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Calcite

Calcite 0.55 Cubic Foot Bag
List Price: US$134.00 Our Price: US$107.00 You save: $27.00 In order to reduce shipping costs media orders may be split into multiple boxes and ship in clear plastic bags instead of the original packaging. Bulk quantity discounts available. For bulk quantities, please call 1-866-376-2690 for quote. Write a review. Found a Lower Price? Request a Price Beat

industry-leading media to raise pH

Please contact us prior to ordering if you live in the Eastern USA, Eastern Canada, or in a rural area to confirm if there are any additional shipping costs for this item. Due to the relatively high weight of this item relative to its cost, we are not able to ship to all destinations at our normal price.

Calcite is a naturally-occurring mineral rock consisting of approximately 95% calcium carbonate and 3% magnesium carbonate. It is commonly used in residential and commercial water treatment applications to neutralize acidic or low pH water to reduce corrosiveness and balance pH prior to iron treatment. Calcite is slow-acting for controlled pH neutralization of low hardness water with a pH level ranging from 5.0 to 6.9.

Calcite can be blended with Corosex for larger pH corrections (where raw water pH is below 6). Start with a low ratio of Corosex (about 10% Corosex, 90% Calcite) and blend at a higher and higher ratio until the desired pH level is reached. The maximum recommended ratio of Corosex to calcite is 50%. For applications where your pH level is less than 5.0, please contact us for advice.

Calcite Advantages:

• natural
• inexpensive
• fairly wide range of effectiveness - pH from 6.0 to 6.9
• self-limiting, will not overcorrect
• certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 60

Calcite Disadvantages:

• slow action, neutralization may be incomplete when pH is below 6.0
• increases water hardness (calcium, magnesium, & bicarbonate)

One of the greatest advantages of calcite is that in addition to being very economical, it is self-limiting - it only corrects the pH enough to reach a non-corrosive equilibrium. As the acidic water contacts the calcite media within the filter, the media is slowly dissolved, adding both beneficial calcium and magnesium ions to the water and bicarbonate ions that neutralize the acidity. Since these ions contribute to water hardness, a calcite filter will increase the water hardness. Accordingly, a water softener is sometimes recommended following a calcite neutralizing filter, especially where the original water hardness was already in excess of 5 grains per gallon. Since water chemistry and temperature vary, it is difficult to predict exactly how much harder the water will become. Most often, the hardness will increase 30-100 mg/l (2-5 grains per gallon).

Depending on the amount of water you use, your original pH level, and other water chemistry parameters, the calcite will need to be replenished as it is used up. Most customers have to add calcite to their filter periodically. Calcite filters are often designed with media fill ports either built in to the control valve or into the tank (dome hole tanks) for this reason. Calcite filters can be run in downflow with a backwash control valve or in upflow with a simple "in/out" variety head. A gravel support bed is recommended.

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Specification Sheet