| On private water systems, one of the most
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| | properties of Calcite, increasing the
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| common causes of corrosion is acidic
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| | ability to correct low pH.
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| water. Water that has a pH value of less
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| | How to Install Calcite Neutralizer
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| than 7.0 is considered to be acidic. The
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| | Filters
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| ideal pH for most domestic supplies is
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| | Calcite neutralizer filters are easy to
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| between 7.0 and 8.0 on the pH scale.
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| | install. They need to be located in the
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| Signs of acid water are corrosion of
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| | piping after the pressure tank on a well
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| fixtures, pinhole leaks in plumbing, and
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| | water system, but before the copper
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| blue staining (from copper pipes) or rust
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| | household piping. If the pressure tank
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| staining (from iron pipes). Often these
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| | is piped with copper, it is best to
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| waters are great for drinking or
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| | remove any copper piping before the
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| household use, but are low in buffering
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| | neutralizer and replace with PVC, PEX, or
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| calcium minerals, and contain dissolved
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| | stainless steel piping, in order to avoid
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| carbon-dioxide gas, which can cause a low
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| | the corrosive effects of the acidic
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| pH and acid condition. Without treatment,
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| | water.
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| these waters can be contaminated with
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| | Neutralizer filter tanks for home water
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| copper, lead and other metals from
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| | systems typically measure 10 or 12 inches
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| piping, fixtures and appliances, turning
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| | in diameter and 48 to 54 inches in
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| good water into contaminated drinking
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| | height. The tanks have a center tube
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| water.
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| | about 1 inch in diameter, called the
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| Treatment is accomplished by neutralizing
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| | distributor tube, which have a screen at
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| the water with the use of an automatic
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| | the bottom of the tube. When the
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| neutralizer filter. These are water
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| | neutralizer tanks are assembled, the
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| filter tanks filled with a media blend of
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| | distributor tube is first placed in the
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| calcium and magnesium carbonates made
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| | tank and some tape or a cap put on the
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| from naturally occurring minerals. This
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| | top of the tube to prevent media or
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| media, one brand of which is called
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| | gravel from entering the tube when the
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| Calcite, slowly dissolves into the water,
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| | filter is built. Approximately 10 to 20
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| raising the pH and making it less
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| | pounds of aquarium gravel 1/4 inch in
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| corrosive.
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| | diameter is first poured into the tank to
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| More mineral can quickly and easily be
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| | cover the bottom distributor screen. The
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| added as needed to the filter tank. This
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| | calcite media, which looks like white
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| is typically done once per year for most
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| | sand, is then poured in until the depth
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| residential applications. No special
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| | of the media reaches about two-thirds of
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| tools are required. This type of
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| | the tank.
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| neutralizer also acts as a filter
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| | The top one third of the tank is left as
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| removing sediment and small amounts of
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| | free space. This free space allows the
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| iron.
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| | media to expand when the neutralizer is
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| Calcite Media
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| | backwashed.
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| Calcite is a crushed and screened white
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| | Neutralizer filters need to be connected
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| marble media which can inexpensively be
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| | to a drain to allow the filters to
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| used to neutralize acidic or low pH
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| | backwash. The backwashing is done
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| waters to a neutral, less corrosive
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| | automatically based on a simple timer
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| effluent.
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| | typically once every one to two weeks.
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| Calcite is a naturally occurring calcium
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| | This flushes out any sediment or iron
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| carbonate media. One of the advantages of
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| | that the neutralizer filter has trapped
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| Calcite is that it will only dissolve
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| | and keeps the calcite clean and properly
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| until the water reaches a neutral pH. It
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| | settled so it can filter and raise the pH
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| does not over-correct under normal
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| | in an optimum manner.
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| conditions.
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| | Up-Flow Neutralizers
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| Upon contact with Calcite, acidic waters
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| | An effective neutralizer filter uses an
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| slowly dissolve the calcium carbonate to
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| | automatic backwash control valve, which
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| raise the pH which reduces the potential
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| | allows the owner to have the neutralizer
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| leaching of copper, lead and other metals
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| | tank be automatically cleaned every one
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| found in typical plumbing systems.
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| | to two weeks.
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| Periodic backwashing will prevent
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| | In some cases, no backwash control valve
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| packing, reclassify the bed and maintain
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| | is used and instead of the water first
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| high service rates.
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| | flowing down through the media and up the
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| As the calcium carbonate media
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| | distributor tube, the piping is installed
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| neutralizes the water, it will increase
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| | so the water flows down the distributor
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| hardness and a softener in some rare
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| | tube and up through the media. This is
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| cases becomes necessary after the
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| | called an "up-flow neutralizer" and they
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| neutralizing filter. However this is
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| | are not backwashed.
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| unusual and only occurs on water that is
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| | There are some disadvantages to up-flow
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| very low in hardness and alkalinity.
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| | neutraliers despite the lower costs. In
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| Most homeowners rarely find they need a
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| | some cases calcite media can wash out of
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| softener.
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| | the neutralizer and enter the home water
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| Calcite can be effectively combined with
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| | piping system causing damage. If the
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| Clack Corosex to combine the high flow
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| | water flow is not sufficient the media
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| neutralization properties of Corosex,
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| | can become solidified in places, causing
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| along with the slower reacting low flow
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| | the water to bypass the media.
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