Introduction
In order to keep well water safe and suitable for eating, the right pH balance must be maintained.
Low pH levels in well water can lead to a number of issues, such as garment stains, plumbing fixture corrosion, and a metallic or sour taste in the drinking water.
Thankfully, increasing the pH of well water is a fairly easy operation that may be carried out in a number of ways.
In order to ensure that the water in your house or place of business is clean, safe, and healthy, the reasons of low pH in well water, their potential repercussions, and numerous practical ways to raise the pH level will all be covered in this article.
Indications of Low pH Acid water
For well water to be safe and healthful to drink, the right pH balance must be maintained. A low pH level might be an indication of a number of issues with your well water. The pH level of drinking water is a measure of its acidity or alkalinity.
We shall examine the symptoms of low pH in well water and the issues it may bring up in this article.
Indications of Low pH in Well Water
Metallic or Sour Taste: Acid drinking water may have a metallic or sour flavour that makes it unpleasant to drink. Your well water may taste metallic or sour if the pH levels are low, so be aware of this.
Staining: Plumbing fixtures such as sinks, toilets, and bathtubs may become stained as a result of low pH water. Due to the high concentrations of dissolved iron and manganese in acidic water, staining might happen.
Corrosion: Acid water can cause plumbing fittings and copper pipes to deteriorate, which can result in leaks and other plumbing issues. Pipes may deteriorate due to corrosion over time, necessitating expensive repairs.
Green Stains: If you notice green stains on plumbing fixtures or in sinks and toilets, it could be a sign of lower pH levels in your well water. Green stains are typically caused by high levels of copper in the water.
Blue-Green Stains: Lower pH drinking water can also leave blue or green stains on copper plumbing systems that are blue-green in colour. High quantities of brass in the water supply are often to blame for these stains.
Reddish-Brown Stains: Reduced pH water can leave behind reddish-brown stains on laundry and plumbing fittings. High concentrations of dissolved iron in the water are often the culprit behind these stains.
Problems Caused by Reduced pH in Well Water Supply
Many issues that influence the quality of your water and the durability of your plumbing system can be brought on by acid water. These issues consist of:
Leaks and Plumbing Problems: Reduced pH water can damage pipes and plumbing fittings, which can result in leaks and other plumbing issues. This may necessitate expensive repairs and the replacement of plumbing parts.
Unpalatable Water: Reduced pH water can have a metallic or sour taste, making it unpleasant to drink. It could be challenging to consume and use because of this.
Staining: Reduced pH water can leave stains on your clothes, plumbing fixtures, and other surfaces in your house. This can be challenging to get rid of and lower your home’s curb appeal.
Bacterial Growth: Reduced pH water can encourage the development of microorganisms in your plumbing system. This may result in digestive illnesses and other medical issues.
How to Test Water pH
The pH scale has numbers 0 through 14. Acidic water has a pH value lower than 7.
Anything with a pH of 7 or higher is considered to be alkaline.
Using an at-home testing kit is the simplest approach to check the quality of your well water.
With the majority of pH tests, you just need to dip a test strip into a sample of your water. The strip will change colour, and you may determine your pH by comparing the colour to a chart.
With a pH testing kit, you can perform a quick process to determine the pH of your well water. The steps are as follows:
Buy a pH testing kit: A pH testing kit can be purchased at a nearby hardware or home improvement store. Ensure sure the kit you select is appropriate for evaluating the pH of water.
Take a water sample: In a clean container, take a sample of your well water. Ensure sure there are no impurities in the container that could skew the results of the test.
Prepare the testing kit: To prepare the solution for testing, adhere to the directions on the pH testing kit.
Test the water: Water testing involves adding a few drops of the pH testing solution to a sample of water and waiting for the colour to take shape. To calculate the water pH level, compare the water’s colour to the colour chart included with the testing kit.
Interpreting the results: The colour of the water sample will reveal the pH level of your well water. To maintain clean, secure, and healthy water for your house or place of business, you might need to take action to raise the pH level if the colour of the water suggests a low pH level.
How to Raise pH in Well Water
The use of chemical feed pumps and acid-neutralizing filter systems are two straightforward fixes for well water that is too acidic.
Acid Neutralizer Filter
By treating water with a pH-boosting medium, acid-neutralizer filters enhance the pH of the liquid.
A neutralising system will typically use calcite, a calcium carbonate media, or a calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide mixture (otherwise called corsex).
The most typical setup consists of a control head and a single media tank. Some of the tank’s media disintegrate into the water as acidic water passes through it.
Depending on the initial pH value, this produces water with a pH of roughly 7 to 7.5.
Acid neutralizer filters typically need to be backwashed to keep up a high degree of performance. Water tends to follow the same paths through the tank on a regular basis. This implies that some calcite media components will be utilised before others.
During backwashing, water is pumped through the tank in the opposite direction, spinning the calcite medium. The media has taken up a new position after backwashing is complete.
Nevertheless, this media will ultimately run out, and you’ll need to replenish it every six to twelve months.
It’s critical to purchase the neutralizer filter’s tank in the appropriate size for your water flow rate. Incorrect sizing of these water systems can have an impact on the functionality of your home’s appliances and the flow of drinking water through your plumbing fixtures.
Most neutralising filters are put near the entrance to your home. They won’t therefore safeguard the well itself, the pressure tank, or the well pump.
If you want to lessen the possibility of acid damage to your well, you might be able to purchase components with protective linings or coatings.
Calcite Media
Water with a pH scale ranges of 6 to 6.5 can be treated by an acid neutralizer that makes use of calcite medium. Crushed white marble is used to make this material for treating acidic water.
The water pH will be raised after calcium carbonate treatment. This operates in a manner similar to how water would naturally flow through a rock rich in calcium.
A batch of calcite media is typically included with a neutralising filter as part of the purchase price. Online stores sell replacement calcite media.
Calcite-Corosex Blend Media
While most situations call for calcite media, you can be working with acidic water that has a pH of even lower than 6.
While calcite media normally raises water’s pH by one, combining it with magnesium oxide and corosex can raise pH in well supply as much as 1.5.
You should mix 80%–90% calcite medium with 10%–20% magnesium oxide when using calcite and corosex together.
Avoid adding too much corosex to the water since it may cause the alkaline water pH to increase too much.
Problems can arise due to excessive alkaline water pH levels. Use magnesium oxide carefully as it has a laxative effect as well.
It’s important to keep in mind that employing calcite and magnesium oxide to treat acidic water can increase your hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium).
Scale is a mineral compound made of calcium and magnesium that can harm your pipes.
You may need to think about purchasing a whole-house water softener to soften your alkaline water following calcite-corosex treatment because you don’t want to replace one water quality concern with another.
Chemical Feed Pumps
The only treatment that works for water with a pH of 4 or below is soda ash injection system through a chemical feed pump.
Chemical feed pump systems neutralise the water pH of acidic water by adding just the correct amount of soda ash. A tank and a chemical feed pump make up an injection system. The control valve is set up to inject the right amount of soda ash based on the quality of your water.
Electricity is needed for a chemical injection system with soda ash feeder solution into the water. Soda ash can also be substituted with sodium hydroxide.
This form of pH water treatment has the benefit of not causing any issues with water hardness. The flow rate has no impact on this system either.
Chemical feed pumps don’t use any alkaline water throughout the treatment process and don’t require a backwash cycle.
At the point of entry to your home, an injection system is installed. These alkaline water systems, however, do more than merely safeguard the appliances and pipelines in your house. They will pump soda ash solution right into your well, shielding the casing and pump from corrosion.
Chemical feed pumps require little upkeep. The soda ash storage tank will need to be refilled, and the screens will need to be cleaned sometimes. Moreover, regular cleaning and maintenance will be needed for the pump itself.
FAQs
Why should I increase the pH of my well water?
Staining, corrosion, and bacterial development are just a few issues that low pH levels in well water can lead to. Increasing the pH level can aid in avoiding these issues and guaranteeing safe and wholesome drinking water.
How can I tell if the pH level in my well water is too low?
With a pH testing kit, you can determine the pH level of your well water. If the pH value is less than 7.0, the water is acidic and may require treatment to increase the pH value.
What are some ways to increase the pH of well water?
Lime, soda ash, or a neutralising filter system are a few techniques for increasing the pH level of well water. Your choice of approach will be influenced by the particular requirements of your well water system and the severity of the pH imbalance.
Is it possible to increase my well water’s pH without using chemicals?
Absolutely, by installing a neutralising filter system, you can increase the pH level of your well water without using chemicals. A filter medium, like calcite, is used in this system to neutralise the acid in the alkaline water.
Can I increase the pH of my well water with common household items?
Although certain common home items, such as baking soda, can improve water’s pH, they might not be successful in treating well water with a low pH level. Using specialist treatment techniques intended for well water systems is advised.
How frequently should I check my well water’s pH level?
It is advised to test your well water’s pH level at least once a year. But, you should conduct a pH test right away if you detect any changes in the flavour, colour, or odour of your well water.
After raising the pH, is it safe to consume well water?
Certainly, as long as you adhere to the right treatment procedures and instructions, drinking well water after raising the pH level is safe. To make sure that your well water is safe to drink, it is always advised to get it tested by a licenced laboratory.