Thursday, December 15, 2011

When Should Filter Media Be Cleaned?

by Dave Anderson
Customer Service, Tonka Equipment Company


Tonka has been asked this question by plant operators: 
"Should I chemically clean my filter media?"

On the surface this sounds like something that should be beneficial, but it may not be right for your filter.  This is especially true if you have Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™ filter media.


Greensand™ and Ironman Sand™ are coated with an active, beneficial coating of manganese dioxide which, when charged, oxidizes manganese as water flows through the filter. Unfortunately, chemicals that are used
to clean media of other precipitated compounds (calcium and magnesium hardness deposits, for instance) will remove the beneficial active coating on the Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™. For this reason Tonka strongly recommends against chemically cleaning filters that have Greensand™ or Ironman Sand™.


If you have concerns about media cleaning or your media not performing, please call our customer service department at 1-800-530-1887, and we’ll help you assess your needs and evaluate your filter operation.