Water Softeners for Well Water

Who this is for

You're on a private well and you have scale on fixtures, spotty dishes, soap that won't lather, or orange and black staining. Before you buy anything, have the water tested by a state-certified lab. EPA says to only use laboratories certified for drinking water testing, and to test a private well every year for total coliform bacteria, nitrates, total dissolved solids and pH.

For a softener decision, add these to the test: hardness, iron, manganese, pH and hydrogen sulfide. HomeGuide puts a hard water test at $130 to $200. Our well water testing guide lists what to ask the lab for.

When a softener alone can handle your well

Penn State Extension recommends a softener for iron only when the water's pH is above 6.7, hardness is between 3 and 20 grains per gallon, and dissolved iron is under 5 mg/L. That's the sweet spot. Inside those limits, a good softener takes out hardness and the dissolved ("clear water") iron together.

Manufacturers set their own limits, and they vary. GE's softener manual lists a maximum of 5 ppm clear water iron, and says red water iron (iron that has already rusted) needs a separate filter. Whirlpool rates its WHES40 for 10 ppm of clear water iron and its WHES44 for 12 ppm. NDSU Extension says some softeners will also remove up to 10 ppm of iron and manganese. We'd go with Penn State's more conservative number. Running a softener near its iron limit fouls the resin.

If your test shows iron above that range, or the water comes out of the tap already orange, plan on an iron filter ahead of the softener. See iron in well water.

Well water softener options compared

Single-tank metered softener

This is the right call for most wells. A metered, or demand, control counts the gallons and regenerates when the resin is close to spent, instead of on a fixed timer. NDSU Extension describes models that recharge based on the volume of water used. On a well, that matters for another reason: every regeneration pulls water from your pump and sends it to the septic system or drain.

Dual-tank softener

NDSU Extension notes that demand-initiated units usually use two softening tanks and a brine tank. One tank serves the house while the other regenerates, so you never get hard water mid-cycle. It's worth it for big households or very hard water. For a family of three on moderate hardness, it's money you don't need to spend.

Salt-free conditioners

These are a different technology, and they don't work the same way as an ion-exchange softener. See salt-free water softeners before you buy one for a well. Virginia Cooperative Extension says no recognized US agency has set a performance protocol for magnetic or electrical water treatment devices, so their effectiveness is uncertain. Skip those.

What to put in front of a well water softener

The order of equipment matters. Water should hit the softener last, after everything that would foul it.

1. Sediment filter. Sand and silt plug the softener's injector and wear the valve. A cartridge or backwashing sediment filter right after the pressure tank protects everything downstream.
2. Acid neutralizer, if your pH is low. Penn State says neutralizing filters raise pH by adding calcium, which increases the water's hardness. Put the neutralizer before the softener and size the softener for the hardness that comes out of the neutralizer, not the raw water.
3. Iron and manganese filter, if levels are above the softener's range. Penn State recommends oxidizing filters such as manganese greensand for combined iron and manganese of 3 to 10 mg/L, and oxidation followed by filtration above 10 mg/L.
4. Softener.

For the bigger picture on filter types, see whole house water filters for well water.

Iron, manganese and the resin

Even inside the limits, iron coats the resin over time. Whirlpool says to add 5 to the hardness setting for each 1 ppm of clear-water (ferrous) iron, and to clean the resin bed with a resin cleaner if iron shows up in the soft water. HomeGuide says softener resin typically needs replacing every 5 to 10 years on well water that's high in iron or manganese, versus more than 10 years on city water.

EPA's secondary standards put the nuisance level for iron at 0.3 mg/L and for manganese at 0.05 mg/L. Those are the levels where you see staining and taste.

Install notes for wells

• Pressure. GE and Whirlpool both rate their softeners for 20 to 125 psi. Whirlpool says to increase well pump output to at least 20 psi if pressure is low. Check your pressure switch cut-in.
• Septic. NDSU Extension warns that the water used in recharging a softener may overload or reduce the effectiveness of small septic or sewer systems. A metered softener that regenerates only when needed sends less water to the tank.
• Drain. The softener needs a drain within reach. Whirlpool limits the drain hose to 30 feet long and 8 feet above the floor.
• Bypass. Install a bypass valve so you can shock-chlorinate the well, change filters or service the softener without cutting off water. We recommend bypassing the softener during well chlorination so strong chlorine doesn't run through the resin. See shock chlorination.

Sizing comes from your hardness (plus iron) and how much water the household uses. Our softener sizing guide does the math, and softener installation covers the plumbing.

What it costs

HomeGuide's well filtration data puts a softener on a well at $1,000 to $3,500 installed, and a full well treatment train at $1,500 to $5,000 on average. Salt runs $50 to $150 a year. Our water softener cost guide breaks down what moves the price.