How do I get rid of rust in my well water?
Carrie from Rushville, Ohio
I have the same problem. I have bought the Sears water softner and does really well. You can take a sample of water to sears and they will test for you to see what level of rust and hardness it is for FREE. I buy salt from tractor supply or aldi etc. No need spending big money on it. I still cannot use bleach but NO rusty sink , toliets etc. Good Luck
You don't say if you have a water softener. If so buy your salt in bag's with rust remover in it. The water softener is needed because rust will ruin appliances and ruin clothes also. However they have several brand's of thing's to take the rust out of thing's in fact one of them is called Rust Out. However you must read the back of the boxes to make sure you are buying the right one for your particular problem.Good luck I went nuts till we had our water softener installed the rust was unbelieveable!
Remove your well head and find a long enough garden hose to run from an outside hydrant or faucet on the side of the house back to the well. Put the hose down the well. Mix one gallon of water with the appropriate amount of "Iron Out" mixed into it (you can pick it up at Wal-Mart) and one gallon of Clorox to pour down the well head.
Turn on the outside faucet/hydrant and let the mixture run through the well and other pipes. If the well water runs to the house, it should get at least to the pressure tank and flow through other pipes. If it is like mine, it goes through the pressure tank, water filter and water softner before returning to the well. Let it run for an hour or two to get all of that initial "rust" out of those lines.
Once you turn the outside hose off, turn on all of the inside faucets until you can smell or see the rust out (you will be able to smell it and see some bubbles). Then turn off you faucet so that the mixture can sit in the pipes for a while. It will eat away at the rust built up in the pipes.
You will want to run the faucets for a while after it has sit so that it will be flushed from the pipes (you wont want to drink it, bathe in it or wash with it - the concentration is too strong). Do this every three to six months depending on how much "iron" you have in your water. It is a cheap and easy way to remove it.
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The rust I am dealing with is at the bottom of my well, the well was not used for 5 years. When I first started using it, it ran clear with a iron taste to it, but clear. I let the outside hose run for awhile and big amounts of rust like sand came out the hose, enough to leave about 1/4 inch on side walk. Do I need to pull the well pump?
By Dean
There is a product called Rust-X that might help.
I use Iron Out instead of bleach for my whites. To get the rusty orange color off the sink, toilet and tub, we use Barkeepers Friend best cleanser we've found so far.
Use the works toilet cleaner. Cheap and the rust dissapears.
I agree... its the Muratic acid in it... love that stuff
