Unlike city water, well water is never treated before it reaches your tap, so it can carry hardness minerals, dissolved iron, sediment and bacteria that shift from season to season. The good news is that a clear three-step approach test, soften, then remove iron solves the vast majority of well water problems. A properly sized well water softener uses ion exchange to strip those minerals out, protecting your plumbing, water heater and appliances while making soap and detergent work far more effectively. Get the sizing and the sequence right, and a well water softener will run for years on nothing more than periodic salt and a service check. Targeted well water iron removal uses an oxidising iron filter that converts dissolved “clear-water” iron into a filterable particle and traps it before it reaches your home, preventing both the stains and the slow clogging of pipes and appliances.