Our clients in Rockford, Illinois had enjoyed their well water for years. They had an Iron Curtain, so rust was not a problem. But as their family size increased, so did their water use. The original Iron Filter could not keep up. At times the water would get rusty.
So why didn’t the old system handle their water use?
Iron Filters – All About Flow Rates
Iron Filters are different than Water Softeners. A softener needs enough capacity to treat the GALLONS you need. You could run out of soft water after a few days if its not big enough.
Iron Filters physically “strain” clumps of Iron and Iron Bacteria out of water. Filters need enough surface area to work. If too much water is pushed through the Filter, you will “break through the damn” and get rusty water.
Iron Filters are sized based on FLOW RATE. They are rated for how many gallons per minute (gpm) they can filter.
A Bigger, Better Iron Filter
The original Iron Curtain installed in this home used (2) 10” x 54” tanks:
- the first 10” tank mixes water and air to oxidize Iron
- the second 10” tank is the actual filter that removes the oxidized Iron
A 10” tank has 0.55ft² of surface area and can filter up to 4.9gpm. This family needed 6-7gpm and would get rust stains whenever they used too much water.
The new system uses (2) 12” tanks.
A 12” tank has 0.79ft² of surface area. That’s almost 44% bigger!
The bigger 12” system can filter up to 7.1gpm. Just what this family needed!
The old system used a mechanical controller. It was functional, but clunky. Whenever the power went out, the system had to be reset. The old filter valve had 100’s of parts. Very intimidating to these homeowners.
The new Iron Curtain uses a digital controller with a power backup system. The new filter valve only has 41 parts. More user friendly. More reliable. Win, win!
Bigger filters and modern controls are great. But what really matters is water quality. Our customers no longer have rust stains. They love their water – again. That’s what really matters.
What Size Iron Filter Do You Need?
An Iron Filter just might be the best investment you can make if you have rusty well water.
But what kind do you need? What size do you need?
Garrelts Water specializes in Iron Filters for the greater Illinois area. We know the water here. We know what works.
Give us a call at (815) 344-8186 for advice you can trust.
We’ll fix your rusty water – the first time!
About Garrelts Water
Garrelts Water is owned and run by Jim Garrelts. The company is based in McHenry, IL and has been helping local commercial and residential customers since 1992.