Well Water Chlorinators Popular for Home Well Systems

Affordable and Effective Disinfection

Chlorinators have been used as the primary way to sanitize potable water supplies ever since the early years of the 20th century and are the most common method of disinfecting water. Despite advancements in alternative technology such as ozone and ultra-violet light, chlorination is still the most popular system for disinfection of residential home well water systems.

Home well water chlorinators are favored because they’re lower in price than other technologies and easy for home owners to setup and operate. Chlorine is easy to filter out after the water has been treated with basic carbon filter systems.

To be effective at eliminating bacteria, eradicating smells and treating iron, there needs to be sufficient amount of time immediately after it comes in contact with the water to be effective properly. Ten minutes of contact time is recommended for disinfection; however this varies depending upon the water chemistry, water temperature and the amount of chlorine being injected.

Metering Pumps

Easy to put in and low in cost, metering pumps are the most in-demand way of chlorinating well water. A metering pump is put in so it turns on and off when the well pump turns on and off, by way of wiring the pump to the pre-existing well pump pressure switch. In some instances a flow switch is used, to ensure that in the event the water flows, the metering pump switches on and off depending on flow.

With these types of chlorinators common household bleach or liquid swimming pool chlorine is usually utilized. A compact plastic tank holds the bleach solution and the metering pump sucks the bleach from the solution tank and ‘meters’ it at a controlled specific volume, injecting it into the water pipe. The point of injection is positioned before the pressure tank to be effective. The quantity of chlorine in the water referred to as the “chlorine residual” is easy to maintain and kept at a precise level.

Solid In-Line Pellet Feeders

Chlorine is also available as solid pellets (calcium hypochlorite). The pellets can be employed in erosion feeders, where a small portion of the pellet dissolves in the water as the water flows thru pellet feeders. This type does not require electrical power to operate and is the least expensive of the three types of chlorinators.

They are simple to operate and can often run for a few months before any more pellets are needed. But they do have a disadvantage, as the amount of chlorine being injected is difficult to control. There are some residential well water applications where these systems are appropriate though, particularly if water usage is minimal such as in a cottage or vacation home.

Well Pellet Droppers

This type of chlorinator uses a pellet dropper which operates whenever the well pump is pumping and slowly drops chlorine pellets down into the well at pre-set intervals. Solid pellet feeders are helpful for controlling iron bacteria as well as hydrogen sulfide in well waters, but are not typically used as a principal means of disinfecting the water. Like the in-line pellet feeders, the chlorine residual can be hard to control.

Gerry Bulfin, who has been treating problem well water for over 25 years, is a WQA Certified water technician and a California state licensed water treatment and distribution system operator. His practical and excellent free guide on Well Water Chlorinators is available for a limited time from the online Clean Water Store.