Although the two don’t always go together, it is not uncommon to have problems with iron if you have hard water — this is especially true for home owners who have well water. Iron, like the minerals that cause hard water, is found in the soil and is absorbed into water before it is pumped into your home or business.
Iron, like many minerals, is an important nutrient for your body, and one you should be getting every single day in order to stay healthy. It is found in red meat, beans, and leafy vegetables like spinach, even in your cereal. It’s also in water, and though it will not harm you, it can leave an unpleasant taste that can be removed with your water softening system.
Iron in water is not typically harmful to drink or use, but it does create some unpleasant tastes and appearances. For example, water with high iron content may smell like rotten eggs, look cloudy, and may have a slightly metallic taste. Water high in iron can also leave behind an orange rust coloring in toilet bowls, sinks and bathtubs. While the rust coloring is mostly cosmetic, over time, iron can corrode pipes and even clog plumbing with a rust-like sludge.
Do you have iron in your water?
If so, don’t worry! Peterson Salt has a number of products we recommend for home use:
1. The first is our Iron Fighter Pellet Salt—it goes directly into your water softener and safely prevents rust stains in sinks and tubs.
2. If you currently use the Extra Coarse Solar Salt, you might try adding a little bit of Rust Out Powder with every bag of salt you put into the brine tank. This powder can help prevent and remove rust build-up and stains.
3. For rust outdoors, on sidewalks and house siding, the liquid Rid O Rust works like magic to melt away ugly orange stains.
If you have any questions on rust stain removal or prevention, call Peterson Salt and Water Treatment at (952) 929-0422 or email us at sales@petersonsalt.com
Fun Fact:
The iron in cereal is not a naturally occurring mineral like the iron in hard water. It is actually made of iron filings that are sprinkled into the food mix. If you blend a cereal containg high levels of iron on “high” you can extract the iron using a magnet!