Iron contamination is common in well water as water seeps through the iron bearing soil and rock. Though iron is not a health problem to a certain level it may be harmful if certain pathogenic bacteria have entered the well. High levels of iron in water can cause problems to plumbing fixtures and even give a metallic taste to water. For this reason it is important to have well water iron filters. Iron filters work towards eliminating the iron particles from water thus ensuring better taste as well as prolonging life of fixtures.
Iron may be in two forms, ferric iron or iron particles and ferrous or dissolved iron. It is very important to know what type of iron exists in well water. The ferrous iron that exists is also referred to as clear water iron as when it comes out of the faucet it is clear but turns red or brown after it is kept standing. If there is clear water iron it can be removed with water softeners while red water iron can be removed with sediment filters, carbon filters. Depending upon the extent and type of iron in water you would need to install iron water filters. There are several manufacturers like RainDance water systems, Brita, Aqua-pure, etc who offer a wide range of iron filters suitable for municipal water, well water iron filters and even complete well water treatments. Depending upon the contamination level you may have point of use or whole house systems.
If you are looking for well water iron filters then a known name in the field is RainDance Water systems who have built the Iron Max and Iron Eater series. The Iron Max whole house well water iron filters are particularly preferred by many as they are chemical and maintenance free. It has the ability to remove iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide, etc. It effectively removes the bad taste and odor often associated with well water. The filtration media used is a state of the art high capacity filtration media. There is a self backwashing system which automatically cleans the filter bed. It is possible due to the electronic control valve that is controlled by a timer which initiates backwash cycle and cleans the bed before next period of filtration. The same company has the Iron Eater series which can filter over twice as much iron and four times as much water hardness as Iron Max. However, it requires salt or potassium pellets for backwashing. It is designed to filter higher levels of ferric and ferrous iron, manganese and hard water. There are several different models in these two series of iron filters from which you can choose after analyzing the quality of water.
The need and benefits of well water iron filters are many. The most important is that it prevents staining of bathroom and kitchen fixtures. Moreover, it reduces to a large extent the iron in washing machines, dishwashers and gives a cleaner and fresher feeling to clothes and dishes. With whole house systems as well as point of use systems you can get cleaner and clearer water at every tap, even showers.
You should ensure timely maintenance of such well water iron filters as prescribed by the manufacturers. For effective use of iron filters make it a point to find and match the filters as per the hardness of water and level of iron contamination in water.