Best Iron Filters for Well Water

If you consume well water in your area, it will have iron. And it can be a problem since iron can change the odor and taste of the water. Moreover, it will leave those ugly-looking red-colored stains on any surface.

Besides, iron-rich water can damage your plumbing system, appliances, and any water treatment equipment you use. Therefore, you need to eliminate any of these heavy metals in your water. 

Here’s a solution! You can use an iron filter to solve this problem. But there are overwhelming options, only to add more to your confusion as to which option is the best. Hence, we have developed this guide to sort things out for you. 

7 Best Iron Filters for Well Water 

1. Best Overall: Springwell Whole House Well Water Filter System

It is hands down the best iron-filtering water treatment system you can find on the market. And the best part is that it comes with a lifetime warranty. But we are not recommending this because of its warranty. There are many things this filter system can do for you. 

It is a perfect system with various private well water supplies. It utilizes the latest technologies available in the field of water filtration. Moreover, it is equipped with a more economical design.

You can enjoy great-smelling and tasting water without compromising on your water pressure. Thanks to the certified components that this water filter system has, it can remove iron up to 7 PPM. And one PPM means one defect per event in a million. 

It is an absolute fraction of an amount, and this filtration system can manage up to 7 PPM. It ultimately means that the system is highly effective in its function. Moreover, this system can manage up to 8 PPM removal of hydrogen sulfide from your well water and manganese removal of up to 1 PPM. 

The filtration system is equipped with an Air Injection Oxidization (AIO) system, which involves a single tank. This system is highly effective in removing the components we have just mentioned.

Then, as the water passes through the air pocket, all three components are oxidized. And the system will add oxidized oxygen to your water.

An electronic control valve is present in this system, so you don’t have to do anything manually. Just set the filtration system program and forget about it. 

The oxidation process works well with the patented piston mechanism within a single tank. Therefore, any maintenance costs or downtimes are reduced with it. 

Summary

Overall, this system will remove any iron from the well water for natural tasting water that will not seem like you are drinking rotten eggs.

2. Crystal Quest Iron Whole House Water Filter

CrystalQuest is another highly recommended brand that you can try to remove iron from your drinking water. The best thing is that this water system is for your entire house, and all your rooms can enjoy iron-clean water.

It can conveniently treat iron, hydrogen sulfide, and manganese and provide clean, better-tasting water without bad smells. 

The system features a pre-filtration process. The water flows through a 20-degree sediment cartridge that removes sediments, dirt, silt, or sand. 

After the pre-filtration process, the water will flow through a 20-degree solid cartridge made of carbon. 

This mechanism will remove volatile organic compounds, VOCs, and any remaining impurities. These impurities include the likes of insecticides, industrial solvents, or pesticides. 

In the end, water will flow through the mineral tank to reduce iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide. This tank also has other media, ERA 6500 and ERA 9500, effectively preventing bacterial growth. 

You also have the option to add a smart water filter that Crystal Quest includes for most of its house blends. 

It consists of two different types of coconut-shell and Eagle Redox Alloy blends to further reduce impurities and heavy metals. These include the likes of pharmaceutical by-products, herbicides, and pesticides. 

Moreover, you can add a water softener through ion exchange resin and brine water conditioner. The previous media might make your water hard up to some extent. Therefore, going for the water softener option is highly recommended. 

Summary

It’s a powerful water filtration system that helps reduce water and any impurities and chemicals that might harm your consumption.

Your water pressure might drop slightly, but this unit is suitable for your entire house. 

3. SoftPro IronMaster Water Filtration System

The SoftPro IronMaster system is highly effective in treating iron and hydrogen sulfide from your water and makes it suitable for your consumption. However, you will need at least 5 GPM of backwash rate to make this system work like a charm. 

This system comes with various upgrade options. For example, you can go for Quick Connect Hoses, which will make the entire installation process extremely easy for you. But these hoses will come if you include the water softener in your order. And this system will work for the better. 

With the water softener, your water will become even better for consumption. The entire filtration process can make your water hard. The filtration process is extremely powerful and can destroy up to 99.9 percent of harmful microorganisms.

You also can add the Viqua UV light feature to disinfect your water, which will leave out any harmful bacteria or other microorganisms from your water, making it better for your consumption. 

And to make your entire filtration process even more powerful, you can add a SoftPro RO system that is fully backed up with an advanced water alkalizer. The unit removes up to 30 PPM of iron and ensures chemical-free operation.  

The system is equipped with the Water Intelligence Engine that can calculate your water scenario and will recommend an adequate solution package that is ideal for your needs. Thanks to AIO technology, this system acts as a natural oxidizer to get rid of iron in your water. 

Summary

It might slow your water pressure down to some extent, but you will never have any complaints about bad taste or odors in your water when you have this filtration system in your house. 

4. US Water Systems Matrixx Infusion Iron and Sulfur Removal System

The Matrixx Infusion water system is versatile as it comes in different flow rate options. You can either go for 10 gallons per minute, 15, 20, or 25 gallons per minute flow rates when choosing this model. 

You also get to choose the inlet or outlet size, which can either be 1-in or 0.75-inch, based on the plumbing system you might have in your home. 

This filtration system features continuous injection oxidation and hydrogen peroxide to eliminate iron and hydrogen sulfide from your water. So, you won’t have to deal with any foul odors or tastes in your water. 

This system runs on a proportional injection system, and it comes with a meter to gain control of the pump monitoring module built right into its peristaltic pump. 

This injection system is commercial grade and is the best available on the market. And it is completely backed up with a seven-year warranty.  

The system injects hydrogen peroxide using continuous injection technology to remove and oxidate iron from your water. It also treats hydrogen sulfide and manganese from your water and removes any bad taste or smells from it for your consumption. 

Using the catalytic carbon filter media, when hydrogen peroxide is injected into your water, a large amount of dissolved oxygen is released, and a strong oxidation process occurs. 

All its components are NSF approved and help remove bacteria and various other harmful substances and components from your water. 

Summary

The system works well and produces exceptional results, but the warranty is lower even at this price. Besides that, this unit does get the job done without any doubts. 

5. Pelican Iron & Manganese Water Filter

The Pelican iron and manganese water filter feature the latest technology to provide you with better tasting and smelling water. And the best part is you don’t have to deal with much maintenance either. 

It uses the most advanced non-electric dosing mechanism of modern times. Therefore, it delivers performance that is better than the competition. Therefore, it is the only system you will ever need to remove iron and manganese from your water. 

This system also comes in two options when it comes to flow rates. You can go for a flow rate of 10 or 15 gallons per minute. The operating pressure will range from 25 PSI to 80 PSI, while the operating temperatures range from 36 F to 120 F.

This water filtration system will always keep pH levels in your water between 7 to 11. After the filtration process, your water will only have up to 10 ppm iron content. 

This entry system installation process is pretty easy, and you will not have to go through a lot to get it all done on your own. However, you should go for professional installation to ensure no errors in the installation process. 

The entire system can conveniently provide water to your house containing up to 6 bathrooms if you go for the Pelican WF8-P. The smaller model, the WF4-P, is suitable for households with up to 3 bathrooms. 

Summary

It might not come with any lifetime warranty, but the filtration system works pretty well, there is no hassle in the installation process, and you will not have to go through any maintenance issues.

6. Home Master HMF3SdgFeC 3-Stage Filter for Well Water with Iron 

It is undoubtedly the best filtration system that is cartridge-based. The Home Master is a carbon filter that features 3-stage sediment and removes hydrogen sulfide and iron from your water to make it tastier and better smelling. 

One of the best features of this unit is it comes with three different pressure gauges. So, you can go for one to three pressure gauges and make the overall filtration process more robust. 

This filtration system is ideally suited for your entire house. And it is highly regarded for its maximum performance when it comes to water filtration. 

It also has a longer filtration life and can manage a more substantial water pressure for a more extended period than some other top-notch water filters on the market. 

Another benefit of installing this water filtration unit in your house is that it can significantly reduce maintenance frequency and your costs. 

In its first filtration stage, chemical or bacterial growth resides with its gradient density layers with better filtration performance. With a higher dirt holding capacity, its filters can last longer; the topical life cycle of these filters ranges between six to twelve months. 

But it will depend on the sediment quantity and usage. One of the best features of this filtration unit is that less than 1 PSI pressure drop occurs at a filtration rate of 20 gallons per minute.

In the second stage of the process, iron filtration occurs. With this design, pressure drop doesn’t occur, and you will not have to compromise on the mechanism of iron filtration. 

Therefore, you will not have to deal with pipe or water heater damage caused by iron sediments. 

In the final stage, the carbon filter comes into action, and it gets rid of any heavy metals. These include the likes of chlorine and similar other substances. The result is clean water that is healthy for your daily consumption.

Summary

This water filtration system might be ideal for small homes, but it does the job. You will not have to deal with heavy metals in your water throughout the house. And its price is pretty affordable.

7. Fleck 5600Shttps://shrsl.com/3ior4XT Water Softener System with SST-60 Resin (for iron Up to 15 ppm)

The Fleck is a modern-looking water filtration system available in black color. It means your system will blend in with the sight and will not stand out. 

It is available in different grain capacities, and you can pick one from the options available, ranging from 24,000 to 64,000-grain capacities. With the higher grain capacity, you can make your water filter last longer and won’t have too much when upgrading the filter. 

A free upgrade is available where you can go for Quick connect Hoses to make your entire installation process pretty easy. You can also go for a water softener upgrade because the entire filtration process makes your water harder. 

You can also add a special KDF55 water filter and eliminate any compounds such as mercury, lead, and other heavy metals. 

Adding the SoftPro RO system is also backed up with an advanced water alkalizer. And this entire package is available at a very affordable price. 

It has an on-demand metered design, and you can adjust it accordingly. Thanks to the advanced regeneration operation and programming, you can manage day-override to ensure a better economy and exceptional performance. 

Summary

This unit’s various grain capacities allow you to choose suitable options according to your filtration demands. It is a pretty affordable unit that gets the job done.

 Iron Filter for Well Water Buying Guide 

What Are Iron Filters for Well Water and How Do They Work?

Iron filters for well water come in very handy to remove excess iron contents in your water. Water that is overly rich in iron can be harmful to your consumption. It makes the water look pretty ugly and smells pretty bad. Apart from that, this water can cause stains on any surface. 

To deal with this issue, you will have to go for filtration systems designed to deal with the iron content in your water. Clearwater iron, also known as ferrous water iron, can be removed using these filters. These filters use an oxidation process to get rid of this ferrous iron. 

The filtration system can automatically or periodically backwash this ferrous iron once or twice a week. Most of these filtration systems effectively deal with clear water iron and ferrous iron. 

The maximum iron recommended in drinking water is around 0.3 milligrams per liter or 0.3 parts per million or PPM. When iron content exceeds this limit, water will start appearing red, and it will start staining your fixtures or laundry. 

This water will also have a metallic taste and a pretty nasty odor. It can also block your drainage system and your appliances that run with water. These include washing machines, dishwashers, and water heaters. 

These systems come with a special filter that helps in reducing heavy metals such as hydrogen sulfide, manganese, and iron and keep the recommended iron content in your water. 

Such systems can clear out ferrous iron and turn it into insoluble particles to backwash them out to drink and provide you with better tasting and smelling water. 

How Does Iron Get into Water?

Rainwater is a significant cause that infiltrates the soil and any underlying geologic formations. It dissolves iron into the water as it seeps into the aquifers that work as the sources to get groundwater from wells. 

The iron that dissolves into water is called ferric or ferrous iron, and it causes your water to taste metallic and smell like rotten eggs. It makes your water contaminated and is not healthy for your consumption either. 

What Damage Does Iron into Water Cause?

When your water has excessive iron, it will start looking pretty dirty as it gets red. Sometimes, it will look yellowish if there is high manganese content. This color will stain your laundry and your fixtures. 

It can also cause blockage in various appliances you use. These can be your dishwashers, washing machines, and water heaters. This water is not healthy for your consumption in the long run. Therefore, you will have to deal with this water or prepare for serious issues. 

Is Iron in Well Water Dangerous?

Though low levels of iron are not harmful to your health, this type of water is unhealthy because it contains bacteria that can raise serious health concerns. Moreover, too much iron can cause diabetes, stomach problems, hemochromatosis, and nausea. 

Therefore, it can also damage your heart, pancreas, and liver. Hence, installing an iron water filter and treating your water before dealing with any medical concerns is best. 

Methods for Removing Iron from Well Water

Various methods are in practice to remove iron from your well water. If you live in an area where water comes from a well, you might have experienced red or yellow-colored water. Some methods to get rid of iron from well water are as follows, 

Water Softeners

Water softeners are filtration systems that remove hardness in the water. Hardness occurs due to excessive calcium and magnesium minerals and due to ion exchange that occurs while removing excessive iron. 

With higher calcium and magnesium in your water, white-colored sediments will be present in water. As you heat your water, there will be an increased solidification of these sediments. To remove hardness in your water, softeners reduce calcium and magnesium sediments. 

Whole House Filters

Whole-house filters effectively reduce iron from your water to make them a suitable option for your consumption. With a whole house filter, you will get healthier water from every tap in your house. 

And the best part is that you will not have to compromise on the overall flow rate. These whole house filters are pretty massive in size. 

And in most cases, they are installed outside or under the kitchen counter if there is enough space. These filters are equipped with iron filter media to remove iron from your water.

Air Injection

One of the most advanced methodologies to remove iron from water. The air is injected into the waterline and the tall and thin water tank in this system. This tank is there to collect all the sedimentary ferrous iron. 

This tank will periodically backwash or clean itself of the ferrous iron collected over a period and send it down the drain.

What to Consider Before Buying an Iron Water Filter?

You need to consider various features before buying an iron water filter. In this guide, we have listed them for you to look at before making your decision. 

Run a water test 

It is important to run a water test before picking the right filter suitable for you and your needs. Therefore, it is important as this test will tell you what kind of iron you are dealing with. It can be ferrous, ferric, or organic iron. 

This test will also tell you about any traces of hydrogen sulfide, manganese, or even bacterial iron. The test will also tell you about the pH level, temperature, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen level. Running a test might sound pretty complicated, but it is not. 

Pick iron filter type.

With the test, you will find out about the condition of your water. And according to the result, you need to look at the best iron filter suitable for you to use. There are three different types of iron filters that you can choose from. 

An ideal type is the large filtration tank filled with oxidation media such as greensand to remove ferrous or ferric iron. Another filter type is the air injection oxidation process to remove this iron content from your water. 

Another type is chlorine injection, also known as shock chlorination, and it is used to treat iron-oxidized bacteria. However, removing colloidal or organic iron is the most difficult, and the one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work here. 

Filter capacity

Smaller units will not be cut if you are looking for a unit suitable for your entire house. Therefore, knowing your overall water demand and peak consumption is essential. You need to go with enough flow rate to meet your water demand. 

Think about how much water your family consumes when two or more showers, a kitchen faucet, and a washing machine run. 

In this scenario, you will need to go for a whole house water filter or air injections water filter with a larger capacity. 

Moreover, you also need to consider the plumbing system requirements to manage the backwash demand and flow rates accordingly. 

Filter longevity

You can even run another test after completing your water filter and later after a couple of weeks. It will tell you how your water filter’s performance is going and whether it is enough to meet the demand.

For example, if you have too much iron content and your water filter is small or weak, it will soon experience blockage due to excess sediment buildup. 

In such a scenario, you will have to replace the filter media or the entire unit and go for a much more suitable unit for your water type and demand. Air injection filters are the best for handling higher demands and longevity. 

Installation and maintenance

Water filtration systems do not come cheap. Therefore, it is important to keep them in good shape. You need to go through your user manual and see how frequently you will have to replace them on regular use. 

In most cases, you will have to replace them semi-annually or annually. But some filters have to be replaced quarterly and even weekly. Therefore, the replacement process should be easy enough for you to manage independently. 

Cost

The iron water filters don’t come cheap. But it is better to go for quality over anything as it is a matter of your health. Usually, larger and more advanced units cost more, but a few affordable options are also available. 

You can find quality iron water filters that range from just under USD 1000 to over USD 3000.

Warranty

A better water filter with a long warranty means that the brand will back its products, and these filter systems will be long-lasting. But these filtration systems will be rather costly too. But again, you will not have to worry about the performance of such products. 

If you are looking for affordable products, you can go for filtration systems with smaller warranties. Therefore, you can find filtration systems with a lifetime warranty and systems with 2 to 10 years. 

Benefits & Drawbacks of Using an Iron Filter for Your Well Water

There are various advantages of using iron water filters. However, some might not know iron water filters also have disadvantages. 

Let’s have a brief look at them one by one.

Benefits:

A plumbing system free of any iron

It Is probably the essential benefit of these iron water filters. Iron can damage your plumbing system, translating into heavy maintenance and repair costs. You won’t have to deal with any sediment blockage during peak consumption.

No more iron stains

You can conveniently use this water for laundry. Iron water is reddish and can leave red stains on your clothes. With this water filter in action, you will no longer have to deal with these stains. 

No more discoloration or odor in your water

When you have an iron water filter running in your house, you will not have to worry about that ugly-looking reddish or yellowish water. And you certainly won’t have to deal with that rotten egg odor in your water. 

Other contaminants also get treated.

With these iron water filters, you will not have to worry about too much iron in your water. Apart from that, these filtration systems will eliminate any other contaminants and bacteria in your water. 

A filtration system that doesn’t have any chemicals

These iron filtration systems don’t use any filtration media that are chemical-based. These iron filters are equally effective in removing other contaminants from your water. These include hydrogen sulfide, bacterial iron, and manganese. 

Drawbacks:

They are pretty expensive

These iron water filters come with a pretty hefty price tag on them. As there are additional filtration procedures that these units are performing, they are pretty expensive.

Not that easy to install

Installing these iron water filters is no easier than installing those whole house water filters. A professional plumbing will add to your overall installation costs if you don’t have much DIY experience under your belt. 

FAQs

Is an iron filter worth it?

It entirely depends upon the quality of the unit you have chosen. For example, a quality iron water filter can effectively remove iron from your water. But it is not worth it if you live in an area that doesn’t receive well water. 

Therefore, you must run a test before installation and confirm that the water you receive in your household has high iron content. Otherwise, you can go for a regular water filter. 

How long does an iron filter last?

An iron filter can last from anywhere 6 months to 12 months. But we are talking about quality filters only. Cheaper filters might only last for a couple of months. 

Will a 5-micron filter remove iron?

You can use a 5-micron iron filter to remove most of these iron particles. But for any iron particles that are finer than 5 microns, you need to go for an iron removal system or a water softener. 

Does salt remove iron from water?

Salt can only remove iron from your water up to some extent. Therefore, you can only use salt to improve the overall performance quality of your iron water filter. It will also prevent your unit from rusting out. 

Is it safe to drink well water with iron?

No, it is not safe to drink well water with iron. Iron is an essential mineral, but too much iron in your water can cause health problems.

Can you remove iron from your water without using chemicals?

Yes, an iron water filter removes iron from your drinking water without chemicals.

Final Word

Iron water filters are pretty effective in their job, and they can eliminate excess iron in your water. You will not have to deal with stains, and you will not drink that ugly or dirty-smelling water. 

But iron water filters don’t come cheap. Therefore, you should run a water test and go for a unit accordingly.