why is my water yellow

[russ]

I didn't mention specifically treating for iron - that one has to learn about the entire scenario.

There are the softeners and filters for about everything.

Top of the line is reverse osmosis though then you need to insure you have adequate intake of trace elements.

If one buys Rain Soft they need to realize they are paying maybe 50% for equipment and 50% for name.

The sales people that come to your house and take a sample normally trash the sample as soon as they go around the corner - the answer is, "Yes you do need what I am selling".

[inetdog]

Metals, iron and manganese, which can stain laundry and bathroom fixtures as well as lending unpleasant taste and odor to water, can be removed though oxidation and filtration.

That part is a valid generalization. And the ozone is likely to break down any organic iron compounds as well as changing the oxidation state of ionic iron compounds.
Looking at the filter can give you a good idea whether it is working.

[Mike90250]

I don't know if it's true, but the sales pitch for the ozone generator I use ( tripleo com/impuriti.htm - put the dot in if you copy and paste it) claims the ozone & bulk filter will clean up :
Metals, iron and manganese, which can stain laundry and bathroom fixtures as well as lending unpleasant taste and odor to water, can be removed though oxidation and filtration.

[inetdog]

Funny
I lived on a well with huge amounts of iron to the point I had dual softeners and PH correction and never bad yellow water other than when I let the salt run out.

YMMV, depending on the exact nature of the iron content of the water.

At our house in Illinois the well water (80') had a high enough iron content that even with a filter followed by a water softener only on the hot water line the dishwasher turned rust colored very quickly. The water did not look yellow, but you could smell and taste the iron.

Take a look at this resource: http://www.hillwater.com/resources/iron-removal.aspx

On some iron waters, it is immediately clear that a softener should not be used. Dissolved organic-iron compounds may simply pass through a softener, unaffected by either ion exchange or the filtering action of the softener bed. Solid organic matter particles frequently contain quantities of precipitated iron, and the combined solids can lead to rapid fouling of the bed. Iron bacteria in water can rapidly foul softener beds, and worse, can grow and pass through the beds in slugs. When such materials are found in the water, softeners should not be applied.

The biggest problems I know of are that
1. if you have iron-organic compounds ion-exchange cannot remove it.
2. some designs of softener ion-exchange resin beds are permanently damaged by iron or fill up on iron between regeneration cycles (even daily) and let iron through.
3. You can have iron bacteria in the well itself, which requires a different removal approach.

The alternate approaches include simple filtration for precipitated iron and a different kind of catalyst bed than the ones used in a conventional softener which causes the soluble iron to precipitate and get filtered out instead.

Once again, I am not making any claims about what exactly the originally advertised iron removal systems actually do.

[Naptown]

Funny
I lived on a well with huge amounts of iron to the point I had dual softeners and PH correction and never bad yellow water other than when I let the salt run out.

[inetdog]

As Naptown pointed out - water softeners are a common thing - no reason to pay for a fancy name.

Do your research and scratch off the names trying to make something special of them. Salesmen making home calls are the worst of the lot.

There is a great amount of information available on the net - manufacturers sites and forums. Forget youtube!

Actually, a water softener removes calcium ions from the water and replaces them with sodium ions. It will not necessarily do anything for dissolved iron.

Specialized iron removal filters may well cost more than simple water softeners and may require periodic cartridge replacement rather than regeneration in place.

Not to say that some ordinary water softeners are not promoted for iron removal, so be careful.

[russ]

That is nothing more than a water softener that will do the same thing

As Naptown pointed out - water softeners are a common thing - no reason to pay for a fancy name.

Do your research and scratch off the names trying to make something special of them. Salesmen making home calls are the worst of the lot.

There is a great amount of information available on the net - manufacturers sites and forums. Forget youtube!

[Naptown]

They're not cheap...

l]

That is nothing more than a water softener that will do the same thing

[Robert1234]

They're not cheap...

http://www.crystalquest.com/Iron%20a...%20filters.htm

[huigmeinen]

yellow water..

I have a same problem, is ther any solution for this i try water filter but it doesnt work sufficently and it not working for long time.

Mod note
Post that link one more time and you are gone

[inetdog]

I think that is what is happening, I recall the word "seaquest" from the water dept when I asked them.
Yes I think my water heater is a bit too hot, dangerous if there were kids here.
Thanks everyone!!

If you are not worried about the color, you can deal with the safety aspect using a tempering valve on the outlet of the tank. But make sure you get one rated for the lowest realistic flow rate you will see. Somebody might let the hot water tap run very slowly (but hard enough to overcome the heat loss in the pipe). Then when the water is turned on full force at that outlet OR another tap, a slug of maximum temperature water will come through before the tempered water.

[steff503]

I think that is what is happening, I recall the word "seaquest" from the water dept when I asked them.
Yes I think my water heater is a bit too hot, dangerous if there were kids here.
Thanks everyone!!

[LucMan]

Another consideration for lower water temps in water heaters is thermal expansion & contraction. I like to keep water temps no higher than 140 degrees 130 if possible, it reduces the amount of expansion and contraction the tank has to go through when cold water enters the hot tank. The stainless tanks are usually a thinner guage than the glass lined tanks which have their own problems with thermal expansion ( the glass lining cracks and chips off eventually).
So keep in mind that the higher the water temperature the shorter the lifespan of the tank.

[Robert1234]

Your observation about color being formed when heated may be key to understanding what is happening.

I suspect strongly that the 2nd well has an mild iron (or magnesium) content of around 1-3 ppm and as such it is being sequestered (treated) by the water company prior to distribution. Sequestering does not remove iron from the water, but rather binds it to other molecules (such as polyphosphates) to keep the iron in the soluble, colorless ferrous state. This treatment keeps the iron from oxidizing when being further treated with chlorine or when exposed to air which would result in iron oxide being formed and color being formed. Water companies do this because sequestering prevents discoloration of the water, staining of plumbing fixtures, AND it is cheaper than other treatment options that remove the iron from the water. A known issue with the use of sequestering agents is that the complex they form can break down at the high temperatures found in water heaters and thus color can be formed. While harmless, sequestered water still has a slight metallic taste because the iron remains in the system. Do you notice a metalic taste to your water in the summer?

The water company would certainly know if this is the case. If your goal is to prevent the yellowing at your house, you'll need to know the details about your water supply. Have you asked them about your observations and/or their recommendations?

[Naptown]

I had the same problem in a house I had years ago.
A water treatment guy called it clear iron.
Have a water treatment co test the water for iron content.
In our case it just went away
I am suspicious of that second well that runs during the summer if there are no issues the rest of the year.