Birm® is an efficient and economical media for the reduction of dissolved iron and manganese compounds from raw water supplies. It may be used in either gravity fed or pressurized water treatment systems. Birm® acts as an insoluble catalyst to enhance the reaction between dissolved oxygen (D.O.) and the iron compounds.

What is birm used for?

Birm® is an efficient and economical media for the reduction of dissolved iron and manganese compounds from raw water supplies. It may be used in either gravity fed or pressurized water treatment systems. Birm® acts as an insoluble catalyst to enhance the reaction between dissolved oxygen (D.O.) and the iron compounds.

Does birm remove chlorine?

Anything else I should know about using a Birm iron filter? A. Yes, the water should contain no tannins, chlorine, oil or hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg odor). For water with any of these items we recommend the greensand filter systems.

What color is birm?

TYPICAL PROPERTIESPart NumberLC10001ColorBlackSpecific Gravity2.0 gm/ccEffective Size0.48 mm

What is the media in an iron filter?

The media is manufactured from natural pumice mineral which is then covered with a very thin layer of manganese dioxide. Birm only will work if there is adequate dissolved oxygen in the water. The oxygen acts as a catalyst to change the dissolved iron in to a dense rust particle that the Birm can then remove.

What is Katalox light?

Katalox Light is a revolutionary filtration media for removing iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide (sulfur) and many other contaminants. It’s composition simply makes it superior to other filter medias available like sand, Birm, Greensand Plus, Pyrolox, and Manganese Greensand.

What is the best media for iron removal?

Specifically, manganese dioxide media which is the probably the most common type of filter media used for iron and manganese removal.

How long does an iron filter system last?

We typically see Iron Curtain Filtration Systems have a life expectancy of 15-20 years. The Iron Curtain System is the technology that we most frequently recommend for iron filtration and odor in private well water applications.

What is a green sand filter?

A. Green sand filters use a specially formulated filter media made from a naturally mined form of glauconite greensand. The greensand filter media has a special coating of manganese oxide, which oxidizes iron, manganese and iron in the water upon contact with the filter media.

How often should my iron filter regeneration?

The iron-free water then flows to your faucets. This iron filter replenishes itself every three days in a process that washes the stored iron out of the filter bed and down the drain while refilling the compressed air bubble. This all happens automatically during the night.

Article first time published on

How often should I regenerate my iron filter?

This should be every two to three days, although highly efficient softeners may generate every day or even multiple times a day. There are several factors that go into determining when your water softener needs to recharge: The hardness of your water. The amount of iron in your water.

How long does Filox media last?

Media Lifespan: Filox-R™ has an expected lifespan that is 7500 times that of Birm. The life expectancy of Filox is essentially unlimited (except in extreme iron conditions), whereas Birm filters are commonly rebedded every two or three years.

Why is there so much iron in my well water?

Iron primarily enters into your well water by seeping in from the earth’s crust. … Heavy rainfall percolating through the soil will dissolve iron, ushering iron deposits into the underground aquifers. As snow melts and seeps through the earth into groundwater supplies, it introduces iron into well water sources.

How do I get rid of iron bacteria in my toilet tank?

1. Disinfectants are the most common chemicals used to treat for iron bacteria. The most common disinfectant is household laundry bleach, which contains chlorine. …
2. Surfactants are detergent-like chemicals, such as phosphates. …
3. Acids can dissolve iron deposits, destroy bacteria, and loosen bacterial slime.

How do you get rid of high iron in well water?

Aeration (injecting air) or chemical oxidation (usually adding chlorine in the form of calcium or sodium hypochlorite) followed by filtration are options if iron levels are more than 10 mg/L. Sediment filter, carbon filter, or water softeners can remove small amounts of iron, but the iron will quickly plug the system.

Will carbon filters remove iron?

Dissolved minerals like calcium and magnesium sail right through a carbon filter. However, a carbon filter with a pore size smaller than one micron can remove coliform, cysts, lead, arsenic, or iron and other heavy metals through mechanical filtration.

Does Katalox remove chlorine?

Katalox Light® System effectively remove turbidity from surface water, ground water and any waste water is coated with Manganese dioxide. … Katalox Light® System for Arsenic, Iron, Manganese, H2S and other metal removal is a simple system that needs no potassium permanganate (KMnO4) or chlorine.

What is Silex Media?

Silex Filter Media is made from pure quartz ground to 2-3 mm particle size. This high quality silex is used in water filtration and water treatment applications. Our silex is white and clear of any impurities and matches the highest standards. A silica sand used as an under-bed for ion exchange and carbon filters.

How much iron does Katalox light remove?

Katalox can remove up to 30 ppm of iron 10 ppm of sulfur and 15 ppm of manganese. Katalox light filters can also assist in raising the pH level of your water to one that is neutral.

Is greensand toxic?

The glauconite element from each of the three deposits of greensand studies was found to be toxic to com seedlings. The toxicity is due to the presence of iron, aluminum, and manganese in forms readily soluble in weakly acid media. The presence of lime prevents the toxic elements from going into solution.

What is RO filtered water?

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a water treatment process that removes contaminants from water by using pressure to force water molecules through a semipermeable membrane. During this process, the contaminants are filtered out and flushed away, leaving clean, delicious drinking water.

What do greensand filters remove?

Manganese Greensand Filter Removes Iron, Manganese, Arsenic from Groundwater. Manganese greensand is a specially processed medium for iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulphide removal. … Manganese greensand is a specially processed medium for iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulphide removal.

Do iron filters use salt?

People who use water softeners as iron filters. May find that hard to believe. Because they are usually using MASSIVE amounts of salt.

Is it safe to drink well water with iron?

However, you could not drink enough water to consume toxic levels of iron. The Environmental Protection Agency considers iron in well water as a secondary contaminant, which means it does not have a direct impact on health. … Truthfully, it will not affect your health, but it will cause costly damage and other issues.

Where do I discharge my iron filter backwash?

be sure to secure the end of the drain line so it does not move during backwash. the drain line can be routed up to 5 feet above the system control valve as long as household pressure is good. the drain location can be up to 30 feet away from the filtration system.

How often should you backwash iron filter?

Iron filters take this clear iron and transform it to rust or ferric iron in the process known as oxidation in an aerobic environment. These trapped particles are periodically and automatically backwashed out with the flush or backwash of the filter, usually once or twice a week.

Can I put vinegar in my water softener?

Can I put vinegar in my water softener? Yes; follow the same instructions for cleaning the tank with bleach. You can also mix the vinegar with water if you’d rather just scrub the brine tank instead of running a full cycle.

Should my water softener recharge every night?

Experts agree that regular regenerations are the best, because they keep the resin bed active. This should be every two to three days, although highly efficient softeners may generate every day or even multiple times a day.

Why do water softeners stop working?

Water must flow into the brine/salt tank and then back out for the water softener to do its job. … If water is not entering the tank, perhaps the float switch is stuck or there is a clog in its tubing. If cleaning doesn’t fix the problem, the float mechanism will have to be replaced.

Will a whole house filter remove iron?

When ferrous iron is exposed to oxygen or chlorine, it oxidizes and precipitates out of the water to become ferric iron. Ferric iron is found in a particulate flake form and can be removed from the water with a whole house carbon/sediment filter.

How long does it take for an iron filter to work?

2 Minutes Contact Time – Iron Removal Only With 2 minutes of contact time, a 20 gallon retention tank would have enough storage volume to oxidize iron at a flow rate of 10 gallons per minute (gpm).