Advertising:Ad · links marked paid link earn us a commission if you buy. Your price stays the same.Links marked paid link earn us a commission; same price for you · How we make money
Well Owner's Guide How we research
A white two-storey farmhouse with a red roof on a green lawn under a deep blue sky Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0 · modified

Iron filter guide · Updated Oct 31, 2026

Orange stains from your well? One tank for iron, manganese and sulfur

No lab report needed to start: SpringWell tests your water before the system ships, and refunds the system if it doesn't fit.

We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. It doesn't change the pick.

Illustration

Our pick for iron up to 7 ppm

SpringWell WS1

$2,100 brand list price $2,625 Price checked Oct 31, 2026

  • Iron ≤ 7
  • H₂S ≤ 8
  • Mn ≤ 1 ppm1
Check price at SpringWell

Water test $134.25, added at checkout, not refundable. Free shipping to the lower 48.1, 2

Independent guide · 23 sources, checked Oct 31, 2026 · How we make money

  • Lifetime limited warranty1, 3 Valves and fittings; mineral tanks 14″+ 10 yrs; head 5–7 yrs Valves & fittings; tanks 14″+ 10 yrs
  • Free shipping to the lower 482 Continental US only
  • DIY install keeps the warranty4 Or hire a plumber: the warranty applies either way
  • Owned by Fortune Brands5 Moen's parent company, since February 2024

How ordering works

No lab report needed. The test is part of the order.

  1. Order with the $134.25 test

    SpringWell adds its lab test to the same checkout.1

  2. SpringWell reviews your results

    The order waits for the lab results. If changes are needed, SpringWell contacts you.1, 2

  3. It ships, or the system is refunded

    If it doesn't fit your water, the order is cancelled and the system refunded. The test isn't.1

What do you see?

Tap all that apply. Iron, manganese and sulfur often come together, and one tank handles all three, within limits.

Signs in your water
More signs (4)

Tick what you see. Nothing is sent anywhere.

Illustration

The filter we'd look at first

SpringWell WS1 / WS4

Best for: iron, manganese and rotten-egg smell in private wells

iron
7 ppm
hydrogen sulfide
8 ppm
manganese
1 ppm

Stated maximums, pH 6.5 or higher1

$2,100 brand list price $2,625

+ $134.25 water test, required · WS4 $2,5201

WS1 sale price, checked Oct 31, 2026. Check the current price.

Check price at SpringWell
  • Water tested before it ships; system refunded if it doesn't fit (the $134.25 test isn't)
  • Lifetime limited warranty on valves and fittings; mineral tanks 14″+ 10 years; electronic head 5–7 years (registered owner, water within spec)
  • Returns within 6 months if uninstalled, 10% restocking fee
  • Free shipping to the lower 48

Terms as published by SpringWell1, 2, 3

Why it fits

  • One tank for iron, manganese and sulfur, within the stated limits
  • Air injection: no chemicals, no cartridges, self-cleaning backwash
  • WS1 for 1–4 bathrooms, WS4 for 4+

Needs an outlet that isn't on a switch, and a drain line.14

How we chose: 4 checks, no lab testing by us
  1. Limits against guidance. We held each system's stated iron, manganese and sulfur limits against what extension services say each method handles.6, 15
  2. Certification listings. We searched NSF's listings and say where a claim is the maker's own.16
  3. The full terms. Warranty, return and shipping policies read in full, not just the badges.2, 3
  4. Total cost. Price plus the required test, install needs and running costs, with the date we saw them.1

What we didn't do: install or lab-test it ourselves. The limits above are SpringWell's own claims. Our method

How it works: air, then a filter bed

No chemicals and no cartridges: oxidation, then filtration, then a self-cleaning backwash.1, 6, 14

  1. Air pocket. Oxygen at the top of the tank turns dissolved iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide into particles.
  2. Media bed. The particles, now rust-colored specks, get trapped; clean water leaves the bottom.
  3. Backwash. On a schedule, the tank flushes the particles to the drain and refreshes the air.
Cutaway: water from the well, through the pressure tank and the WS in the basement, to the kitchen tap. Inside the WS: an air pocket, a media bed and a backwash to the drain. Groundwater Well Pump Pressure tank The WS Tap 1Air pocket 2Media bed 3Backwash Cutaway: water from the well, through the pressure tank and the WS in the basement, to the kitchen tap. Inside the WS: an air pocket, a media bed and a backwash to the drain. Groundwater Well Pump Pressure tank The WS Tap 1 2 3 Air pocket Media bed Backwash

Skip the WS if…

Every limit, with what to do instead.

  • Iron above 7 ppm Greensand (to about 10 mg/L iron + manganese), above that chlorine or peroxide injection plus a filter6
  • Iron bacteria or coliform Shock-chlorinate the well; if coliform returns, NSF/ANSI 55 Class A UV; if iron bacteria return, chlorination with a filter or professional well cleaning8, 21
  • pH below 6.5 Correct the pH first (neutralizer)11, 15
  • You need independently certified performance We found no NSF listing for SpringWell's well systems16

Looking at Aquasana's Rhino Well? It's carbon + UV, not an iron filter.17 Compare both

Check your numbers

Have a lab report? See whether the WS fits, and which size.

From your lab report: mg/L and ppm are the same. Leave a field empty if it wasn't tested. Nothing is sent anywhere.

ppm
ppm
ppm

Iron vs the WS limitenter your iron

No lab results yet?
Why not a softener? Methods by iron level
Water softener dissolved iron only, pH above 6.7 6
Catalytic carbon needs dissolved oxygen 6
SpringWell WS (air injection) Our pick manufacturer's stated maximum 1
Greensand oxidizing filter iron + manganese 3–10 (UGA: up to 15) 6, 15
Pressure aeration + filter air first, then a filter 15
Chlorine/peroxide + filter for high levels, above 10 6
Iron in mg/L (= ppm) from your lab report. Sources disagree on exact limits, so treat the edges as approximate. EPA's taste-and-stain benchmark for iron is 0.3 mg/L.10

What it costs, all in

What SpringWell's checkout adds up to, and what comes after.

For scale

$1,500–3,000 is what Minnesota's health department puts whole-house oxidizing filters at, DIY to installed.19

SpringWell order, price checked Oct 31, 20261

SpringWell WS1 list $2,625
$2,100
Water test, required Level 1 + Bacteria, not refundable
$134.25
Bypass valve pre-added, removable
$58.79
At checkout $2,234.25 without the bypass
$2,293.04
Install
DIY or a plumber4
Running costs
Power and backwash water, no cartridges14

Before you buy

Hands washed under a black faucet over a clean white basin Photo: Shixart1985 · CC BY 2.0 · modified
What happens if I order and my water doesn't fit?

If the lab results show the system isn't compatible with your water, SpringWell cancels the order and refunds the system. The $134.25 test isn't refunded. If the results call for changes, its support team contacts you first.

Can I install it myself?

Yes: SpringWell says a DIY install keeps the warranty. You'll cut into the main line, run a drain line and plug the head into an outlet that isn't on a switch. Budget for a plumber if that isn't for you.

Can I return it?

Within 6 months, but only unused and uninstalled, with a 10% restocking fee and return shipping at your cost. Installed systems are taken back only if defective. That's why the water test before shipping matters.

What maintenance does it need?

Very little by design: no cartridges in the iron stage, a scheduled backwash, and a "10+ year media life" (SpringWell). Keep the power on (the control head also takes a 9-volt battery) and re-test your water once a year.

Does it remove bacteria?

No. SpringWell's own note: "Do not use where water is microbiologically unsafe!" If your test shows coliform or E. coli, find and fix the source, then add disinfection (UV certified to NSF/ANSI 55 Class A, or chlorination). See bacteria.

Will a water softener remove iron?

Only small amounts of dissolved (clear-water) iron: Penn State Extension puts the limit at about 5 mg/L, with pH above 6.7. Iron that is already oxidized (red water) fouls softener resin. Above that, or with sulfur smell, an oxidizing filter is the usual answer.

Do you get paid for this?

Yes, possibly: links marked paid link can earn us a commission at no cost to you. It doesn't change what we write; we also tell you when not to buy. How we make money.

Answers from SpringWell's product page, manual and policies, and extension and state health guidance.1, 2, 4, 6, 14, 15, 21

Your water gets tested before anything ships

If it doesn't fit, SpringWell cancels and refunds the system. The $134.25 test isn't refunded.1, 2

Illustration

Our pick for iron up to 7 ppm

SpringWell WS1

$2,100 brand list price $2,625 Price checked Oct 31, 2026

Iron ≤ 7 · H₂S ≤ 8 · Mn ≤ 1 ppm

Check price at SpringWell

Testing first? A certified lab such as UW–Stevens Point charges $153 for a basic panel plus metals20; SpringWell's required $134.25 test is added to the order1.

Order with SpringWell's test How to test independently

A hand fills a glass bottle at a kitchen tap under a sunny window Photo: Femivaco · CC BY 4.0 · modified
Sources (23) · checked Oct 31, 2026
  1. SpringWell: Whole House Well Water Filter System (WS1/WS4) product page (seen 2026-10-31)
  2. SpringWell: Shipping, returns and refunds (free shipping to the continental US only) (seen 2026-10-31)
  3. SpringWell: Warranty (seen 2026-10-31)
  4. SpringWell: ULTRA Well Water Filter + Salt-Free combo (seen 2026-10-31)
  5. Fortune Brands 10-K: Fortune Brands Innovations, Form 10-K for fiscal 2024 (acquisition of SpringWell, February 29, 2024; Water segment with Moen) (seen 2026-10-31)
  6. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Iron and Manganese in Private Water Systems (2025-05-29; checked 2026-10-31)
  7. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Hydrogen Sulfide in Water Wells (2024-12-10; checked 2026-10-31)
  8. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Iron and Sulfur Bacteria (2024-09-16; checked 2026-10-31)
  9. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Water Softening (2025-09-08; checked 2026-10-31)
  10. EPA: EPA, Secondary Drinking Water Standards (2026-05-26; checked 2026-10-31)
  11. Connecticut DPH: Connecticut DPH, Publication 18: pH-Acidity of Private Wells (May 2009; checked 2026-10-31)
  12. CDC: CDC, Guidelines for Testing Well Water (2024-07-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  13. EPA: EPA, Protect Your Home's Water (2026-02-26; checked 2026-10-31)
  14. SpringWell manual: WS1/WS4 installation instructions (PDF) (seen 2026-10-31)
  15. UGA Extension: UGA Ext. Bulletin 939, Water Quality and Common Treatments for Private Drinking Water Systems (2026-07-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  16. NSF listings: NSF certified drinking water treatment units: search for SpringWell (seen 2026-10-31)
  17. Aquasana FAQ: Rhino Well Water FAQ (seen 2026-10-31)
  18. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Tips for Buying Water Treatment Equipment (2026-07-01; checked 2026-10-31)
  19. Minnesota Dept. of Health: Minnesota Dept. of Health, Home Water Treatment fact sheet (rev. 2024-03-29; checked 2026-10-31)
  20. UW–Stevens Point lab: UW–Stevens Point WEAL, 2026 Analysis Price List (valid to 2026-12-31; checked 2026-10-31)
  21. Ohio Dept. of Health: Ohio Dept. of Health, UV Light for Continuous Disinfection (rev. July 2011; checked 2026-10-31)
  22. UGA Extension: UGA Ext. C858-4, Shock Chlorination (2026-04-17; checked 2026-10-31)
  23. Penn State Extension: Penn State Ext., Testing Your Drinking Water (2025-06-02; checked 2026-10-31)