Well tank shocker

[callbay]

I have a private well and my well tank became waterlogged. It is the type with the bladder in it to keep the water apart from the air charge. I decided to save about $300 and put in a new bladder rather than just buying a new tank. Sears was the cheapest place on line for the bladder for my 82 gallon tank. About $115 delivered.

Glad I did as it was only about an extra hours worth of work to change out the bladder compared to changing out the tank. The key is to fold the new bladder as tight as possible with two people and lube it with alcohol gel get it go in the hole in the bottom of the tank. My son and I pulled the old bladder out with vise grips.

The shock was when I looked inside the old bladder. It was coated in a horrible multi colored slime. It was different thickness around the inside of the bladder and looked more like it belonged in a septic tank rather than my well tank.

We never see any discolored water or particles in the water though. My wife and I talk often how we must have some of the best tasting well water on the planet. We never get sick.

Do any of you have any suggestions or methods that you use for your own well that would keep this stuff from forming? I could put a chlorinator on the well but I would rather not drink chlorinated water.

Thanks!

 

[4wheeldog]

The taste of your well water may not be quite as good, for awhile. Just sayin'.

 

[Cujet]

Short of testing the slime, it would be just a guess as to what it is. Iron bacteria is a very common thing in private wells. If I were to speculate, that's what I'd guess you have.

However, there are plenty of other forms of buildup. There are even non bacterial buildups. From clay and silt, to various minerals and so on.

As I am sure you are aware, taste is a viable way to determine certain types of water quality. If it tastes good, it probably is. Even so, there are some things that do not produce objectionable taste or smell.

If you have bacteria, chlorination is not the only solution. A powerful UV water purification system will be very effective, "killing" 99.99% of all microorganisms. But you must follow the UV unit with a very high quality CARBON filter capable of pulling out the dead bacteria.

UV systems won't change the PH or taste of the water.

 

[Donald]

I would have your water tested.

 

[Al]

Any well water should be tested for sure.
Problem with a UV light is it requires very good filter upstream of the light to keep it effective.

 

[PierreR]

Not much you can do about the slime as you call it.
It looks the same in every other well tanks on the planet.
Its the minerals and dirt thats in the water that is the slime.

To try and stop it you could try to add a filter to the system if you dont already have one, they go in before the tank so the water has to pass it first.
Or you could empty it once every year and clean it.

 

[spasm3]

Since you opened up the tank, rather than testing, i'd just chlorinate the well, will go away in a week and it will sterilize any contamination where you opened up the tank.

 

[JTK]

I'm sure we'd be grossed out by the potentially colorful slime build-ups in city water systems as well.

 

[ls1mike]

I have a 12700 dollar pump house...I had horrible water, iron, sulfur, it was just bad.

New filtration system cost 5900 dollars. New shed was the rest. Water is awesome now!!

 

[ls1mike]

Oh yeah slime? That is normal. You should see the potable water tanks on submarine.