How to Prevent Well Water Stains?

The most common issue reported by private well owners is staining on appliances, toilets, faucets, and even laundry and crockery in severe cases. These stains leave homeowners frustrated and wondering if their well water is safe to consume.

Don’t worry if you are facing the same issue. This article will walk you through all the measures you can use to prevent well water stains.

How to Prevent Well Water Stains?

Before we investigate how to prevent well water stains, let’s find out what causes these stains in the first place.

What Causes Well Water Stains?

Well water stains are caused by large amounts of minerals in the water. The common minerals you would find in well water are iron, calcium, and magnesium. Sometimes iron bacteria are also the culprit behind well water stains.

Luckily, the minerals are not harmful to us if they are not present in abnormal amounts. Moreover, these minerals can be removed by using commonly available water treatment methods.

Well Water Stains Prevention

Private well owners are responsible for maintaining their water quality. Hence, getting well water tested before installing a water treatment system is important. It becomes easier to deal with the problem once you know the reason.

Iron Stain Removal – Yellow, Red, or Brown Stains

Iron is the most common element found in the earth’s crust. Hence, it has a high concentration in well water. Iron is found in two forms in well water; soluble and insoluble. Both types can cause stains. Iron bacteria can also cause stains.

Iron stains usually appear in toilet tanks & bowls, bathtubs, showers, faucets, and drains. You can clean them with a commercial cleaner, but the stains will reappear. Here’s how you can prevent the stains from coming back.

Sediment Filters: Sediment filters remove insoluble iron in well water. Other filtration methods don’t remove suspended iron. The insoluble iron causes red/brown stains and damages your water treatment systems, appliances, and plumbing fixtures. Most homeowners install a sediment filter before a water softener or whole house water filter.

Oxidization Filters: These filters remove soluble iron. These filters use an air pocket to oxidize the iron in well water. The filter is then backwashed to remove the contaminants. Oxidation filters are usually used to remove the higher concentration of iron (up to 12 PPM). They are also best for large homes.

KDF Filters: Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) filters work by exchanging electrons with contaminants, changing them into harmless components. KDF filters can also remove hydrogen sulfide, lead, mercury, and calcium carbonate. They are usually used when the iron is found in lower concentrations (up to 4 PPM). KDF filters can come as standalone or as a part of whole house filters. These filters are recommended for small to medium homes as they don’t have a high flow rate.

Water Softeners: Water softeners (salt-based) are appropriate when you have to remove hardness and iron from water. They can remove iron up to 6-8 PPM.

Manganese Greensand: Manganese greensand filters also remove iron from well water. It is a powerful oxidizer and works by turning dissolved iron into solid particulate matter. These precipitates are then removed from the water.

Shock Chlorination: Shock chlorination removes iron bacteria from well water. Iron bacteria causes red stains in toilet bowls. You can install a chlorinator to remove iron bacteria and other microorganisms from well water.

Hard Water Stains – White, Limescale, Brown, & Rust

Around 85% of the US has hard water. The likelihood that you will suffer from hard water stains is high. Hard water stains usually appear on faucets, toilets, sinks, shower heads, and plumbing connections. While there are various ways to remove hard water stains, prevention is only possible through installing a water softener. You can either go for a salt-based or salt-free softener.

Salt-based water softeners work on the principle of ion exchange, whereas salt-free softeners (water conditioners) crystallize hardness-causing elements in well water. Salt-based water softeners are more effective than salt-free systems and eliminate stains. On the flip side, salt-free units just reduce the intensity of stains.

Manganese – Black Stains

Manganese enters well water in the same way as iron. Its concentration above 0.5 mg/L (1 mg/l is equal to 1 PPM) causes odors, tastes, and colors in the water. However, manganese does not harm humans unless its concentration is 3.0 mg/L or higher.

Manganese usually causes black stains on appliances, toilets, and plumbing fixtures. You can reduce manganese in the following ways.

Air Injection Filters: Air injection filters also remove manganese up to 4-5 PPM. These filters oxidize manganese. The filtered water is supplied to your home, and the precipitated manganese is removed via backwash.

Reverse Osmosis Filters: RO filters are usually used to filter water for drinking and cooking. These filters remove up to 99% of all contaminants present in water.

Tannins – Yellow Stains

Tannins are usually found in rivers, lakes, and surface water sources. When leaves and other organic matter fall into a water source, they break down over time to release tannin. Tannins usually enter well water through a damaged well cap.

The first step to avoid tannin stains is to check the well cap for any damages or cracks. The second step is to get your well water tested for tannin concentration. Once you know the tannin concentration, you can install a whole house water filtration system that removes tannin from well water.

Acidic Water – Blue/Green Stains

Many private well owners report acidity in well water. While acidic water is not fit for drinking, it can also cause blue/green stains on your appliances, toilets, and bathtubs. Acidic water is corrosive and can damage metal plumbing pipes, stainless steel crockery, and your appliances.

The best way to deal with acidity in well water is to install a well water acid neutralizer. Please note that this is the only solution to remove acidity from well water. Moreover, acidic water can severely damage water filters and softeners. Hence, an acid neutralizer must be installed before other water filters.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why well water causes stains?

Well water is rich in minerals and earth’s elements. Water dissolves these elements when it moves underground; a few contaminants also enter the water if the well casing is damaged. Well water stains are more common than city water because it is treated before being supplied to your home.

2. How can I instantly remove well water stains?

Well water stains look tough, but you can remove them using a commercial cleaner or homemade cleaning solution comprising vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, and liquid dish soap.

Another preventive measure to avoid hard water stains is ensuring regular cleaning and dry surfaces.

3. How do I know the source of well water stains?

The most reliable and effective way is to get your well water tested. Local government and well experts recommend annual testing or testing after floods or hurricanes. This will tell you what is causing stains, and then you can solve the problem with the right treatment method.