# What's this green stuff?



## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

I went out to a call this afternoon with a complaint of low water pressure. I isolated it to the prv, removed the old one and installed a new #70 Wilkins. I pulled some green vegetation/algae from the old prv and flushed the line. Went inside and checked all the fixtures; everything was flowing great. 

Then I get a call about 3 hours later that it's now worse. So I go out and take the new prv out, flush the line again and clean out the new prv. This is what I found...



















I'm going to try and get the authorization to install a 60 micron silk screen filter just before the prv tomorrow but I want to find out what this stuff is and how to permanently remove it from the system. Any ideas?





Paul


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

You may want to give the water purveyor a call to see if they are having a bio-film problem. You may be able to send them those pictures to get an opinion.

Mark


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

What is their water supplied from?


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Probably should have mentioned this is on a private well. The system is not new, I'd guess it's at least 4-5 years old. 





Paul


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

Check the bladder in the pressure tank...

Beyond that they better look at the well...
Looks like the lilly pads in the pond next to the well are dying....


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

I've seen the exact same thing but it was black, the stuff builds up on the bladder of the p-tank and then when the normal cycling of the system is interrupted, the stuff starts flaking off the bladder. 

Solution: either replace the p-tank or keep on flushing the system out. 

And there doesn't need to be a prv on a well pump, replace the prv with a cycle stop valve, they eliminate cycling and hold constant pressure on the system, let me know if u need any info on them.


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## Widdershins (Feb 5, 2011)

Looks like a form of algae bloom. We get it in certain neighborhoods fed with open air aquifers around here all the time.

Basically harmless for human consumption (if the purveyor is to be believed) but especially nasty on ceramics -- It'll plug up a Franke filter cartridge or foul a ceramic faucet cartridge in less than a day.


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## DesertOkie (Jul 15, 2011)

Global warming.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Mississippiplum said:


> I've seen the exact same thing but it was black, the stuff builds up on the bladder of the p-tank and then when the normal cycling of the system is interrupted, the stuff starts flaking off the bladder.
> 
> Solution: either replace the p-tank or keep on flushing the system out.
> 
> And there doesn't need to be a prv on a well pump, replace the prv with a cycle stop valve, they eliminate cycling and hold constant pressure on the system, let me know if u need any info on them.


 
This system had a pump I've not seen before (I still haven't seen it actually ). Between the storage tank and pressure tank, mounted on the board that has the electrical disconnects, is a Grundfos pump controller. By the time my diagnostics had gotten that far from the house, it was dark and cold so I didn't get a whole lot more info. I didn't feel like climbing up and looking into the storage tank just to satisfy my curiosities. From the sounds of things, the pump is in the storage tank :blink: and is definately a quick pressure builder. The cut out is about 85 psi so I'd like to keep the prv. 





Paul


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Sounds like a Vfd powered pump. u say storage tank, if it is open air or any part of the system Is open air, that will cause Alge to grow in the system, it also sounds like this storage tank is to compensate for a low Yeild well. The tank will have to be drained and the system shocked with chlorine to kill the alge that's growing in the tank and system.


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## c-note (Aug 12, 2011)

awsome i dont hear much about this kinda plumbing out here in long beach ca.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Mississippiplum said:


> Sounds like a Vfd powered pump. u say storage tank, if it is open air or any part of the system Is open air, that will cause Alge to grow in the system, it also sounds like this storage tank is to compensate for a low Yeild well. The tank will have to be drained and the system shocked with chlorine to kill the alge that's growing in the tank and system.


Aside from the pump, this system is set up just like any other around here. A submerged pump feeds the water up to a 2,500 gallon holding tank. A shallow well pump then supplies pressure to a 84 gallon pressure tank and that feeds the house. The 2,500 gallon tank isn't really open air (or at least open to the sunlight) but it's not hermetically sealed. It's just your typical poly tank with a screw down lid.

The holding tanks are also typical for this area to allow water for fighting a fire, as they almost always feed a 2 1/2" hydrant on the property.










The pressure tank is just a normal 84 gallon tank and doesn't appear to be that old.






Paul


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## OldSchool (Jan 30, 2010)

What ever it is ..its alive and growing


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

There's defintly some alge growing in the poly storage tank, it was probly never emptied and cleaned.


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