Filter socks staning in wash from iron.

[lolgranny]

I clean my filter socks in the washer with bleach, then do a good rinse cycle / let them air dry to ensure i there is nothing left on them. My water has a high iron count and they are staining. Are they still ok to use? I have a olllllllld ghetto water softener, but it does a terrible job and i have other things my $ needs to go into before that.

Should i continue to use them or will there be negative affects?

Thanks,
David!

 

[teesquare]

David - do the filter sock themselves have a steel ring for rigidity - sewn into the top of them? If so - get yourself some socks that use plastic rings.
If that is no the problem - you may be able to use a product like CLR to remove the rust stains - but if the problem truly is your local water - you will be back to square one.
HTH
T

 

[lolgranny]

Hey buddy, there is no steel ring. Its a plastic one. I was thinking of using something like that but I don't see it causing the issue because its the local water. I'm using ro/di normally but washing them I can't get past this and am afraid of it having negative affects on my fish / inverts / corals

 

[teesquare]

David -
It all begins with the water.....If your water is that bad - it may really be worht your investing in up-grading your water filter. Not just for the sake of your tank occupants - but the overall health of your family.
T

 

[RocketSurgeon]

David -
It all begins with the water.....If your water is that bad - it may really be worht your investing in up-grading your water filter. Not just for the sake of your tank occupants - but the overall health of your family.
T

along with adding longevity to your pipes, washing machine, dish washer, shower heads...

 

[billsreef]

The iron won't really be a problem for the filter socks. However, a cheap filter housing with a cartridge to filter the iron is fairly inexpensive and easy to install as a whole house filter. Worth doing, as it will it save you some other headaches with things like your house plumbing system

 

[teesquare]

There are some great vendors for water filtration stuff that are site sponsors here on RC - I would look at their websites David, and maybe e-mail or call some of them, and described the issue.
I will bet they have something like Bill has mentioned.
T

 

[billsreef]

Heck, any home improvement type store or a good hardware store. They are very common for household use in areas with iron laden ground water

 

[lolgranny]

Sounds good my boys! I shall look into them!

For the time being i will use them because i cant go out right this second to get one, but in due time

David

 

[billsreef]

Assuming your good with plumbing, a filter set up for your house to take care of the iron should only cost you around $50 in housing, cartridge and plumbing parts It will save you trouble with toilet valves, faucet valves and hot water system parts

 

[teesquare]

Bill - can you recommend some specifics? What kind of stuff he should look for?
I don't have any iron in this area - so, I really am not familiar with this-
T

 

[billsreef]

The advantage of growing up on well water, this stuff is old hat to me

Filter housing.

Filters, usually sold in a two pack.

 

[teesquare]

Oh...you think his issues are particulate iron! Thanks for the pics Bill.
I was thinking it was iron on the molecular level, dissolved in solution.....

Yep , we have a 650 foot well pummping at 40 gpm. But, I live in the Blue Ridge Mtns and we only have granite here...the water actually is pretty nuetral in all respects, and easy to deal with.
T

 

[billsreef]

I'm sitting on a glacial sand deposit, lots of iron in the ground water around here. Those filters trap the particulate stuff, and that helps precipitate out the dissolved stuff

 

[teesquare]

Yep - I am a firm believer in the particulate/pre-filters that you linked for David. Regardless of well or city water!
And - they will make a water softener work better, last longer between change-outs.
One other recommendation for David: http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-778-spin-down-pe-screen-34-fpt.aspx

I installed this immediately before the sediment filter- it gets the water before the other filters - , so that it removes most of the particles. You just put a five gallon bucket under it, or you could plumb the ball valve to a drain - and turn the valve to flush it clean. Works great! And the prefilter cartridges now last twice as long between changes. You can get these at Lowe's or Home Depot - or Menard's in Chicagoland.

Well worth the money

T