Whole house backwash water filter with chlorine question

[pdc]

I have a whole house carbon backwash filtration system. The media uses a chlorine solution to backwash. I'm new to this system and am trying to figure out how it functions. During the backwash cycle the chlorine solution is drawn into the carbon tank. The chlorine tank is 16 gallons and about half of it is drawn in for the backwash. I'm thinking when finished the solution used is expelled to waste and the chlorine tank is replenished with just new water effectively reducing the concentration by half. Is this correct? If so how do you know how much chlorine to add to keep the correct concentration? When refilling, the chlorine tank is regulated by a float valve much like a toilet.

 

[SHEPLMBR]

Consult manufacturers recommendations. It is not all one size fits all.

 

[speedbump]

I have never heard of any filter being "backwashed" with chlorine. Especially one that uses 8 gallons. Chlorine is removed by carbon. So introducing that much chlorine to one for any reason would simply deplete the carbon's ability to remove chlorine.

Can you post a few pictures of this contraption so we can try to figure out what it is?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

I have never heard of any filter being "backwashed" with chlorine. Especially one that uses 8 gallons. Chlorine is removed by carbon. So introducing that much chlorine to one for any reason would simply deplete the carbon's ability to remove chlorine.

Can you post a few pictures of this contraption so we can try to figure out what it is?

There are some. It helps keep the head of the system clear of iron bacteria and keeps it from gumming up. The systems I sell have one, but like I said, they are all different.

 

[speedbump]

That's a new one on me. But does yours use 8 gallons of bleach when backwashing?

 

[SHEPLMBR]

OH NO. It's mechanically fed.

 

[speedbump]

Yeah, using a feed pump. That makes sense, but backwashing with chlorine doesn't.

 

[pdc]

The tank on the right draws the backwash from the chlorine solution in the black tank on left.

 

[speedbump]

Up in the right hand corner is a Gast Air Pump which looks to be injecting air to the middle tank which is either for iron or sulfur. It doesn't have a backwash head though so I'm guessing its for sulfur. The one on the right is either an iron filter or a softener. But I don't know why you would add chlorine to a brine tank which should have salt in it. If it's an iron filter the chlorine should be going into the water stream. I do not see a chlorinator in the picture.

 

[pdc]

The right tank has Centaur carbon media in it for hydrogen Sulfide. it is backwashed with the chlorine solution in the square black tank. Every 3 days it cycles about half of the 16 gallons to backwash then refills. Not sure if the same liquid comes back or if it's just water.You are correct about the air pump for the center tank.

 

[speedbump]

The right tank has Centaur carbon media in it for hydrogen Sulfide. it is backwashed with the chlorine solution in the square black tank. Every 3 days it cycles about half of the 16 gallons to backwash then refills. Not sure if the same liquid comes back or if it's just water

If that's how it works, it's the craziest system I have ever seen. Centaur is a very expensive carbon for the lack of a better explanation. Works well for sulfur but doesn't need backwashing other than to remove chunks of sulfur or iron.