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| Iron? Odors? No problem. |
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Happy New Year! We wrote the book on treating iron, manganese and odors! Get your copy FREE (normally $19), and a COUPON for $25 off, for a limited time. Through Jan 31. |
For over 25 years our iron filter systems have been successfully removing iron, iron bacteria, manganese and hydrogen sulfide ("rotten-egg sulfur odor") throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in over 30 countries world wide.
One size or type will not work well for all conditions but the good news is: it is not difficult to find out which type will work best for your home, community or business! We have an iron treatment system that will work great for your well water and we stand behind our systems with a money-back guarantee and our Water Quality Assurance Program.
Our iron filters treat the toughest water. Guaranteed. |
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- Iron
- Odors
- Manganese
- Iron bacteria
- Coliform bacteria
- Tannin
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- Iron
- Odors
- Manganese
- Iron bacteria
- Coliform bacteria
- Tannin
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- Iron
- Odors
- Manganese
- Iron bacteria
- Coliform bacteria
- Tannin
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Questions? Talk to one our WQA Certified Water Specialists at 888-600-5426 or use our Fast System Selector Form and get a quick response.
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Comparison of Oxidizing Iron Filters
| Iron Filter Type |
Filter Media Used |
Maximum Levels Iron |
Maximum Manganese |
Level of Sulfur Odor |
pH Level |
Life of Media |
| Air Injection |
Birm© or Birm Blend |
5 PPM |
0 |
Low |
7.0 to 8.0 |
3 to 4 years |
| Greensand |
Greensand-Plus© |
5 PPM |
2.0 PPM |
Low |
7.0 to 8.0 |
4 to 6 years |
| MangOX |
MangOX © |
5 PPM |
2.0 PPM |
Low |
6.8 to 8.5 |
10 to 15 years |
| Chlorination |
MangOX© |
15PPM |
5.0 PPM |
High |
6.5 to 7.5 |
10 to 15 years |
| Hydrogen peroxide |
Catalytic activated carbon |
15PPM |
5.0 PPM |
Very High |
6.5 to 8.5 |
4 to 6 years |
| Ozone |
MangOX © |
15PPM |
5.0 PPM |
Very High |
6.5 to 8.5 |
10 to 15 years |
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| How Do Iron Filters Work? |
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Iron filters oxidize (turn to rust) dissolved ferrous iron in water to an insoluble particle and trap the iron (now "rust") in the iron filter media. A periodic backwash cleans out the rust and flushes the filter media clean. Various types of iron filter media are available including Birm, Greensand, MangOX, Filox©, & Pyrolox©.
Oxidizing iron filters use either air, potassium permanganate, chlorine or ozone to aid the filter media in oxidizing the iron. In some cases, there is already enough dissolved oxygen present so no additional oxidizers are needed. |
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The Importance of pH
If your well water has a pH of less than 7.0, it can be considered acidic. Iron filters don’t work well if the pH is too acidic.
Some of our iron filters can work down to a pH of 6.5 but generally its best to correct an acidic pH before it reaches the iron filter by using a soda ash injector or a calcite neutralizer.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Iron Filters
Q. How do iron filters actually remove iron?
A. Iron filters work by oxidizing (rusting) the iron and then filtering it out. We all know that simple iron or steel will rust in the presence of air and water. Rust is one type of oxidation. When water is underground in most wells, it is in a clear, also known as 'ferrous' or clear water iron. Iron filters take this clear iron and transform it to rust or ferric iron in the process known as oxidation. These trapped particles are periodically and automatically backwashed out to drain, usually once or twice a week. Iron filter systems also remove so-called red or red‐water iron, iron bacteria, manganese and in some cases hydrogen sulfide by oxidation and filtration.
Q. What is the difference between Birm and Greensand, and the MangOX (Filox, Pyrolox) filters?
A. Birm and Greensand are coated with manganese oxide. The coating eventually wears off. MangOX, Filox, and Pyrolox are solid manganese dioxide mineral media. There is no coating to wear off and the media lasts much longer. Since it is a solid media, it is much heavier and needs a stronger backwash flow to properly wash the iron and sediment out during the backwash and rinse cycles.
Q. Which is the best iron filter for my application?
A. This depends on your well water chemistry. The first step is finding out if your cold water has a sulfur odor in it, or if it is just the hot water. If the water does have odor, then you need an iron filter that will remove this sulfur odor. The next step is to find out how much iron and manganese you have, and determine the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of your water. However you don't have to become a chemist in order to find out the simple parameters you need to know before selecting an iron filter. We offer a very low cost home test kit you can use in the privacy of your own to test for pH, iron, manganese and hardness, tannin, and hydrogen sulfide. There are often local labs that will test your water for you at a reasonable price.
Q. Can't I just use a water softener?
A. Water softeners will remove dissolved clear water iron by a process known as ion-exchange. However, iron, manganese and/or hydrogen sulfide gas will eventually foul and ruin the ion-exchange resin. If your water contains less than 2.0 ppm of iron and manganese combined, and no sulfur odor, then you may be able to use a good quality water softener with a special type of resin cleaner in the brine tank. The resin cleaner will help clean the resin when the softener is being regenerated with the salt water. We don't recommend this approach however, its better to use an iron filter in front of the water softener for best results.
Q. My water was found to contain 2.0 ppm of iron. I have no sulfur odor, no manganese and a pH of 7.0 to 7.5, which filter is best?
A. A Birm filter or MangOX filter is usually best for this type of water. In some cases air injection is required if your well is over 100 feet deep and low in oxygen. You can test for ORP (included in our test kit) to determine if an oxidizer such as chlorine or air will be needed. Birm works good but the media does not last as long as the MangOX media and cannot handle any sulfur odor or chlorination.
Q. I have 5.0 ppm of iron, some manganese, and mildly bad sulfur odor in my cold water. My toilet flush tank looks orange and seems to have slimy strings of fuzzy iron bacteria growing on the sides. Which iron filter is best for my water?
A. For best results, a chlorination injection system followed by a MangOX or Greensand iron filter would be best. MangOX lasts longer than greensand and works great with a chlorine feed. The chlorine can be adjusted so it degrades as it flows through the iron filter, so you don't have the taste or smell of chlorine in the water.
Q. I don't want to use chlorine or any chemicals of any kind. My water has sulfur odor, a LOT of iron, and manganese as well. What system should I use?
A. The best approach is to use the Maxi-Vent air-compressor air injection system with the MangOX filter. This is not only non-chemical, it is also virtually maintenance free and requires no regular or routine maintenance.
Q. I use a chlorinator already to control odor and disinfect the water, but I want to use an iron filter. Which one is best?
A. The MangOX type or the Greensand filters would work the best, and no potassium permanganate would be required.
Q. I have very severe water. My iron is over 10 ppm, I have high manganese, and a terrible hydrogen sulfide problem. Which one should I use?
A. For some types of very severe water, we recommend injeciton of chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, depending on the water chemistry, followed by a contact retention tank, then a MangOX iron filter, and in some cases an additional carbon backwash filter and a water softener. Contact us for a fast quotation for this type of system.
Q. I have 3.0 to 5.0 ppm of iron, manganese and some hydrogen sulfide odor in the cold water. I looked inside my toilet flush, and I see the long strings or slimy presence of iron bacteria. Can I use a MangOX filter?
A. Yes, as long as you have enough backwash flow to properly backwash the MangOX filter media, it would work fine. If your water has iron bacteria in it, you may experience some fouling of the filter media. One advantage of the greensand filters is that the potassium permanganate will kill any iron bacteria that may foul the filter media.
Q. I would like to use the Greensand‐Plus filter with a chlorine injection system, but I don't want chlorine in my house. What can I do?
A. The chlorine can be adjusted so it degrades as it flows through the iron filter, so you don't have the taste or smell of chlorine in the water. You can also use a backwashing carbon filter after the Greensand filter to remove all trace of chlorine before it enters the house.
Q. How can I find out how many gallons per minute my well pump can produce?
A. You can find this out very easily yourself. See this link here for simple instructions on measuring your flow rate. If you have a "constant pressure variable speed pump", consult your well driller or pump supplier or let us know the pump and model number and we can estimate it based on your well depth and type of pump you have.
Need assistance! Use our Fast System Selector Form and get assistance from one of our WQA certified technicians. |
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The chlorinator/iron filter system is working very well. Thanks for your expertise and help in setting it up. Attached are a few pictures of the system.
I didn't realize how essential the chlorine was to fix our water problems. I set just the chlorinator up first, and adjusted it for 0.5 ppm free chlorine residual. We're very happy with the system, and really appreciate your help.
Best wishes,
Chaga
Pacific Hermitage
Dear CWS - The installation was straightforward (if not simple) and your instructions were excellent. The system has made such a huge improvement to our water. Above all, I would like to thank you for your unfailing professionalism and generosity with your time in answering my questions. Many thanks
Tony James
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