Grain & GallonBuying guide
Best iron filters for well water, matched to iron, sulfur and well flow
The best iron filter for well water by iron, manganese, sulfur and pH limits, plus the backwash flow each one needs from your well pump before you buy.
Well water treatment
Guides to the numbers on a well water test and the equipment they point to: hardness, iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide and pH. This hub is for private well owners with a lab report in hand, or about to order one. Start with how to read your well water test results, then use the matcher in the iron filter vs water softener guide to turn those numbers into a system type and an install order. If you need a filter, the best iron filters roundup compares published limits and the backwash flow each one needs from your pump, the guide to how iron filters work explains the types, and the maintenance guide keeps one running. For a rotten-egg smell, start with the sulfur smell guide. For bacteria, nitrate, arsenic or lead, use a certified lab; we don't cover health contaminants.
How-to
How iron filters work: air injection, greensand and Katalox compared
How iron filters work: oxidize, trap, backwash. Air injection, peroxide, greensand, Katalox and Birm compared on published iron, pH and flow limits.
How-to
Iron filter maintenance: backwash, media life and what to check
Iron filter maintenance from the manuals: backwash schedules, media life by type, valve parts and a fault table for iron coming back or constant draining.
How-to
Sulfur smell in well water: causes and treatment by concentration
Sulfur smell in well water: check whether the water heater or the well is the source, then match treatment to your hydrogen sulfide level with Penn State.
How-to
Iron filter vs water softener: which one your well needs, or both
Iron filter vs water softener: match your well test to one or both with Penn State ranges and softener manual iron limits, plus the right install order.
How-to
Well water test results explained: hardness, iron, manganese, sulfur and pH
Well water test results explained: read the hardness, iron, manganese, sulfur and pH lines, see which are high and the equipment each number points to.