I have a water softener but, still get iron staining, why?

I have a working Water Softener, but I am still getting Iron Staining, Why is that?

Because, water softeners are poor devices for removing a large amount of iron.

Water softeners are poor devices for removing a large amount of iron (1 PPM and higher). One part per million of iron, will consume five grains of water softener capacity where, one grain of hardness will only consume one grain of capacity.

Iron staining on drain

Water Softener and iron calculations Example:

If water softener capacity = 30,000 grains

30 gr. hardness per gallon = -30 gr. capacity or 1,000 gallons of water

now add

1 PPM iron per gallon = -5 gr. capacity or 857 gallons of water total (-143)

2 PPM iron per gallon = -10 gr. capacity or 750 gallons of water total (-250)

3 PPM iron per gallon = -15 gr. capacity or 666 gallons of water total (-334)

So, if you are 30 gr. hard and have just 1 PPM iron on a 30000 gr. water softener with 4 people in the home consuming 100 gpd (national. avg.) each, your regeneration interval with a 400 gal. final day reserve = 857 – 400 = 457 = every 2 days or approx. $750.00 per year in salt if salt is $7.87 for 40 lbs.

Iron is great for companies that sell salt

Iron is great for companies that sell salt, but not great for you because, your water softener will use more salt by needing to regenerate more frequent. Never purchase a water softener that is too small because, it is cheaper than the other company it will cost you more money in salt. Water softeners are subject to iron fouling. Water softeners become iron fouled because, they don’t like to let go of the iron as easy as the hardness (calcium and magnesium). The iron sticks to the softening resin and it takes a mild acid to get it out. Salt alone will not get the iron out of the system. Water softeners are hardness filters, not iron filters.

Iron fouled softening resin

If your water softener has been in operation for a few years, your iron may have increased since, the water softener was placed into service. When iron increases, it lowers the amount of water a water softener can process and now, may need to regenerate every day which, will double your salt bill. A water test should be conducted every year to determine if your iron problem has gotten worse since, the system was installed.

There are several other things that could cause you to still be getting iron staining from your water softener assuming it is running under capacity.

1. It is critical that your system never run empty of salt and it is able to pull salt from the brine tank.

2. It is important that the time of day be kept correct and that no one uses water between 2 am – 3 am (default regeneration time for most water softeners) when the system is regenerating. While the system is in regeneration, any water used, would be unconditioned waste water and salt will be pulled into the structure.

3. It could be, your resin tank is too small to handle all the iron and may have become iron bound. A water test will determine if your system is too small or under capacity. A water test can also determine if the system is iron bound.

4. It could be you are not regenerating often enough, or using enough salt per regeneration for the small unit you have or your family has grown and there are more people using more water. A water softener built for two, will surely become over taxed with four.

5. It could be that your iron content exceeds the recommended maximum. 1 cu. ft. of resin which, can effectively remove up to 1 part per million iron without significantly degrading water softener performance.

6. On rare occasions the iron could be coming from the water heater tank. If your water heater is more than 10 years old, it could be rusting out on the inside, thus putting iron back into the water. This is also true in older homes, over 20 years old, that used galvanized plumbing. Run water out your tap to see if the iron is mostly on the hot side. A water test can also determine the source of the iron.

Evidence of a system totally contaminated by iron.

Above are the common reasons a working water softener might still be allowing you to get iron staining. The real solution is to remove the iron before it gets to the water softener, so, the softener can do what it was designed to do. Water softeners are hardness filters, not iron filters. For additional help and recommendations, call us at 772-538-0284 and we will assist you in eliminating the iron problem.