HydroCraft
Birm, Filter media for iron and manganese removal — catalytic media

Catalytic media · no regenerant

Birm

Filter media for iron and manganese removal — catalytic media

Manufacturer: Clack

Clack Birm® is an efficient and economical filter media for the reduction of dissolved iron and manganese in water, for gravity-fed and pressurised systems. Birm is an insoluble catalyst: it speeds up the oxidation of dissolved iron (Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺) by the oxygen in the water, and the resulting ferric hydroxide precipitates and stays in the filter, from where it is removed by backwashing. Birm is not consumed and needs no chemicals for regeneration, so it costs less than many other iron removal methods. It is used for manganese with the same dependability.

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Price and delivery time on request. Working hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30–17:00

Features

What Birm offers

  • No chemicals or regenerant under the proper conditions
  • Extremely high iron removal efficiency
  • Only periodic backwashing required
  • Long life with low attrition loss
  • Wide temperature range
  • Light material, 36–38 lbs/cu.ft
  • Certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61
  • Made in the USA

Applications

Where it is used

  • Iron removal
  • Manganese removal
  • Borehole and well water
  • Gravity-fed filters
  • Pressure filters
Supply, installation and serviceService and maintenance

Technical data

Birm specifications

Physical properties

Colour
Black
Bulk density
36–38 lbs/cu.ft (≈ 580–610 kg/m³)
Effective size
0.48 mm
Uniformity coefficient
2.7
Mesh size
12 × 50 mesh
Specific gravity
2.0 g/cm³

Operating conditions

Bed depth
24–36 in (≈ 0.6–0.9 m)
Bed depth in multibed filters
10–18 in (≈ 25–46 cm)
Freeboard
50% of bed depth min.
Working flow rate
5 gpm/sq.ft (≈ 12 m/h) or higher depending on local conditions
Backwash flow rate
12–18 gpm/sq.ft (≈ 29–44 m/h)
Backwash bed expansion
20–40% of bed depth
Rinse flow rate
same as the service flow rate
Max. pressure drop
2–4 psi (14–28 kPa) increase from clean bed
Water temperature
35–100 °F (≈ 2–38 °C)

Water requirements

pH for iron removal
6.8–9.0
pH for manganese removal
8.0–9.0, below 8.5 if iron is also present
Dissolved oxygen
at least 15% of the iron and 29% of the manganese content
Alkalinity
more than twice the combined sulphate and chloride
Free chlorine
below 0.5 ppm
Hydrogen sulphide
remove before Birm
Oil
none present
Polyphosphates
none present
Organic matter
up to 4–5 ppm (TOC below 5 ppm)

Certification and origin

Certification
NSF/ANSI/CAN 61
Origin
USA
  • If the pH is below 6.8, a neutralising media (Clack Corosex®, calcite) or soda ash dosing goes before the Birm filter to raise the pH. Water with low dissolved oxygen is aerated first.
  • At too high a pH, iron can form colloids that are very difficult to filter out.
  • Chlorination greatly reduces Birm's activity, and high chlorine concentrations may deplete the catalytic coating. Polyphosphates coat the granules and reduce their effect. Any chemical added to the feed or backwash water should first be tested for compatibility with Birm.
  • Raw and treated water should be checked periodically. Elevated manganese in the treated water means the media is breaking down or the bed capacity has been exceeded. If there is no chlorine or hydrogen sulphide in the water, low pH or lack of oxygen are the most likely causes of media breakdown.

Accessories

More models in this category

All 6 models

Enquiry about Birm

Tell us about the site and we will confirm the model, the price and the delivery time. Installation and service are done by our own teams.

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