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| Figure 3 Chlorine
Injection by Metering Pump & Holding/Contact Tank |
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| 2.4 Removal of Odors by
Filtration |
| Hydrogen sulfide gas odors can be removed by filtration
but results vary, and usually filtration alone is not effective. The
reasons for this are that typically, odors and hydrogen sulfide gas
are the result of bacterial action. Often the odors can be removed
at point of entry to the home or business, and then develop again
in the piping system and water heater. It is more effective to use
filtration after aeration, ozone or chlorine injection for best results. |
| In some applications, with low levels of hydrogen sulfide
gas odors, greensand media filters, regenerated with potassium permanganate
are the most effective in removing hydrogen sulfide or rotten egg
odors. Activated carbon is less effective and the life of activated
carbon media beds are short, and often require frequent replacing. |
| 3.0 Odors Present in Inside
Piping Only |
| If there is a sulfur, or “rotten-egg” odor
in the cold water, then you can use shock-chlorination to either temporarily
or permanently eliminate the odor. Shock-chlorination will kill the
bacteria in the cold water lines and loosen up scale and slime that
may have developed in the piping. If the odor is only in the hot water,
go to Section 3 to see instructions on chlorinating and servicing
the water heater. |
| Unless you are familiar with your plumbing system and
handling chlorine you should not attempt to chlorinate your own piping.
This should only be attempted by a licensed water treatment professional
or plumber. |
| 3.1 There are two methods
of filling a household or other piping system with a chlorine solution: |
| Method 1: Use a standard
centrifugal pump, sump pump or other pump and pump in a 80 to 100
ppm chlorine solution into a household piping system that is de-pressurized,
filling the pipes up with the chlorine solution. This involves
shutting the water pressure off from the street, and draining the
household pipes and then pumping in a solution of chlorine from a
clean, new plastic trashcan or other clean container. The fixtures
and faucets are opened and the solution is pumped until the chlorine
solution is present in all the fixtures, including the water heater
and hot water lines. To chlorinate a home that is 2 stories or less,
use a pump that can develop at least 20 psi at 5 gallons per minute.
After a chlorine residual of 50 to 100 ppm is detected at each faucet
or fixture (using a high-range chlorine test kit, not a pool or hot
tub test kit) the chlorine solution is allowed to remain in the pipes
for 12 to 24 hours. |
| Method 2: Use a high-pressure
metering pump. Professional water treatment specialists and
distribution system operators would use this method. This involves
leaving the water system under pressure and using a high pressure,
low-volume metering pump to inject a concentrated chlorine solution
under pressure, while the water is running in the house. After a chlorine
residual of 50 to 100 ppm is detected at each faucet or fixture (using
a high-range chlorine test kit, not a pool or hot tub test kit) the
chlorine solution is allowed to remain in the pipes for 12 to 24 hours.
This method saves time and is as effective as Method 1. |
| 3.2 Method 1 – Shock
chlorination of piping systems by injecting a 100 ppm chlorine solution
using a centrifugal, sump pump or other pump: |
| 1. |
Shut off the main line coming in to the house. |
| 2. |
Identify an outside hose bib or other opening in
the incoming piping. If no hose bib or opening exists, install a ½”
threaded opening and a hose bib into the main line to use for injecting
the chlorine solution. Open up several of the faucets or taps in the
house and drain the water from the household piping. |
| 3. |
Hook up pump using garden hose or other hoses to the main line. |
| 4. |
Mix 1 ounce of household bleach or ½ ounces
of pool chlorine (12% sodium hypochlorite) for every 4 gallons of
water in a clean trashcan or other plastic container. This will create
a 98 ppm chlorine solution (or approximately 100 ppm). The amount
of solution needed will vary depending on the size of the piping,
but typically there is approximately 100 to 300 gallons of water in
most home piping systems |
| 5. |
Run the water in the house until the bleach solution
has filled all the pipes and a strong odor of chlorine is coming from
the fixtures or faucets, both hot and cold. |
| Create a 100 ppm chlorine
solution: |
| Household bleach is 5% chlorine (sodium hypochlorite) |
| 5% = 50,000 parts per million (“PPM”) |
| 1 gallon = 128 fluid ounces 4 gallons = 512 oz. |
| 1 oz @ 50,000 pm |
 |
| 512 oz. |
|
= |
98 ppm |
| Add 1 oz bleach for every 4 gallons water OR |
| Add 4 oz (1/2 cup) for every 16 gallons water
OR |
| Add 8 oz (1 cup) for 32 gallons of water. |
|
| 6. |
Allow the water to sit for 12 hours. |
| 7. |
Retest for chlorine residual. |
| 8. |
If the water contains less than 10 ppm of chlorine,
repeat entire procedure. The slime, scale, and odor-producing bacteria
will interact with the chlorine and reduce the amount of chlorine
residual in the piping. If it uses up all the chlorine, or the chlorine
residual is less than 10 ppm, then the procedure may need to be repeated.
|
| 9. |
Flush the piping and fixtures well to flush out scale and colored
from water from the piping. Unscrew aerators and fixtures to avoid
these items becoming plugged with sediment that may have been loosened
in the chlorination process. |
| Caution:
this will often loosen up scale, iron deposits and other materials
in the piping, which can clog fixtures, appliances and valves in the
piping system, causing a lot of problems. Care should be taken when
flushing the piping, and all aerators removed to prevent clogging.
In some extreme cases of corroded piping, the piping could fail and
start to leak after this procedure. |
| If you are on septic tank:
in most cases, it won’t harm the septic tank to flush 50 to
100 ppm of chlorine residual into it, on a one-time basis, with the
water from a household piping system. If you want to be extra certain,
after chlorination, you can add in some “septic tank starter”
or beneficial bacterial material, down the toilet and establish beneficial
bacteria in the septic tank. This can be purchased at any hardware
store. |
| 3.3 Method 2: Shock chlorination
of piping systems using a high-pressure metering pump without draining
the piping first: |
| 1. |
Shut off the main line coming in to the house. Identify
an outside hose bib or other opening in the incoming piping. If no
hose bib or opening exists, install a ½” threaded opening
into the main line to use for injecting the chlorine solution. Open
up several of the faucets or taps in the house and drain the water
from the household piping. |
| Typical metering pumps with adjustable
speed and pump stroke adjusting knobs. These adjusting knobs make
it easy to meter in 10% to 100% of pump output and adjust output of
pump for various applications. |
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