Water Filter Smell

[Michael Kadillak]

I have a Calumet Ametek water filter system in my darkroom and have been using the cellulose S1 water filters and after 20 +/- days of use I get a sulfur smell when I turn the water on. When I take the filters out of the housing they look black and nasty.

Is changing filters every three weeks necessary or is there a better solution. I went to the Calumet site and they have a carbon filter but it is still cellulose and probably susceptible to deterioration. No other options listed that use a water insoluable material.

Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Cheers!

 

[Photo Engineer]

Sounds like black algae to me Michael.

PE

 

[BrianShaw]

On occasion I get the same smell out of my kitchen tap (no filter, excpet a wire screen strainer). The city water supply has always been good, but earlier this summer they cleaned out the water main and the smell started. We are at the end of a water line and the water department claimed the cleaning would give us both better pressure and better tasting water - so far we have had neither.

 

[Michael Kadillak]

Sounds like black algae to me Michael.

PE

It does have a black residue to it and very well could be black algae. How does one avail themselves of this critter? I sure hope that this is confined to the filter housing. Guess I could disassemble it and dump it in a bucket of Clorex bleach.

 

[Photo Engineer]

Usually, copper salts or copper plumbing kills the critters, as does chlorine.

IDK what to suggest Michael.

PE