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Iron & Sulfur Filters

Iron & Sulfur Filters

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Tired of scale, spotty dishes, and dry skin? Shop factory-direct whole house water softener systems built on genuine Fleck valves, ship free, and come with the sizing and setup support to get it right the first time.

Shop Iron & Sulfur Removal Systems by Series

Air Injection Silver

The Silver series is our entry-point air injection iron filter, built for moderate iron without added sulfur odor concerns. It's a strong value pick for wells testing under 8 ppm iron and light manganese.

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Air Injection Gold

The Gold series adds a catalytic carbon bed, which handles both higher iron loads and hydrogen sulfide odor in the same tank. This is the series most well owners land on when they have both staining and a rotten-egg smell.

Air Injection Platinum

The Platinum series is built for well water at the higher end of the range, combining higher-capacity media with the same salt- and chemical-free air injection process. The Platinum system is the best choice to remove the highest levels of both iron and sulfur.

Air Injection Titanium KL Media

The Titanium series uses KL media, which removes iron up to 15 ppm while using noticeably less water during backwash, a good fit for wells with limited recovery rate.

Filox, Birm & Greensand Systems

These are the proven, longer-standing alternatives to air injection: Filox and Birm oxidize iron on contact, while greensand (recharged with potassium permanganate) remains the go-to choice for stubborn manganese.

Do You Need a Water Softener or an Iron Filter for Iron and Sulfur?

When a Fine Mesh Softener Handles Iron

If your well water combines hardness with low dissolved (ferrous) iron in roughly the 1–3 ppm range, a fine mesh resin water softener for iron and sulfur can often manage both problems in a single tank. Browse our fine mesh options in the Water Softeners collection.

Water Softeners →

When You Need a Dedicated Iron & Sulfur Filter

Once iron climbs above roughly 3 ppm, or if you're dealing with any sulfur smell, manganese staining, or ferric (already-oxidized) iron, a standard softener resin bed fouls quickly. That's the point where a dedicated Iron & Sulfur Filter earns its keep instead.

When You Need Both and the Correct Order

Homes with both heavy iron and hard water need both systems but the order matters. Install the iron filter first, then the softener downstream, so the iron filter protects the softener's resin bed from fouling rather than the other way around.

What's Staining Your Water? Identify Your Iron Problem

Ferrous "Clear-Water" Iron

Water that comes out of the tap clear but turns orange or cloudy after sitting is ferrous (dissolved) iron oxidizing on contact with air.

Ferric "Red-Water" Iron

Water that's already orange or red straight from the faucet is ferric iron — iron that's already oxidized before it reaches your fixtures.

Iron Bacteria

Slimy red, orange, or brown residue in the toilet tank (sometimes with an oily sheen) is a sign of iron bacteria, a living organism rather than dissolved mineral. It needs shock chlorination of the well as a first step, since an air injection filter alone oxidizes iron but doesn't kill bacteria.

Hydrogen Sulfide

A rotten-egg smell in your water points to hydrogen sulfide gas, which catalytic carbon or air injection with the right media can remove.

Manganese

Black staining or dark flecks on fixtures and laundry usually mean manganese, which often shows up alongside iron from the same groundwater source.

How Air Injection (AIO) Iron Filters Work

Step 1

Oxidation in the Air Pocket

Well water passes through a pocket of compressed air held at the top of the tank, which oxidizes dissolved iron, sulfur, and manganese into solid particles the media bed can trap.

Step 2

Filtration Through the Media Bed

Those oxidized particles get physically filtered out as water passes down through the media bed, leaving clear water on the other side.

Step 3

Automatic Backwash, Salt & Chemical Free

The control valve periodically backwashes the trapped particles to drain and redraws a fresh air pocket with no salt, chemicals, or cartridges required. See our Air Injection System Information page for the full technical walkthrough.

Air Injection System Information →

Maintenance & Media Replacement

Media Life & Re-Bedding

Most air injection and oxidizing media last 5–10 years depending on the media type and how much iron/sulfur load it's handling before it needs replacing.

Iron Removal Media Hydrogen Sulfide Removal Media

Greensand Potassium Permanganate Refills

Greensand systems need periodic potassium permanganate to regenerate the media's oxidizing capacity.

Troubleshooting

Smell Only in Hot Water?

If the rotten-egg smell only shows up at hot taps and cold water is fine, your well probably isn't the cause. It's almost always the water heater's magnesium anode rod reacting with sulfate bacteria inside the tank. Swapping to an aluminum/zinc anode rod usually solves it without needing any filtration at all.

FAQs

Will a water softener remove iron and sulfur from well water?

Partially. A fine mesh resin softener can remove up to about 1–3 ppm of dissolved ferrous iron while also softening hard water but no softener removes sulfur smell. For higher iron levels, hydrogen sulfide odor, or manganese, you need a dedicated air injection iron and sulfur filter. If you have both hard water and heavy iron, install the iron filter first and the softener after it.

What is the best iron removal filter for well water?

Match the system to your water test. Our Air Injection Silver handles up to 8 ppm iron for the best value; the Gold adds catalytic carbon for up to 12 ppm iron and 10 ppm sulfur; the Titanium uses KL media for up to 15 ppm iron with less backwash water; Filox systems handle up to 15 ppm iron; and greensand is the proven choice for stubborn manganese.

How does an air injection (AIO) iron filter work?

An AIO system maintains a pocket of compressed air at the top of a single tank. As well water passes through it, dissolved iron, sulfur, and manganese oxidize into solid particles that the media bed traps. The valve then automatically backwashes the particles to drain and redraws a fresh air pocket with no salt, no chemicals, no cartridges.

Why does my well water smell like rotten eggs?

That's hydrogen sulfide gas. An air injection filter with catalytic carbon removes up to about 10 ppm of sulfur, eliminating the odor at every tap. One exception: if the smell only occurs in hot water, the likely cause is your water heater's anode rod reacting with the water — replace the rod before buying a filter.

How much iron is too much in well water?

The EPA's secondary standard is just 0.3 ppm — staining on fixtures and laundry starts around that level. At 1 ppm and above you'll see persistent orange stains, metallic taste, and appliance buildup. A whole house iron water filter system removes it at the point of entry before it reaches your plumbing.

What flow rate does my well pump need for an iron filter?

Every backwashing iron filter needs a minimum flow to clean its media bed — typically 4–8+ GPM depending on tank size and media. Check your well pump's output before choosing a system; an undersized backwash is the most common cause of iron filter failure. Our listings show the minimum required GPM for every system, and our tech support can help you size it.