts of sediment may give
the water a cloudy appearance. A sediment filter
installed upstream of the water softener normally
corrects this situation.
* Water may contain one or more of the four
types of iron and any combination of these. Total
iron is the sum of the contents.
** Capacity to reduce clear water iron is
substantiated by WQA test data.
CHLORINE
Softener resins may degrade in the presence
of chlorine above 2 ppm. If you have chlorine
in excess of this amount, you may experience
reduced life of the resin. In these conditions, you
may wish to consider purchasing a GE point-of-
entry household filtration system with a chlorine
reducing filter.
