How To Test Your Well Water For Iron

One of the annoying repercussions of iron in well water are the stains it leaves behind on your laundry dishes sinks and bathtubs which are nearly impossible.

How to test your well water for iron.

Pour water in a clear container and allow it to stand. Your local health department can assist in selecting tests important for assessing your drinking water. With the right water filter however you can remove iron from your well water quickly and easily. So if you notice any dark colored reddish brown or yellow slime in your sinks bathtub or toilet tank there might be iron bacteria present in your water.

The iron in your well water fosters the growth of this and other types of bacteria. If this is not possible then run the water for 5 to 10 minutes so you know the water is coming right from the well. Let it sit a few minutes. You can often tell if you have iron in your water just by observation.

An iron concentration of as little as 0 3 milligrams per l mg l may be sufficient to produce reddish brown sediment. Reddish rusty spots sludge within your toilet or reddish debris at the bottom of a glass of the well water is a clear sign of iron being present in the water. If you haven t already done so get a water test to determine the type and amount of iron in parts per million ppm as well as the water s ph and dissolved oxygen content. The best way to find out is to do a water test of the water right from the well before it enters the house.

Some filters like water softeners are ideal. If your water tests positive for iron and you get your water from a public water utility contact them right away to find out if the iron contamination is from their system or your home s plumbing. Iron is not generally harmful at this level so an unhealthy level of iron in the water is easily detectable. The three most common types of iron in well water are.

Soluble iron can be detected by filling a clear glass with water from your well. Iron bacteria which show up as reddish slime in toilet tanks. This slime can also clog pipes and plumbing fixtures and make your drains smelly. The pelican 16 point rapid water test will test your water for iron along with 11 other common contaminants like tannins manganese and turbidity.

Besides hardness high iron levels in water is the most common problem well owners deal with. If iron is present you will notice tiny red particles floating to the bottom. Also if you run a faucet and the water coming out is any shade of red or brown then it can be a clear sign of iron being present.