# Please help...well water problems!



## GAMMA RAY (Nov 18, 2011)

I noticed yesterday when I filled a glass pitcher that my well water had an orange tinge to it. This has me upset. I don't want my hair or white uniform work pants turning orange, and I am sure it is not healthy either.
There is no water filter or softener on the system.
Please help me! 
All advice is greatly appreciated!


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## nate379 (Nov 18, 2011)

Get the water tested.


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## btuser (Nov 18, 2011)

What kind of well do you have? Artisan where the pump is submerged (sometimes 100s of feet) and then pumps the water upward , or a dug well with a shallow jet pump. 
Any digging nearby? If you've got a dug well this is more likely but odds are they wouldn't have dug a well if your ground is like this. 

Is this a new glass pitcher, and you're just noticing it now? Around here we get iron in our water, which can change the shade from yellow to dark brown depending on how much you've got in water. My parents started with a shallow well but wanted more water so they dug a new 400' well and struck A LOT of iron. 

There are other things that can cause your water to change color. If you've got a deep water pump, you've most likely got a tank in the basement where the water comes in and the electricity goes out to the pump. That bladder/diaphragm tank will hold 5-20 gallons in house at pressure so the pump doesn't shut off/on whenever someone needs water. If that liner in the tank goes bad all the sediment built up over the years can start to flush itself out. Go downstairs and run the water. If you hear a switching sound (off-on-off-on-off-on) then the tank is most likely ruptured. GET A NEW TANK BEFORE YOU BURN OUT YOUR PUMP!

If you've got city water (I know, you've got a well) the water can change color on a daily basis just from a fire sprinkler being turned on down the street, or a car wash or other heavy water user suddenly drawing a huge amount.

There's a backflow preventer on a hot water/steam boiler. The water in the boiler can be prett nasty and could conceivably backwash into the household water supply but is highly unlikely because the house side pressure is so much greater than the maximum pressure of the boiler. The electricity would have to be off and you'd have to be completely out of water before it would start to siphon backwards. Even then the small volume of water that could push itself past the valve would just sit there, waiting to get pushed back into the boiler the instant power is restored. Not very likely, but could happen.

I'd get the water checked, but any sudden noticeable change may deserve a checkup on the well in general. $100 to have someone check the pressure at the tank, check voltage/amperage draw of the pump, check the well head (he has to shock it if he opens it) is not a bad idea.


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 18, 2011)

I am not sure what kind of well I have. I am going to talk to my husband about it later. 
I fill that glass pitcher every day a couple times and then fill the steamer on top of the stove. Yesterday was the first I noticed the tinge of orange.
There is drilling for a natural gas pipeline about 1 mile from where I live, perhaps that is the culprit.  >:-( 
I am looking online to find out where to get the water tested. 
Thanks for all the info Btuser...


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## daveswoodhauler (Nov 18, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> There is drilling for a natural gas pipeline about 1 mile from where I live, perhaps that is the culprit.  >:-(



That might be your issue...as the drilling might have set of some vibration that stirred up sediment in your aquafor...or perhaps rattled your well casing, and now you are seeing iron deposits in your water.
Maybe similar, but about 5 years ago we had a freak lightning storm here in Central Mass during the winter.....neighbor across the street had a lightning strike across the street and hit their wellhead....well, as of us neighbors were attached to the same watersource underground, so we were getting a ton of sediment in our water, and we have a water filter. Anyway, the well pump folks said the lightning prob caused vibration to the well pipe, and hence the brown/orange water.

Our solution was to basically start to "purge" the well.....you probably have a valve at the bottom of your well tank in your basement where you can shut off the water. Also you probably have a small faucet type thing on the piping that you can attach a garden house to...what we had to do was to shut the water off at the main, and then we ran a garden house to the bottom of the tank/bladder for the well. We would slowly drain the water outside via the house....run it would a few minutes, then shut off....then repeat avery half hour....after about 2 hours the water was clear.
Not sure if this the same type situation.....did your water suddenly get orange/brown> or has it been gradual?


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## bluedogz (Nov 18, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> I am not sure what kind of well I have. I am going to talk to my husband about it later.
> I fill that glass pitcher every day a couple times and then fill the steamer on top of the stove. Yesterday was the first I noticed the tinge of orange.
> There is drilling for a natural gas pipeline about 1 mile from where I live, perhaps that is the culprit.  >:-(
> I am looking online to find out where to get the water tested.
> Thanks for all the info Btuser...



County Cooperative Extension office should know.  Or a plumbing supply house.


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 18, 2011)

Yesterday was the first I noticed it Dave.


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## lukem (Nov 18, 2011)

At my old house we had a well that all of a sudden started pumping cloudy nasty water.  I'm not sure what caused it, but I call a local well/pump guy and he told me to just run the well hard for a while to clear all of the sediment.  I turned on the garden hose and let it run for a while ( a couple times for a couple hours) and it cleared it right up.  As someone above mentioned the drilling stirred up some junk or your well experienced a partial cave-in.


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## btuser (Nov 18, 2011)

You are very well-come.  (I am so proud of myself for that. I can tell today is going to be a blessing of lowered expectations!)

Unless they're blasting to get that pipeline through I doubt a mile away could affect you.  Water tables are weird.  My old house sat on clay and when my neighbor put up gutters and a perimeter drain my basement dried out.   My ex-brother in law got sued for putting an addition on his house.  They lived on a slope and when he dug into the ground it redirected the run-off to someone else's yard and it swamped their septic.  Odds are as long as nothing has fallen/crawled into it this is just a temporary thing and not dangerous.  Good tip about flushing it via the hose.  


Nothing is more important than good water.   Maybe air.


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## granpajohn (Nov 18, 2011)

Most of PA has counties that require well permits. They should have a Well Completion Report for your well. Look at the well head (probably in the front of the house), and there should be a metal tag ID number. The authority can use the number to provide you with a copy of the WCR. (Unless it's too old...like mine)

A local well driller can usually tell you all about your water before the well is even drilled.

No softener or filter you say? At Home Depot you can buy a $10 water testing kit. This includes easy test strips for hardness, iron, pH, and more. You may find that you should invest in a softener. Cargill Salts will give you those hardness strips for free, last I knew.

As noted by others...there's a chance that the contaminant is added after the well tank, but you can investigate that.

BTW, iron in water is not bad to drink. It is however, really bad for laundry, bathtubs, and sinks. In fact, I think I'd rather have to take an iron/vitamin pill than put up with iron stained plumbing fixtures. (Here I am jumping to the conclusion that the discolor is from iron. Bad engineering maybe, but that would be the way to bet.)


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## homebrewz (Nov 18, 2011)

It sounds like iron. Are there any orange-ish stains in sinks, toilets, etc? When you refill the steamer is there any residue in the bottom? If so, you may have had some iron all the while, but some recent event may have caused its increase in the water at the tap. Vibrations from gas drilling.. maybe? It depends on what depth in the ground they're targeting. I'm guessing its horizontal drilling, so the actual zone they're targeting underground may be a little closer than a mile away. 

How deep is the well? What is the well completed in (bedrock or sand & gravel)? Wells completed in unconsolidated sediments are typically screened to keep fine sediment particles out of the water. You may have had iron accumulation on the well screen and now it may be coming loose and entering the water supply. It could even be iron bacteria hanging out on the well screen, taking up iron from the water. Its harmless, but can cause problems like off-taste in the water (musty, oily, swampy, etc). This accumulation could also happen in the tank.   

Anyway, if the sudden appearance/increase in iron was caused by some type of vibration, and your neighbors have similar wells (approximately same depth), then they might be having problems too. If you can get more info about your well, that would be great and it should be put in the permanent file/record for the house. At the very least, some of the area well drillers would be able to tell you more about the wells in your neighborhood. If the problem is limited to just your well, you might consider flushing the tank in the basement or looking at some type of filtering mechanism.


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## mayhem (Nov 18, 2011)

Use opaque pitchers for your water and buy orange pants for work.  Problem solved!  You may also want to dim the lights until you can no longer see color.



			
				GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> There is no water filter or softener on the system.



I think I found your problem.

You really ought to have at least a basic sediment filter cartridge on your main water feed.  I have a small cartdridge style filter on my main line, its on the master feed line a couple feet after one hose outlet (the hose outlet is unfiltered a) because its pointless to filter it and b) if I have a filter catastrophe of some sort, I can still have some usable source of water).  The filter will clear a lot of crap out and if you use the finer culligan filters you'll screen out pretty much everything.

Agreed you should get your water tested for bacteria, sediment and hardness and take appropriate action with the results.

Out of curiosity, are fracking going on anywhere in your region of the state?  You mgiht be a poster child for the anti-fracking lobby.


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 18, 2011)

mayhem said:
			
		

> Out of curiosity, are fracking going on anywhere in your region of the state?  You mgiht be a poster child for the anti-fracking lobby.



No fracking nearby....they are digging though to extend natural gas pipelines...
I am picking up the containers for the water test today. I know we need to put some kind of filter on the system.
I have to pull out all the info and manuals that I got when we bought the house. I don't remember off hand what type of well it is or how deep...
I am gonna call my neighbors later to see if they have the same problem..

I really appreciate all the info guys.... :kiss:


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## daveswoodhauler (Nov 18, 2011)

I would check with your neighbors too and see if they have having similar problems....might point you in the right direction if is an area issue or local issue to your house. The part thats odd is that the coloring was all of a sudden vs gradual. Good luck


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## Sisu (Nov 18, 2011)

This is probably just a maintenance issue.  You might have iron bacteria forming in your well casing, plumbing and/or pressure tank.  This is not anything to worry about as far as a health perspective.  But as others mentioned, it is an aesthetic issue and can stain laundry etc.  Do you run the water each morning before taking a glass?  A simple fix is to shock the well with some sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach), let it sit overnight, and then flush the plumbing.  

Since you have just noticed the problem, it is something that probably needs to be done annually.  If you are using bleach, make sure it doesn't have any scents added.  The best stuff is NSF approved.


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## MasterMech (Nov 18, 2011)

We have high iron content in our water and a water softener to control it.  Using the Iron Out salt in the softener helps control it but we still get sediment stains on toilet bowls.


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## thewoodlands (Nov 18, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> I noticed yesterday when I filled a glass pitcher that my well water had an orange tinge to it. This has me upset. I don't want my hair or white uniform work pants turning orange, and I am sure it is not healthy either.
> There is no water filter or softener on the system.
> Please help me!
> All advice is greatly appreciated!




R U filling the pitcher from the fridge ice/water dispenser? If U R it could be your filter in the fridge.


zap


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## ColdNH (Nov 18, 2011)

It probably is just some iron in the water, you should have some sort of water filtration going on. 

I agree with others, get your water tested, although you may not want to know the results!

We just bought a new/25 year old house and had the water tested as part of the home inspection. the levels of radon were extreamly high and there was also above acceptable levels of arsenic and mangenese in the water.

Ended up needing 10k in equipment to resolve all the issues!


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 18, 2011)

Well I called the neighbor and asked him if he saw any changes in his water. He is about 75 years old and grew up in the house he is living in now. He told me that every year at this time he has noticed a tinge of orange in his water. He said it is iron. 
He has had a water filtration system in place for the last ten years. 
I came home today and filled up the water pitcher and it is totally clear! I am still going to get the water tested and we are going to put a filter on the system. 
Thanks for all the information!


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## granpajohn (Nov 19, 2011)

In the meantime...
...Zud...the best cleanser for iron staining:
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1340418#showReviews

(I bet others will agree)


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## Dix (Nov 19, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> Well I called the neighbor and asked him if he saw any changes in his water. He is about 75 years old and grew up in the house he is living in now. He told me that every year at this time he has noticed a tinge of orange in his water. He said it is iron.
> He has had a water filtration system in place for the last ten years.
> I came home today and filled up the water pitcher and it is totally clear! I am still going to get the water tested and we are going to put a filter on the system.
> Thanks for all the information!



I have an inline filtration canister. A GE from HD. Works well. 

Will probably work better now that  we fixed the leaky flex hose issue coming into the house  ;-) 

Hogz has some excellent pics of his canister install, by passing the canister, so you can change the filter while still having water running in the house  :coolsmile: 

Think about changing your shower heads & tap filters, M. They tend to clog when these things happen. Especially if they've been around for a while.


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## Hogwildz (Nov 19, 2011)

Wow Dixie, I forgot all about posting that LOL.
I too would suggest even a simple filter like I have installed on my system. I still don't drink the water, One day, I will install a self flushing media filter.


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## nate379 (Nov 19, 2011)

Like I said, get the water tested.  No not the $5 DIY "Kit".  Have it tested correctly.  You should be having this done every couple years at a bare min anyhow.  It could be something simple or it could be the well starting to fail.  In any case there are tons of poisons that can leach into an aquifer that can kill you if you consume enough, spending a few $$ to test it is only common sense.


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 19, 2011)

NATE379 said:
			
		

> Like I said, get the water tested.  No not the $5 DIY "Kit".  Have it tested correctly.  You should be having this done every couple years at a bare min anyhow.  It could be something simple or it could be the well starting to fail.  In any case there are tons of poisons that can leach into an aquifer that can kill you if you consume enough, spending a few $$ to test it is only common sense.



I picked up the containers and I am taking the water specimens to the health department on Monday.


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## btuser (Nov 19, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> quote]
> 
> I picked up the containers and I am taking the water specimens to the health department on Monday.



What a coincidence.  On Monday I also have to submit a yellowish specimen.  Hopefully I don't have to drink mine.  

My favorite drug tests are the multiple choice kind.


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## Dix (Nov 19, 2011)

Hogwildz said:
			
		

> Wow Dixie, I forgot all about posting that LOL.
> 
> I too would suggest even a simple filter like I have installed on my system. I still don't drink the water, One day, I will install a self flushing media filter.




LOL, you didn't post them, you sent them to me in a PM, helping me solve my filter problem. You tough biker dude, you


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## tamarack (Nov 22, 2011)

We have a well and occasionally get the same orange tint.  We determined that sometimes residue builds up in our plumbing and it "burps" up a batch of the icky stuff maybe once every 1-2 years.  It has no taste and goes away after flushing out.  We had our water tested once and it was fine.  I"ll bet yours is too, but its sure nice to KNOW its OK to drink.


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## mayhem (Nov 22, 2011)

Doing The Dixie Eyed Hustle said:
			
		

> Hogz has some excellent pics of his canister install, by passing the canister, so you can change the filter while still having water running in the house  :coolsmile:



I've never seen or heard of a canister filter that didn't have a bypass built in, without one you'd never be able to change the cartridge.


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## blades (Nov 23, 2011)

When they first came out with the whole house filters for DIY the units did not have by-pass systems. you had to shut down the system. Had to make your own bypass.


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## Sisu (Nov 24, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> NATE379 said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What parameters are they sampling for?  If your health deparment is just analysing samples for bacteriological parameters such as E. coli, total Coliforms, etc. you are not getting a full picture of your water quality.  From the description of the water issue, you should get an inorganics analysis too.  

If this issue is infrequent, you can probably avoid purchasing and installing costly filters/treatment equipment, by just shocking the well with bleach and flushing the system.


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## raybonz (Nov 24, 2011)

I have dealt with both red iron and clear water iron here.. Red iron is easy to deal with and inexpensive to correct and a double sump 5 micron filter will take care of it. Red water iron will be visible in a water filter.. Clear water iron comes out of the faucet clear but will have an iron taste and smell plus it will oxidize when it hits air turning the water and anything in it *orange*.. I have had this issue for quite a few years and my clear water iron level is 13.2 ppm and generally anything above .3 ppm while not harmful is undesirable.. The least expensive solution for me was to install a water softener with a fine mesh resin bed other than that you would have to go a bleach injection system with charcoal after filtering to remove the chlorine which is quite a bit more expensive that the 1st option.. Get the water tested but *NOT* by a company that sells water filtration equipment! My water softener cost about $1400.00 installed about 6 or 7 years ago and it's a decent system for the money and with this system you have to add 40 lb. bags of salt to a salt tank which I add 2 bags every couple weeks or so at 5 bucks a bag.. My system consists of a double sump 5 micron filters (changed every 3 mos.) into a acid neutralizer due to acidic water in this area then to the water softener which removes the iron, some manganese and also removes the calcite introduced to in the acid neutralizing process .. I did a HUGE amount of research and know what I need to know.. I will also add that the water softener head unit I have measures actual water usage (GE Osmonics head unit) to reduce salt and regens but iron removal systems run about once a week or they will become fouled.. There is much info on the net about this subject..

Good Luck!

Ray


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## Gary_602z (Nov 25, 2011)

Good post Ray! I am removing clear water iron from about 30 gal/minute by dropping it into a 900 gal tank and aerating the water with a bubbler system and then sending on to a swimming pool filter that holds 400 lbs. of sand. This system runs 24/7 with only backflushing once a day and changing the sand once a year.

Gary


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## raybonz (Nov 25, 2011)

Thanx Gary here is a link with some good info:

http://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/356/356-481/356-481.html

Ray


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## GAMMA RAY (Nov 25, 2011)

Sisu said:
			
		

> What parameters are they sampling for?  If your health deparment is just analysing samples for bacteriological parameters such as E. coli, total Coliforms, etc. you are not getting a full picture of your water quality.  From the description of the water issue, you should get an inorganics analysis too.
> 
> If this issue is infrequent, you can probably avoid purchasing and installing costly filters/treatment equipment, by just shocking the well with bleach and flushing the system.




They suggested just the bacterial testing but they offer the inorganic analysis too so I thought I might as well test for everything...

It amazes me how much one can learn on this forum other than all things woodburning. 
Thanks for all the info and suggestions....


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## Sisu (Nov 25, 2011)

GAMMA RAY said:
			
		

> They suggested just the bacterial testing but they offer the inorganic analysis too so I thought I might as well test for everything...
> 
> It amazes me how much one can learn on this forum other than all things woodburning.
> Thanks for all the info and suggestions....



Good for you.  Our health units in Ontario will analyse for bacterial content for free, but inorganic and organic parameters are to be analysed by accredited private laboratories at cost to the homeowner.  Organics analysis parameters include the major pesticides, BTEX (petroleum products), solvents, etc. and is the most costly analysis to be performed.  

Get your results before making a decision on treatment options.  The main body to receive information is your local health department, once your laboratory results have been received.  The health department should be able to interpret the results, to state whether or not you have any water quality issues and what your options are.  They should also have a lot of well water information via pamphlets, plain language guides, websites, etc.  If shocking/flushing the well is all that is required, they should be able to provide instructions how you are to do it properly.

As a Ray stated, avoid getting water treatment businesses to test your water.  Many are snake oil salespeople who use fraudulent tests to make it seem that you have a problem with your water quality.  For water testing, only deal with accredited laboratories. 

From all indications, the problem seems infrequent and might only be an innocuous aesthetic issue that requires annual (or even less frequent) maintenance procedures (eg. shocking/flushing the well).  Remember that treatment equipment (eg. filters, softeners, etc.) are costly upfront and require regular maintenance and costs.  Only if it is a chronic or health issue, then treatment equipment options should be explored. 

Make sure when you do your bacterial sampling to remove any aerators from your tap, flush the water for about 5 minutes, and do not touch the rim of the sample bottle with your hands etc.   Also, don't put the sample bottle cap down or turn it upright.  It is very easy to get a false positive, by accidentally introducing bacteria into the sample that wasn't originally in the water.  

Let us know what your lab results are, when you get them.  Good luck!


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## cottonwoodsteve (Jan 5, 2012)

It could be the color of the dirt ( slit ) and not Iron.
We have a little of both.
A clear housing with a string wound filter fron Ace works great. Has a filter change cutoff valve built in.

Watch about a clorine flush. If not done correctly it can be hard to get all of the clorine out.
Also a lot of clorine will oxidise the steel pipe and casing and cause even more rust.

If you install a filter you might be surprised how much crud is in what appears to be clear water.
If you add a filter see if it can only be on the house. You don't want to clog up the filter because you water the lawn a lot.


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## Highbeam (Jan 5, 2012)

When the utility company is "drilling" to extend a gas pipeline they most likely are using a technology called directional drilling. Rather than open up a trench with an excavator and bury a new line 3 feet deep, they drill a long tunnel at the three foot depth and then pull the new gas line through the little tunnel. The driller can aim the bit to keep the depth and location of the tunnel as required. This shallow utility work will not effect your well which is usually more than 100 feet deep and sometimes several hundred feet deep.

I have iron in my water. If you have iron bacteria you will find the fluffy junk in your toilet tank. If you have the dissolved iron you will find the worst staining in your dishwasher and in the shower but the toilet tanks will not be fuzzy inside.

A funny thing with iron is that if you wear sunscreen and get it on your white clothes (collars and socks are bad) then the next time you wash those items, the orange will show up and set like a dye.

In my new shed that I've almost finished building I plan to remove the iron, filter the water, and maybe even disinfect. It's too bad, our well water tastes and looks great in the glass.


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## granpajohn (Jan 5, 2012)

cottonwoodsteve said:
			
		

> Also a lot of clorine will oxidise the steel pipe and casing and cause even more rust.



Combine this thought with Highbeam's comments about dissolved iron.
Chlorine helps iron precipitate out of its solution. It then will be able to stain toilet bowls and etc. IOW...iron that was dissolved becomes a particulate. The steel casing may not actually be corroding.

Oxygenation has similar effect. 
Thus, the clean, tasty, (and I might add, healthful) glass of water...when exposed to enough air, forms the solid iron that can be filtered,... or can stain.
The down side: until this occurs, a normal particulate filter only partially does the job.

Iron in domestic water is a pain.

P.S. I hope I have all these terms correct.


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## richg (Jan 6, 2012)

My recommendation would be to start with the least expensive solution and work your way up. It is a serious no-no that you do not have any kind of filter in your system. As others have mentioned, a whole-house filter is a good starting point. They can be purchased at your local Homies or Lowes and are a pretty easy DIY job. the sediment filter will protect your appliances (clothes washer, dishwasher, water heater etc) from potentially damaging sediment. the tricky part about whole-house filters is that you have to start with a larger-micron filter to catch the larger particles, and it is helpful to install a second filter with a smaller micron filter to catch the smaller stuff. I tried using a single filter with a small micron cartridge and it worked great....for about a week, then it was hopelessly clogged with large particles. I installed a second filter and it works great...no sediment or iron whatsoever.


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## Highbeam (Jan 7, 2012)

Many many homes are served by well water with no filter. Mine is one of them. It is absolutely not a requirement that you have a filter. A good idea for sure.


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## raybonz (Jan 7, 2012)

Highbeam said:
			
		

> Many many homes are served by well water with no filter. Mine is one of them. It is absolutely not a requirement that you have a filter. A good idea for sure.



I was set up like you and I came from the city and didn't know that well water does a great job of clogging tankless coils.. I went through 3 before a plumber suggested I add a whole house filter and that problem went away.. I also had the water tested and it was found to be acidic so a acid neutralizer was also installed.. Down the road I got a new well and was introduced to clear water iron and quickly developed bright orange toilets, sinks and clothing so now I have a fine mesh water softener.. Starting to feel like a chemist here with this natural water lol...

Ray


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## granpajohn (Jan 7, 2012)

BTW, (since you brought it up), many city water users will find they have rust staining iron also. Most water companies will send a packet of Rust-Out or similar chemical to clean laundry, if they receive a complaint. They will also flush a hydrant or 2 in the vicinity of the complaint. However, the real problem doesn't go away until they replace or (usually) reline their iron pipes. I have seen iron water pipes so rusted, (it's called tuberculation I believe), that an old 8" pipe only has about a 2" opening to carry flow. Of course this all depends on flow rate, velocity, pipe age, etc.
The newest pipes are cement lined...or plastic. Plastic pipe has its disadvantages, but rusting ain't one of them.


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## wetwood (Jan 8, 2012)

Our well has high nitrate levels because of all the farming around here. We use it for everything but drinking/cooking, for that we have a reverse osmosis system. when I change the filters, the Sediment pre-filter is always an orange color.


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## Heather_48035 (Apr 10, 2016)

Took the time to go thru the effort to setup, for the benefit of health for individuals that read this.  I disagree that rusty orange iron water is not harmful.  You can accumulate too much iron in the body, it's called hemochromatosis.  Here are the symptoms.  Too much iron in the blood can also contribute to cancer. You can give blood to lower your iron levels or get iron reduction therapy.  Anyways here are symptoms of hemochromatosis: 
Iron Overload

Home // Iron Disorders // Iron Overload

Dysmetabolic Iron Overload Syndrome (DIOS)

is characterized by an elevated serum ferritin with a normal transferrin-iron saturation percentage. People with DIOS will likely also have an elevated GGT (liver enzyme) possibly due to a fatty liver. Individuals with DIOS are helped by phlebotomy, diet and exercise. The FeGGT test is helpful in determining the iron status and GGT status. For more information about GGT and the FeGGT test, visit HealtheIron.com

About Overload

Iron overload is an excess (too much) iron in the body. Excess iron in vital organs, even in mild cases of iron overload, increases the risk for liver disease (cirrhosis, cancer), heart attack or heart failure, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, hypothyroidism, hypogonadism, numerous symptoms and in some cases premature death. Iron mismanagement resulting in overload can accelerate such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer’s, early-onset Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis.

Iron overload can be inherited (genetic) or acquired by receiving numerous blood transfusions, getting iron shots or injections, or consuming high levels of supplemental iron. Some of the genetic disorders that result in iron overload include are hereditary hemochromatosis (all types), African iron overload, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, X-linked sideroblastic anemia, enzyme deficiencies (pyruvate kinase; glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and very rare protein transport disorders aceruloplasminemia and atransferrinemia. None of these conditions should be confused with polycythemia vera (PV), which is not an iron disorder, but a condition where the bone marrow produces too many blood cells (red, white and platelet). People with PV have abnormally high hemoglobin and are at risk for a stroke and progressing to acute myelogenous leukemia (AML).  Part of the therapy for PV is phlebotomy.  

Symptoms, signs and diseases resulting from too much iron (iron overload):

chronic fatigue
joint pain
abdominal pain
liver disease (cirrhosis, liver cancer)
diabetes mellitus 
irregular heart rhythm
heart attack or heart failure
skin color changes (bronze, ashen-gray green)
loss of period
loss of interest in sex
osteoarthritis
osteoporosis
hair loss 
enlarged liver or spleen impotence
infertility
hypogonadism
hypothyroidism
hypopituitarism
depression
adrenal function problems
early onset neurodegenerative disease
elevated blood sugar
elevated liver enzymes
elevated iron (serum iron, serum ferritin)


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## begreen (Apr 10, 2016)

Looks like hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder. Better link:
http://www.hemochromatosis.org/#overview


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## Heather_48035 (Apr 10, 2016)

begreen said:


> Looks like hemochromatosis is a genetic disorder. Better link:
> http://www.hemochromatosis.org/#overview


Anyone can get to much iron accumulation.  It's SOMETIMES that,  but other things as well,  such as too much iron supplementation, etc

Begreen:  I'm not sure you even read all of what I posted, bcuz it says right in there:
"Iron overload can be inherited (genetic) or acquired by receiving numerous blood transfusions, getting iron shots or injections, or consuming high levels of supplemental iron."

The point isn't to argue nomenclature, or, which YOU might think to be a better description. The point, my point, here... is to help other people NOT suffer as my mother has.  The point, again, if unclear here, is not dialogue, but that: THAT TOO MUCH IRON IN THE BODY HAS SEVERE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON HEALTH,  LONG TERM. You can do more research to find I'm correct on that health point. Last tag. /H


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## begreen (Apr 10, 2016)

Sorry to hear about your mom's health problems. Thanks for sharing this information. I was simply clarifying. It sounds like iron overload and hemochromatosis are different. The website says hemochromatosis is genetic. Both sound like no fun.


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## semipro (Apr 10, 2016)

Thanks to both of you for your posts.  
I have Hemochromatosis.  I give blood every 6 weeks and watch my diet.  
So good so far but only time will tell.


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## Highbeam (Apr 11, 2016)

Heather_48035 said:


> Begreen: I'm not sure you even read all of what I posted, bcuz it says right in there:
> "Iron overload can be inherited (genetic) or acquired by receiving numerous blood transfusions, getting iron shots or injections, or consuming high levels of supplemental iron."



"high levels of supplemental iron" won't likely come from consuming the iron found in drinking water. In the context of that article iron supplements refers to those people who take pills (sometimes iron) for whatever they think is causing them problems.

It's great to have iron removed from your water for many reasons (taste, odor, color) but it is not a safety concern. The EPA considers iron a secondary contaminant and does not enforce a Maximum Concentration Level but recommends an SMCL of 0.3 mg/l for aesthetic reasons.

https://www.epa.gov/dwstandardsregu...g-water-standards-guidance-nuisance-chemicals

Iron in water is NOT considered a public health risk.


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## TonyVideo (Apr 11, 2016)

A reverse osmosis system that can be installed below your sink will take out a lot of contaminates and nitrates in your water. I have one installed and a line tapped going to the ice maker as well from the R/O unit. R/O water filtration is what most bottled water companies use. Actually I have 2 units and one with a 35 gallon tank for my aquariums use. 5 gallon tank for human consumption with a faucet on top of the sink. You will use more water through this type of system as it flushes out the impurities in the water down the drain. I also had to have a water softer and used the salt labeled for iron elimination use. It won't get rid of it all but does a decent job. The R/O unit though does plus make your water neutral as it is not too acidic or alkaline. Very good for kitchen and drinking use as it doesn't scale up coffee makers or water lines to fridge. Worth the investment. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## Highbeam (Apr 12, 2016)

TonyVideo said:


> A reverse osmosis system that can be installed below your sink will take out a lot of contaminates and nitrates in your water. I have one installed and a line tapped going to the ice maker as well from the R/O unit. R/O water filtration is what most bottled water companies use. Actually I have 2 units and one with a 35 gallon tank for my aquariums use. 5 gallon tank for human consumption with a faucet on top of the sink. You will use more water through this type of system as it flushes out the impurities in the water down the drain. I also had to have a water softer and used the salt labeled for iron elimination use. It won't get rid of it all but does a decent job. The R/O unit though does plus make your water neutral as it is not too acidic or alkaline. Very good for kitchen and drinking use as it doesn't scale up coffee makers or water lines to fridge. Worth the investment.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk



RO systems are very effective. They are a last resort treatment system when you have something particularly hard to remove like excess fluoride or arsenic. Relatively slow to work and expensive though. Far too big of a gun to deal with iron, there are much simpler ways.


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## Lcback (Apr 19, 2016)

TonyVideo said:


> A reverse osmosis system that can be installed below your sink will take out a lot of contaminates and nitrates in your water. I have one installed and a line tapped going to the ice maker as well from the R/O unit. R/O water filtration is what most bottled water companies use. Actually I have 2 units and one with a 35 gallon tank for my aquariums use. 5 gallon tank for human consumption with a faucet on top of the sink. You will use more water through this type of system as it flushes out the impurities in the water down the drain. I also had to have a water softer and used the salt labeled for iron elimination use. It won't get rid of it all but does a decent job. The R/O unit though does plus make your water neutral as it is not too acidic or alkaline. Very good for kitchen and drinking use as it doesn't scale up coffee makers or water lines to fridge. Worth the investment.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


We have problems every summer once the rain gets few and far between. 
The softeners I was quoted for the house were to expensive for us. However a nice lady had a 5 gallon  RO drinking water system. It has been great, water is crystal clear, and taste great. They certainly worth the price. 

Sent from my LG-D850 using Tapatalk


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## GlennBoyd (Apr 25, 2016)

You can call professionals for water testing and after that they can suggest you best option available.


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## sportbikerider78 (Apr 25, 2016)

Agree...just have multiple places test the water and see if the results are consistent.  Gotta keep them honest.


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## Highbeam (Apr 26, 2016)

sportbikerider78 said:


> Agree...just have multiple places test the water and see if the results are consistent.  Gotta keep them honest.



You would be well served to have somebody test your water that is NOT trying to sell you a water treatment system. Pool places are pretty good and free, otherwise it can be like 50$ at a lab.


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## sportbikerider78 (Apr 26, 2016)

Absolutely.


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