Iron is a troublesome mineral in water supplies. It is characterized by rusty taste and color, bad odor, damage to hair, unpleasant feel on skin and its tendency to stain everything it comes in contact with. Staining can occur from water with a concentration of iron as low as 0.3 parts per million (ppm).

Signs of Iron in Water:

Stains

• Causes red, yellow, or brown stains on laundry, dishes, sinks and tubs that are difficult – if not impossible – to remove.
• Iron in irrigation water causes unsightly rust stains on driveways, sidewalks and exterior walls in homes and buildings.
• Cleaning these stains with bleach is not the correct approach since chlorine is a powerful oxidant that can make the stains look worse.

Food

• Some forms of iron give water a metallic or bitter taste that carries over into coffee, tea and other beverages.
• Iron can add a gray to black color to beverages.
• Food, especially vegetables, cooked in water containing iron turns dark and absorbs the unpleasant flavor of the water.

Clogs

• Iron in water can accumulate and clog plumbing fixtures, dishwashers, washing machines, sprinklers, wells, water pumps, refrigerators and other water using appliances.
• The resulting damage can be expensive to repair.

Hair Damage

Even low levels of iron in your water can have many unwanted effects on your hair:

• Blonde hair (natural or colored) can turn rusty and/or orange, sometimes even pink

• Dark hair can darken and end up with a dark red or orange hue

• Hair can feel dry, crunchy, dull and can lose its shine

• Iron will interfere with proper processing of chemical hair treatments such as highlights, perms and relaxers

Forms of Iron:

Bacterial Iron

When oxygen, water and iron mix they create the right conditions for bacterial iron to bloom.

It feeds on the iron in water leaving behind a reddish brown or yellow slime that can clog plumbing and cause an offensive odor.

This slime or sludge is particularly noticeable in standing water such as toilet tanks.

Make sure to check your toilet tank once in a while for any signs of these unwanted bacteria. The sooner you address this problem, the less damage it will cause.

Clear-Water Iron

Water that comes out of the faucet clear, but turns red or brown after standing

Called “ferrous” iron.

Red-Water Iron

Water that is red or yellow when first drawn is “ferric” iron.

This means the iron has already oxidized (rusted) in the ground, in your well or in your water system.

How Do I Fix My Water?

Depending on the type of iron and other contaminants in your water supply one of following technologies can be utilized to solve your problem:

• Water Softener
• Activated Carbon
• Ozone
• Chlorination
• Reverse Osmosis
• Distillers

What Should I Do Next?

To determine what is in your water call us to schedule a FREE Water Analysis with one of our  highly  trained  Water Specialists. They will advise you of the best treatment option to remove the contaminants from your water and stop the staining.

Gainesville: (352) 372-2707 – Ocala: (352) 369-1707 – Toll-Free: (800) 516-8962

Or Email us: info@BestWaterSolutions.com

You can also complete the form on https://bestwatersolutions.comfree-water-analysis and a member of our team will contact you to make an appointment at your earliest convenience.