Do NOT Attempt To Remove Iron From Well Water Until You Read This
The Effects of Iron Contaminated Water On Hair and Skin
Iron is actually an essential trace element that humans (and other living beings) need. This means that ingesting or consuming iron will not necessarily harm your health.
In fact, there are lots of people who probably need to consume more iron because they are iron deficient.
Having said all that, it is NOT advisable to get iron through contaminated well water but instead through a good diet and/or health supplements.
Iron In Water Effects On Hair
A high iron content in your water can cause hair to dry out. This is because it curls and weakens human hair upon contact. If this happens over a prolonged period of time your hair may fall out.
Aside from iron, your hair can suffer from high levels of other minerals in your water. This is especially the case with hard water that contains high levels of minerals like magnesium, copper and calcium.
These minerals make your water “hard” and cause white limescale flakes in your kettle and it’s definitely not good for your hair.
Iron In Water Effects On Skin
Any water with an extremely high content of iron can have lots of bad effects on your skin. From a practical level, iron and water do not mix well with soap. This is a BIG problem for people who suffer from dry skin.
Drinking Rusty Water Symptoms
Bad Taste.
The brown or red color of “iron rust” in water is not attractive and makes water look dirty.
Aside from making your water look bad, it can make your clothes look bad too.
The Department of Natural Resources believes that oxidation in water is an “aesthetic contaminant”, as it is more likely to damage clothing in laundry. But it gets worse. If the amount of rust is too high, this can lead to bad tasting water.
Bacteria.
Bacteria can begin to live or accumulate in well water that is high in iron minerals. If this is the case, your water will need treating as coliform bacteria may be present.
Iron in well water may not be the only cause of this, the problem may also be Iron pipes in very old houses.
Either way lots of iron in water can cause corrosion, cracks and breaks in the pipes. This in turn can lead to water leaks in the home.
Also, the may be illnesses caused if your pipes develop things like mold and this gets into your drinking water.
Is Iron Contaminated Water Harmful For Health?
Before suggesting how to remove iron from well water, let’s quickly discuss why.
The bottom line is the iron in drinking water is NOT dangerous but not really ideal in the form it appears in well water.
In fact, it’s important to know that Iron is not a contaminant but a natural mineral that comes with the symbol Fe.
Good quality iron in food and health supplements are essential nutrients that the body needs.
This is because iron supports oxygen transported to the blood.
However, the type of iron that enters well water, although not necessarily poisonous, is not something that’s good for you either.
High levels of iron in water is also not good for pipes, plumbing and home appliances.
In fact, Iron issues are the second most common problem for well water users (hard water is the first).
Reverse Osmosis Is The Cheapest Way To Remove Iron From Water
If you simply want to remove iron from drinking water (and not from all the water that comes in your home) then try reverse osmosis.
There a lots of filtration methods that remove iron like distillation but reverse osmosis is one of the best for drinking water.
This is because reverse osmosis generally removes all low molecular weight compounds. Compounds like manganese, iron, fluoride, salt, calcium and lead.
Reverse osmosis is also extremely efficient at removing minerals from water.
This is why it is highly valued as a water purification process in the printing industry, where water without minerals has to be used.
It is very easy to pick an under-sink reverse osmosis system up from a place like Aquasana. They are also much cheaper when compared to whole house iron well water filters.
| Aquasana 500,000 Gallon Well Water Rhino, Salt Free Softener & UV | SpringWell Well Water Filter & Softener |
 |  |
| Filters AND Softens (up to 25 PPM). | Filters AND Softens with a salt based softener. |
| 4-stage filtration (with optional add-ons e.g. UV filters). | Multi-stage Filtration. |
| - Filters Iron < 0.3 ppm (0.3 mg/L) - Manganese < 0.05 ppm (0.05 mg/L) - Hardness < 7gpg • Tannins < 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/L). - UV filters remove 99% of viruses, e.coli, cysts, giradia, cryptosporidium and bacteria. | - Iron removal is up to 7 PPM. - Effectively treats manganese. - Treats Hydrogen Sulfide up to 8 PPM - Powerful filters including carbon filters. - 6 month satisfaction guarantee. - Limited lifetime warranty. |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
 |  |
| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
 | |
How to Test for Iron in Water?
The bad news is that iron is a lot harder to treat and filter when compared to other common minerals that contaminate well water like calcium and magnesium.
Apart from iron, well water is usually plagued by various compounds that require different treatment methods.
There are also other factors such as the pH of the water that you need to consider in order to understand what the most effective method of filtration will be for your home.
The best place to start is to get a full water test.
You should find one that will test for everything in your water not just iron. The more information you have about what is contaminating your water, the better you are equipped to get the best water solutions.
Testing For Iron And Manganese in Well Water
If you are experiencing a bitter and metallic taste in your water (or orange-brown spots around your pipes and plumbing), chances are you have high levels of manganese in your water.
But before dealing with the problem, it’s important to know the extent. Knowing the level of iron and manganese will help you identify the right treatment method. 
A comprehensive water test kit will be able to check iron and manganese levels.
But, as previously mentioned, you should try to get a complete water test kit that shows you everything.
Everything from hydrogen sulfide, bacteria, calcium, alkalinity and ph level.
Iron Levels In Water ppm?
Using a water test kit will never be as accurate as getting your water lab tested.
So if you want (or need) to know the iron levels in water down to its ppm (parts per million) then a lab test is the best way to go.
Simply send your well water to an independent laboratory, pay their fee and get your results. Of course this will not be as cheap as water test kit but it will be much more accurate.
You can avoid tests all together is you simply observe the telltale signs of iron water contamination in your well water.
For instance, look out for iron corrosion in appliances, pipes, plumbing and anywhere your water touches.
How to Remove Iron From Well Water?
If you want to filter iron from well water that comes into the whole home (not just your drinking water) then you’ll need a whole house filter.
The following table shows the best whole house filter machines that effectively remove iron from well water. Also, the devices listed below are specially designed for well water and aim at treating common well water contaminations like iron, manganese and bacteria.
| Aquasana 500,000 Gallon Well Water Rhino, Salt Free Softener & UV | SpringWell Well Water Filter & Softener |
| |
| Filters AND Softens (up to 25 PPM). | Filters AND Softens with a salt based softener. |
| 4-stage filtration (with optional add-ons e.g. UV filters). | Multi-stage Filtration. |
| - Filters Iron < 0.3 ppm (0.3 mg/L) - Manganese < 0.05 ppm (0.05 mg/L) - Hardness < 7gpg • Tannins < 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/L). - UV filters remove 99% of viruses, e.coli, cysts, giradia, cryptosporidium and bacteria. | - Iron removal is up to 7 PPM. - Effectively treats manganese. - Treats Hydrogen Sulfide up to 8 PPM - Powerful filters including carbon filters. - 6 month satisfaction guarantee. - Limited lifetime warranty. |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
| | |
| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
| |
SpringWell Well Water Filter (Iron and Manganese Removal)
This system is specifically designed to treat the most common problems with well water. Specifically things like sulfur, iron and manganese that produce a foul egg scent.
This is because of its unique filter cartridge in the tank that specifically targets and collects oxidized sulfur and iron. All of this happens before the water goes through the drain during the subsequent regeneration cycle.
This well water softener and filter machine is currently one of the most popular well water filtering machines in the US.
However, this is not just a well water iron filter but also includes a full water softener as well.
One of the best features of this system is that you can program it to regenerate only when you need it. Meaning you can easily decrease or increase the amount of regenerated water. The result is more money saved through more efficient use of water.
Cons:
Doesn’t appear to treat hard water.
Pros:
It is a good filter treatment option for well water specific contaminants and hard water – all at the same time.
Sufficient capacity for larger households – depending on which model you select.
Easy operation and low maintenance.
Is capable of filtering manganese and iron.
Iron Removal Filter For Home: Aquasana Whole House Well Water Filter System (with Iron Filters)
This Aquasana model is for people looking for a serious water filter. Not just a softener with a basic iron filter like the other models.
Aquasana is one of the best and most well known whole house filter brands on the market today. Their customers consistently write rave reviews and it’s a best seller on places like Amazon.
This particular brand of whole house filters from Aquasana is specifically designed to treat well water.
This is why it contains elements such as catalytic coal and a KDF 85 filter that filters not only iron but other common well water issues like sulfur, VOCs, hydrogen sulphide and algae.
In addition to this, the UV filter (that you can add on) will enable your filter to remove 99.99% of viruses and bacteria. This is great for targeting viruses that survives in untreated well water.
One great thing about Aquasana is that they can include all the installation accessories and equipment.
This means that you can potentially do it yourself or hire someone to do it for you knowing that you have everything they will need.
However, you should ideally get a professional plumber to install it for you because doing it yourself (if you’re not a professional) can void your warranty.
Another good thing is that it can effectively filter up to 500,000 gallons before the filter needs replacing.
Cons:
Although you can add on a salt free “softener” unit (i.e. the Aquasana SCM add on) to this device it is fundamentally a water filter first. This means that it is a powerful filter but mild softener so not ideal for extremely hard well water.
Pros:
Powerful water filter that will treat much more than just iron but bacteria and other nasties too.
You can use it to treat 500,000 gallons of well water, which is a lot.
You currently get up to 50% off and FREE shipping by going direct to Aquasana and using promo code: AQGEEK50
Specially designed by Aquasana to treat well water as it targets the most common issues found in well water.
They also provide you with a professional installation kit that will include all the necessary installation equipment and accessories that you need.
Getting the UV filter add on means that your device will additionally treat 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
It will not affect the water pressure in your home because it is a high performance system. This well water filter machine is very well made and this usually results in low to no on-going maintenance.
Price: Check the lowest price available today.
Which Is The Best Iron Filter For Well Water?
First things first, get a full water test kit to really see the level of iron mineral contamination that you’re dealing with.
The full water test kit should also be able to show you the degree of water hardness and other types of contamination that’s in your home.
The result of your test kit will help you determine the right well water iron filter solution.
In very simple terms I would recommend making your choice based on the following:
Very hard with high amounts of iron? You should get the SpringWell for Well Water.
Water is highly contaminated with all sorts of things beyond iron and manganese? You should get the Aquasana Well Water with SCM softener and UV filter.
Buying direct from Aquasana? Get Up to 50% OFF + FREE shipping on select products.
Coupon Code: AQGEEK50
| Aquasana 500,000 Gallon Well Water Rhino, Salt Free Softener & UV | SpringWell Well Water Filter & Softener |
| |
| Filters AND Softens (up to 25 PPM). | Filters AND Softens with a salt based softener. |
| 4-stage filtration (with optional add-ons e.g. UV filters). | Multi-stage Filtration. |
| - Filters Iron < 0.3 ppm (0.3 mg/L) - Manganese < 0.05 ppm (0.05 mg/L) - Hardness < 7gpg • Tannins < 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/L). - UV filters remove 99% of viruses, e.coli, cysts, giradia, cryptosporidium and bacteria. | - Iron removal is up to 7 PPM. - Effectively treats manganese. - Treats Hydrogen Sulfide up to 8 PPM - Powerful filters including carbon filters. - 6 month satisfaction guarantee. - Limited lifetime warranty. |
| Sale prices automatically applied by clicking this link. | |
| If there is *no* sale try coupon code: AQGEEK50 | Coupon Code: GEEK5 |
| | |
| $$$ Ships to US and CA. | $$$ Ships to US, CA and Puerto Rico. |
| |
