Review on 🔴 Manganese Chloride Reducing iSpring WGB22BM by Andrew Gomez

I was in dire need of a whole house filtration system for our well water supply. There is no bacteria but since we first moved into the house we have developed a bad odor and red rust spots. First, I was able to flush the fountain long enough to remove most of the rust particles that were literally turning the water red. I also replaced the filter media in my water softener which after about 17 years was black, icky and ineffective. While the water glass now looked nice and clear straight out of the faucet, overnight the water turned brown as the dissolved iron "rusted" out of solution. The iSpring system seemed to fit the bill. Now I installed and started the system. Unfortunately, when the system arrived, one of the blue filter housings was broken inside. On the underside of the case is a small cylindrical molding that appears to be welded on. It was interrupted. Inside, the filter element was still in its packaging, which is punctured by the molding when the element is placed in the housing for shipment. It seems that this operation broke the cylinder. A call to iSpring on Wednesday received an order to replace the case. When it arrived the following week it was a completely different hull! After contacting iSpring again and sending photos of the case I needed, another was on the way - thanks to Nick. (iSpring is very easy to use and very responsive. This is rare and welcome in today's world). This time it was correct, but in terms of time it took about a week and a half. I now have several large suitcases and am sure I can use them for storage in my workshop! The time lag wasn't an issue as I had to order a custom fit from TrueValue. I used Sharkbite fittings and PEX tubing for easy assembly. Unfortunately, the 1" external thread for the 3/4" Push To Connect screw connection is not available in any hardware store. The connection points on my system are 3/4" CPVC and 3/4" copper tubing. This seizure lasted as long as the body! Sharkbite's approach essentially doubled the cost of the filtration system itself (total parts cost was $907), but saved time and allowed for easy redesign/adjustment during installation. I suggest you use thread sealant on NPT threaded fittings. I had a couple of leaks on the last test that needed to be repaired with sealant. I've always had trouble with PTFE sealed joints and should have used sealant from the start. The Sharkbite Push To Connect fittings worked great the first time - impressive. Other reviewers note leaks in the connection between the two filter heads. I have not seen it yet. I had some copper tubing from the battery to the WGB22BM, which became difficult when I added a branch so I can later install an external faucet fed directly from the well. It takes much longer to cut and solder than PEX! I installed a WSP-50 sediment filter in front of the WGB22BM to pre-filter larger well water particles. The instructions suggest that you can screw it directly into the first head of the WGB22BM filter as it has a 1" male thread. However, this requires the mounting bracket to be removed as the filter housing will interfere with it before the connection is tightened. I tried loosening the screws and moving the slotted bracket but it was too tight. This is because the slots in the metal bracket don't actually line up with the holes in the filter heads! The edge actually sits at the bottom of the threads in the self-tapping screws - a frustrating design/quality issue. Upon removing the bracket I found that the sediment filter in the filter head had sunk to the bottom before being tightened enough! A quick trip to the store for a 1 "male father" and a 1 inch "mother-mother" adapter. This time the sump filter made a good fit, although this was the site of later leaks. I added pressure gauges on each side of the filter system to determine if the elements are blocked and need replacing. I have a well pump pressure of 50-35psi and see no noticeable pressure drop in a system with clean elements and an open bath faucet. Water samples can be taken after the filter system and before the water softener. I only installed the filter elements after testing the system and fixing a few thread leaks. Note that you will need silicone grease (on the iSpring) to lubricate the cell body threads and o-rings (the instructions say DO NOT USE VASELIZATION). Luckily I have a tube of this lube (thanks to Harbor Freight). it is intended - the removal of the unpleasant smell, as well as the dissolved and sedimentary rust from our well water. The water is crystal clear and tastes great. The water softener has removed a lot of rust, but this shortens the life of the media in the softener. and does not help with smell and taste. I will do a water quality test in a few days. s after the system has settled and the hot water tank has been flushed with clean water and will update this review. My only concern is how long the filters will last. The sieve works well and the particles drain easily into the bucket. Carbon and iron elements are not cheap ($130-150) and replacing them too often is not going to be a light pill. "Replace every 3-6 months" on iSpring doesn't work for me. This is too vague a guideline. I will be using pressure gauges and a water quality test kit to potentially push the system past its filtration capacity to minimize costs. UPDATE I: In about a day the water will be very clear. Unfortunately I only have one set of test strips left from the LabTech H20 OK kit I used to test well water a few months ago. I would rather test the water in the well, right after the filters and at the same time after the water softener. However, tap water is the most important test. Here are the results in PPM. The first reading is well water, the second is tap water according to WGB22BM and water softener... Total hardness: 100; 0total chlorine: 0; 0 alkalinity: 40; 40pH: 6; 6nitrates/nitrites: 0; 0 copper: 0.6; 1.0 iron: 5; 0 So the system does exactly what I wanted it to do. Cool! UPDATE II: One month later the system is still working fine. However, our well water contains a lot of sediment, and after the WSP-50 filter was turned on for a week, the water pressure dropped noticeably, which was observed when using more than one faucet at the same time. The grid was covered with a fine reddish (ferrous) mud. Removed and washed with dish soap and a sponge. After replacement, the water pressure was normal. Now I backwash it daily and only had to clean it once every 3 weeks or so. After a month there is a 10-15 psi drop in the two large blue waters, presumably due to the lower sediment passing through the WSP-50. However, the shower still works well with a slight but acceptable drop in flow . while waiting for the fountain pump to work at 35psi (max pressure 50psi). The cold water quality is still excellent. The smell of hot water was still noticeable even after the hot water tank was emptied. Studies show that there is likely some bacteria in the tank causing the smell and a dose of hydrogen peroxide will eliminate it. That's my next task. UPDATE III: After 2 months I had 3ppm iron right after the filter system. However, a water softener installed downstream helped maintain the final water quality. The charcoal element still removed the odor, but I installed two new elements after finding a red-brown residue in both cases. The carbon filter was hard on the outside, which partly explained the low water pressure. The WSP-50 also clogs and requires frequent cleaning. I cut apart the elements to see what they are (see photo). The iron filter is essentially the same as my water softener with resin balls inside, while the activated carbon is a relatively strong tube with a "sock" around it. I have now developed a backwash procedure and will see how well it works. I run well water (about 5 gallons per day) backwards through filters and a WSP-50 drain. This helps remove sludge from the elements (as evidenced by brown dripping water) and remove sludge from the WSP-50 screen. The mesh filter cleans so well that I no longer have to take it apart to clean the filter. While this does not extend the life of the iron filter, it does keep the water pressure high. I will see if the combination of an iron filter element and a water softener will extend the life of an expensive iron element by more than 2 months and run the carbon filter until the water starts to smell to accurately gauge its full life. UPDATE IV: After another 2 months I did more extensive hardware testing and found a much cheaper iron test kit with 50 tests. Also, my daily backwash works well to keep the water pressure high. As far as iron testing goes, I have no detectable iron in the faucet. That is, after the iSpring system, and then the water softener. Well I have at least 5ppm iron, maybe more. It's usually worse after heavy rains, like now that more iron is washed out of the ground as the water seeps through it. After the iSpring system, I also measured 5ppm! So again, in just 2 months the iron element is completely depleted. It is clear that the water softener does most of the iron removal (I use anti-rust salt and regenerate the softener every 4 days). I have now replaced the iron filter and will be monitoring its performance over the next few weeks to see when it is useless. Right after that I ran a test where I ran about 10 gallons through a new iron filter element and measured 0.5 ppm iron - already above the ideal maximum. 0.3ppm! My plan is to install a sediment and carbon element and leave the iron removal on the water softener once this new filter is ready and see how they perform. Iron elements are too expensive to be replaced that often and with limited performance. UPDATE V: It's been over a year now and I've found the optimal setting. 20-micron dual-density sediment filter ($20), carbon filter ($35), then Rust Defense saltwater softener. The filter elements lasted a year before I replaced them. Carbon has still worked well, but the year seems like a good time to start incorporating new ones. The rust content is typically 0 to 1 ppm. I have found that I can get this life out of the sediment filter by backwashing the filters each day with about 3 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket, using the filter drain (which also cleans the filter) and the water backwards through my runs filter. valves.