Iron in water usually shows up as orange stains, a metallic taste, or water that turns brown after it sits. The right fix depends on the type of iron and how much there is, so a water test comes first. Quality Service Company, LLC helps homeowners in Florence, SC and the Pee Dee find the cause and choose a treatment that fits.
What are the signs of iron in your water?
Iron is easy to spot once you know what to look for. Common signs include:
- Orange or red-brown stains in sinks, tubs, toilets and showers
- White laundry that turns yellow or orange
- A metallic taste in water, coffee or tea
- Water that comes out clear, then turns cloudy or orange in the glass
- Slimy red-brown buildup inside the toilet tank
- Clogged faucet aerators, shower heads and appliance screens
What kinds of iron show up in home water?
Not all iron looks the same. The type you have decides the treatment.
- Clear-water iron (ferrous). It is dissolved and invisible at the tap. It turns orange once it meets air.
- Red-water iron (ferric). It has already rusted. You can see the particles as the water runs.
- Iron bacteria. Tiny organisms feed on iron. They leave slime and a swampy smell.
- Rust from inside the house. Old steel pipe or a corroding water heater can shed rust into the water.
Where does water in the Florence area come from?
Your water source matters. Iron dissolves out of soil and rock, so groundwater carries it more often than river water.
The City of Florence’s 2024 water quality report says most of its supply comes from groundwater wells. The rest comes from its Pee Dee River surface water plant. The system serves about 30,671 households.
That report does not list a figure for iron. A test at your own tap will tell you more. Timmonsville has been on City of Florence water since 2013, so the same applies there.
Outside city systems, things change. Around Manning, Clarendon County sits over large groundwater aquifers. If your home runs on a private well, no utility treats or tests that water for you.
Is iron in water safe to drink?
The EPA treats iron as a taste, color and staining problem, not a health standard. Iron bacteria foul plumbing and smell bad. If someone in your home has a health condition tied to iron, ask your doctor.
Iron still costs you in other ways. It stains fixtures, ruins laundry and builds up in water heaters, shower heads and appliances.
Is it the water supply or your water heater?
Before treating the whole house, find where the color starts:
- Run a cold tap for a minute and look at the water.
- Then run the hot tap. If only hot water is rusty, the water heater is the likely source.
- If every tap suddenly runs brown, ask a neighbor and call your water utility. Line work and flushing can stir up rust for a while.
- If the color or stains stay for weeks, the water or your pipes need a closer look.
Home age plays a part too. Census figures show nearly half of homes in the City of Florence were built before 1980. Older steel pipe can rust from the inside and tint the water. Your tech can check what your pipe is made of.
When the tank is the problem, read about water heater installation and replacement.
What should a water test check?
A good test looks at more than iron. It should check:
- Iron, and which type you have
- Manganese, which leaves black stains and often travels with iron
- Hardness
- pH, since acidic water corrodes pipes and affects some filters
- Hydrogen sulfide, the rotten-egg smell
Skip the test and you can end up with equipment that clogs or misses the problem.
How do you remove iron from household water?
Match the equipment to the test results. Common options include:
- Sediment filter. Catches rusted particles. It does not stop dissolved iron.
- Water softener. Removes small amounts of dissolved iron along with hardness. Too much iron coats the resin. See water softener installation.
- Oxidation iron filter. Uses air or another oxidizer to turn dissolved iron into particles. A filter bed traps them, then backwashes itself clean.
- Well disinfection. Shock chlorinating a well can knock back iron bacteria.
- Plumbing repairs. When rust comes from old pipe or a failing tank, replacing it fixes the source.
Some homes need two steps, such as an iron filter followed by a softener.
How do you keep an iron treatment system working?
- Keep salt in the softener’s brine tank.
- Use an iron-rated resin cleaner if your plumber recommends one.
- Change sediment cartridges on the maker’s schedule.
- Leave the control valve plugged in so backwash cycles run.
- Flush the water heater as its manual directs.
- Retest any time stains or odors come back.
How can Quality Service Company help?
Your tech will look at your water, your pipes and your water heater. Then they’ll explain what’s causing the stains and why. You’ll hear your options and the cost before any work starts.
We’ve served Florence and the Pee Dee since 2003, and our people live where we work. Learn more about water treatment for your home. Call (843) 920-2004 or book online.
Common questions
Why does my water turn orange after it sits?
Dissolved iron is turning into rust as it meets air. Clear-water iron stays invisible in the pipe, then oxidizes in the glass. That’s why water can look fine at first and darker a few minutes later. A sediment filter alone won’t catch it. It needs an oxidation filter or a softener sized for the job.
Will a water softener remove iron?
A softener can remove small amounts of dissolved iron. It swaps the iron out the same way it handles hardness minerals. Higher iron levels, rusted particles or iron bacteria coat the resin bed. Then the softener stops working well. In those homes, an iron filter can go in ahead of the softener.
Why do my sinks have black stains as well as orange?
Black or dark brown stains can come from manganese. Manganese often shows up in the same groundwater and behaves much the same way. Make sure your water test checks for it. Some iron filters remove manganese and others don’t. Treating only the iron can leave the dark stains behind.
Can iron damage my water heater?
Yes, iron can build up in a water heater. In a tank, it settles to the bottom as sediment and can clog the drain valve. In a tankless heater, it can collect inside the heat exchanger. Your tech can check the heater when they look at your water.