Iron Softener: Can I use a Water Softener as an Iron Filter
Iron Softener: using a water softener as an iron filter. You should virtually NEVER use a water softener as an iron filter. And you should be very wary of anyone who suggests you do such a thing. The simply do not have your best interests in mind. Iron causes damage to a water softener's mineral bed. And makes water softeners use a lot more salt over time. Eventually running measurable amounts of iron to a water softener will certainly result in expensive service calls and/or mineral failure. In-home sales companies often do this to generate ongoing income from unsuspecting consumers. People who purposely sell water softeners as iron filters to unsuspecting consumers are what we call "Slick Willies". They are trying to create a lifetime of expensive service calls and repairs to unsuspecting consumers.
BUYERS BEWARE
Be particularly wary of unscrupulous companies who not only suggest that you use a water softener to remove iron, but that actually recommend that you use harsh and often toxic chemicals in your HOUSEHOLD WATER supply, that you put in your softener salt tank to supposedly clean the iron off the softener. Even the people who make these chemicals say you should not use them in water filter systems. Do you really want to add these chemicals to your water? Not to mention these chemicals break down the resin in softeners. And make them use a lot more salt. It just keeps using more and more salt over time. Then you are constantly running out of soft water before the next cleaning cycle, unless you stay on it all the time as it becomes less efficient. Wouldn't it be much smarter to just get rid of the iron to begin with? Then your softener will likely last 2 to 4 times longer. And it will use far less salt and water due to all the extra regeneration required to purge the iron.
The way you know that people who suggest such methods are misleading you is that their lips are moving.. These are often the same people who say it is ok to drink the water from softeners. It is not. It adds heavy amounts of sodium to the drinking water. Read more about that here: https://waterfiltersofamerica.com/drinking-water-from-a-water-softener/
And while you can certainly use an inexpensive reverse osmosis system (Around $200) to remove sodium left behind by softeners, and to remove other unwanted contaminants. Adding harsh chemicals like iron out and others, saturates your filters in the RO. And even the RO filters can not remove ALL of these chemicals. It's just wrong to use chemicals in a water softener to remove the iron. Also a water softener can only remove clear water iron. Red water iron goes right through a softener over time. You almost ALWAYS have both types of iron in well water. Beware the slick operators and snake oil salesmen.
The PROPER way to treat iron in your water.
If you have an iron problem in you home. You should use an iron filter to remove that iron. If the water is very hard, you can add a water softener. Which will then be highly efficient, as it only has to do one job, which is remove hardness. That is what a water softener is for. Using this method, our average customer says they add salt about once per year when the water softener is properly applied. People who use water softeners as iron filters. May find that hard to believe. Because they are usually using MASSIVE amounts of salt. And usually the person who told them to do such a foolish thing. Is actually selling them the salt!
Most People Just Need an Iron Filter
The majority of people we see who have been sold a water softener as an iron filter. Never needed a water softener to begin with. And the unnecessary maintenance and expense of adding massive amounts of salt and ongoing service issues. A lot of iron in the water often makes it act like the water is really hard. But that is often not the case. Not to mention we have iron filters that require virtually no maintenance and require no salt or chemical additives. And the water will be great to drink without adding reverse osmosis like you would have to do with a water softener.
Water softeners use ionic exchange to remove hardness. A proper iron filter uses water filtration to remove iron. And the best type of iron filtration is an "oxidizing" filter. Such as our Terminox™ iron filter. Because our Terminox™ iron filters remove iron, sulfur, manganese, dirt and turbidity. As well as smells, tastes and even harsh chemicals, such as chlorine. And they use no salt or chemicals. And are virtually maintenance free. Just set it and forget it. You can find them on this page:
IRON FILTERS
Also remember, you should not drink the water from a water softener as a rule. And you should either drink bottled water. Or add reverse osmosis ($199) to the kitchen sink. And use it for all of your cooking and drinking water. Also, you can connect up to two additional water using appliances. And that includes refrigerators, freezers and ice makers. To a single reverse osmosis unit normally.
