Q. How do acid neutralizer filters work?

A. Acidic neutralizers slowly dissolve the calcium and/or magnesium media on contact as the water flows through the filter, raising the pH of the water and increasing the alkalinity. This eliminates the effects of corrosive water chemistries, eliminating the effect of acid well water, and can help to prevent corrosion of piping and fixtures. They contain either 100% calcite, or a blend of calcite and corosex. Calcite is a natural calcium mineral that is mined for this purpose. Corosex is a trade name that is a natural mineral product which contains magnesium oxide. Also read our guide How to Treat Acid Well Water.


Q. Can these systems be used for drinking water?

A. Neutralizers do not remove any contaminants from water but merely add calcium and magnesium at controlled rates, so they don't purify the water. However, the systems are made from non-toxic and food grade materials.


Q. I noticed for your neutralizer filters they come in different sizes, how do I know which one to order?

A. Most homes and business need one of three sizes: 1.0 cubic foot (which comes with 100 lbs of calcite media) 1.5 cubic foot (comes with 150 lbs of media) or 2.5 (comes with 250 lbs of media). Most people will use 50 to 100 lbs of calcite media a year. If you have 1 bathroom with little water use, then the 1.0 cubic foot system works fine. For most of our customers, the 1.5 cubic foot systems work best, because they can easily go one year before having to add more calcite media. The neutralizer filters are filled 2/3rds full when they are new or fully charged, after one year it will be down to around 1/2 full, at which time you can add more calcite. If you have a larger home and you get one that is too small, you may have to add calcite more frequently so we generally recommend the 1.5 cubic foot to 2.5 foot models. If your pH is on the low side, less than 6.2 for instance, you may also want a larger one, because the ability of the neutralizer to neutralize the acidity in the water also has to do with the contact time the water has with the media. The larger the filter media bed, the better the neutralizer is able to neutralize the acidity at higher flow rates.


Q. OK, I can see which size I want to get, but I see you offer three different types of backwash control valves, the 5600 Economy, the 2510 Heavy-Duty and the 7000 Electronic High Flow. What is the difference and why would I want one over the other?

A. We offer the 5600 Economy for people who want the lowest cost neutralizer, and who have low flow needs (for instance 1 bathroom). The 5600 is a good unit and will last for many years, but it is lacking some features that the 2510 and 7000 have, mainly the fact that the length of the backwash and rinse cycles cannot be adjusted, they come fixed. The 2510 is a better choice for most people, as it allows you to change the length of the backwash and rinse if you want to. The 2510 offers higher flow rates with less pressure drop than the 5600. The 2510 has a simple analog timer. It has been in use for decades and works great. We have some working great that we installed in the early 1980's. The 7000 Electronic models has push button timer settings, and if your power goes out, it will keep the time of day you set originally. All of these units (the 5600, 2510 and 7000) have timers so that they will backwash during the middle of the night or at some other time you want it to, when you are not using the water. Note that if the power does go out with the 5600 or 2510 models, you don't have to do anything or reset anything if you don't want to, it is just that the control won't backwash at the time you originally set. There is no rush to reset it if you don't want to. One final point about the 7000 is that it has higher flow rate capability than the 2510 and is recommended if you have high flow demands (3 bathrooms or more, or some other higher flow needs). If you have a large house with six people in it, we recommend the 7000, otherwise we recommend the 2510.


Q Do you offer any other sizes?

A. Yes. We have sizes up to 1200 lbs or 12 cubic foot, so contact use if you need a quote for a commerical or other special need.


Q. Do these filters have any special conditions to work properly?

A. Yes! The systems come in two blends, and you should know the pH, alkalinity, hardness, and total dissolved solids. The water must be low in tannins and free of oil. It is also important to know iron and manganese levels.


Q. Can I get assistance in choosing the best neutralizer system for my application?

A. You should first have your water tested, and then contact our technical staff for help on selecting the best neutralizer filter system for your application by completing our online neutralizer form.


Q. My water also has a very bad odor of sulfur, is this a problem?

A. No. If hydrogen sulfides levels are low, a neutralizing filter system may reduce it but generally you should treat the hydrogen sulfide with ozone or chlorine and greensand filtration. You can use a neutralizer filter as a pre-filter to a greensand system if you have both low pH (acid water) and your water has sulfur odors or iron in it.


Q. Are these systems big energy users?

A. No. The control valve uses only about 15 watts of energy to run the timer and backwash valve.


Q. I have very high iron and manganese (greater than .05 ppm), will these filters remove these?

A. Generally they are not used for iron removal but they will remove small amounts of oxidized iron and manganese. They will not remove dissolved iron or manganese (clear water iron).


Q. What maintenance is required?

A. Under the right conditions there is little maintenance. Periodically, and depending on raw water pH and the amount of water used, additional mineral is easily added to the filter tank. This is typically once a year for the average home. In some cases, the calcite or calcite-corosex blend is added twice a year depending on the pH and amount of water that is used through the neutralizer filter. Because our neutralizers have a top fill plug and a bypass valve it easy to add the mineral. Just put the neutralizer on bypass, release the pressure by manually backwashing the neutralizer filter, and unscrew the top plug using any medium sized channel lock pliers or crescent wrench (available at any hardware store). Stick a tape measure into the fill plug hole and determine if the calcite mineral is less than 2/3rds full. If it is, simply add more calcite until the neutralizer tank is 2/3rds full again, re-install the fill plug and backwash the neutralizer. This entire process takes about 20 minutes.


Q. Is there a pressure loss through the system?

A. Properly sized, the system produces a very low pressure drop at service flow rates, usually around 5 psi.


Q. Can I route the backwash water to my septic tank?

A. Yes. The backwash water is non-toxic and can be routed to the septic tank with no problem. It can also be routed to landscaping, although the backwash may contain sediment or other particles removed from the water.


Q. I have also heard of "Up-Flow Neutralizers", what are these?

A. Upflow neutralizers use similar filter media, but instead of a downward flow of water, as with our acid neutralizers, the water flows up through the filter media. These systems are not backwashed, and the media does not filter sediment. Our acid neutralizers also act as filters, removing sediment and oxidized iron particles. By periodically backwashing the filters, the sediment is discharged to drain. Backwashing also serves to clean and to re-classify the filter media. If you really want an upflow filter, we can supply you with the materials to put your own one together. In some cases, if the water is very clean, and there is no power available, we do recommend upflow neutralizers, but in most cases the automatic acid neutralizing filters work much and are much less trouble than an upflow neutralizer, in our experience.


Q. Can I get assistance in choosing an neutralizer filter system for my application?

A. Yes! You should first have your water tested, and then contact our technical staff for help on selecting the best iron filter system for your application. Also see our Custom Water System Design Questionnaire which makes it easy to help you select a system.