These compounds are usually very stable and tie up the iron so that it is not free to react as are other forms. Many natural and man-made organic compounds will react, particularly with ferrous iron, to form heavily colored compounds that can cause severe staining. Iron may also be present in water in combination with organic matter. During periods of high water flow, these rust particles may break free to cause rust stains on materials that come into contact with water. This ferric oxide is the same rust that forms when an iron or steel structure is exposed to both air and moisture. This is true even when natural ferrous iron is oxidized inside of pipes.įerric hydroxide which is deposited inside a water line has a tendency to lose water, particularly in hot water lines, according to the reaction: This, too, maybe carried along with the water, or since it is quite insoluble and gelatinous in nature, may deposit and stick inside the water lines. Where oxidizing materials are present, the insoluble ferric hydroxide forms readily. In the absence of oxygen and other oxidizing agents, the ferrous iron may be simply carried away with the water. Metal corrosion, an electrochemical process, converts the elemental metallic iron to the soluble ferrous state. The corrosion of iron or steel water lines may also add iron to the water.
Ferric iron then reacts with the alkalinity in the water to form ferric hydroxide, the insoluble brown gelatinous matter which causes so much staining. However, when ferrous iron is exposed to the atmosphere, oxygen from the air readily converts it to the ferric state. Since the ferrous salts are highly soluble, groundwater supplies frequently carry significant concentrations, and as this ferrous iron is in true solution, the water may be perfectly clear and colorless, with no visible evidence of the iron present. In underground strata, far from the oxidizing effects of oxygen in the air, conditions usually favor the reduction of the natural ferric iron deposits to the ferrous state. Since it has so many undesirable properties, iron removal is an important phase of water treatment. Iron affects the tastes of foods and beverages, can contribute to the blockage of pipes, and can cause many other unwanted problems. Concentrations below 0.3 ppm can still have profound adverse effects in manufacturing processes. As little as 0.3 ppm (parts per million) of iron can cause staining of fixtures, sinks, flooring, and also most anything else it comes into contact with. Iron, even in small quantities, can be one of the most troublesome elements found in water. Get the Right Water Softener Contact Us Today Iron Properties Hill Co has been in the water treatment business for over 60 years and has thousands of happy clients.
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Only a professional can test your water, assess your situation, and provide you a custom quote for your needs. When such materials are found in the water, softeners should not be applied. Iron bacteria in water can rapidly foul softener beds, and worse, can grow and pass through the beds in slugs. Solid organic matter particles frequently contain quantities of precipitated iron, and the combined solids can lead to the rapid fouling of the bed.
Dissolved organic-iron compounds may simply pass through a softener, unaffected by either ion exchange or the filtering action of the softener bed. On some iron waters, it is immediately clear that a softener should not be used. Thus, we have several degrees of success with softeners in iron removal. In still other cases, softeners fail to do a satisfactory job, passing iron continuously or in “slugs”, or gradually losing capacity due to fouling of the softener bed. At other installations, intermittent leakage of iron through the softener occurs, but the total water quality improvement is so great that the users are reasonably satisfied. Many of these installations are successful and consistently remove both hardness and iron. More water softeners are used to remove iron from household water supplies than any other device or system.
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