4-Stage Whole House Well Water Filter System with Iron + Softener

Whole-house well water system for small private-well households with iron, low pH, and hardness, 4-stage train (sediment filter, iron and sulfur AIO filter, calcite acid neutralizer, 48,000 grain water softener), sized for 1 to 4 person households with up to 3 bathrooms. This is the right-sized whole-house well water treatment package for smaller homes. The full 2.5 cubic foot iron and sulfur air-injection oxidation (AIO) filter is the same size used in larger systems because iron removal depends on contact time and bed depth, not household size. The acid neutralizer and softener are tuned down to the smallest residential capacities (1.5 cubic feet of calcite, 48,000 grain resin tank) so you do not pay for capacity you will never use. All three media tanks are Vortech gravel-free underbed for higher service flow, and every control valve is a professional-grade Pentair Fleck or Clack unit, not a generic import. Best for: Private-well homes with 1 to 3 bathrooms and 1 to 4 occupants whose water test shows ferrous and ferric iron up to about 5 ppm, manganese, mild hydrogen sulfide (rotten-egg smell), pH between 5.5 and 7.0, and hardness up to 25 grains per gallon. Best installed after the well pressure tank, before any branch plumbing. Not for: Municipal (city) water (no iron, no acidity, just chlorine and chloramine to address with a different system). Wells with bacterial contamination (add a UV sterilizer downstream). Wells with iron over 30 ppm, manganese over 15 ppm, hydrogen sulfide over 10 ppm, or pH below 5.5 (step up to a larger 4-stage with our 2.5 cubic foot acid neutralizer and 64,000 grain softener). Homes with 4 or more bathrooms (step up to a larger system). Watch our cluster walkthrough videos before buying. The "Iron Filters for Well Water: The Complete Guide" video on YouTube covers how the air-injection oxidation stage works, the four most common installation mistakes, and how to interpret your iron and sulfur water-test numbers. The "Acid Neutralizers: The Complete Guide" video walks through how calcite raises low pH from 5.5 to neutral, why no electricity or drain line is required, and when you need a 1.5 cubic foot tank versus a 2.5. The "Water Softeners: The Complete Guide" video covers grain capacity sizing, salt consumption, and demand-initiated regeneration with the Fleck 5600SXT valve. Free expert consultation before you buy. Call Aidan at 800-460-5810, 7 days a week, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern. Send your water test results (iron in ppm, manganese in ppm, hydrogen sulfide in ppm, pH, hardness in grains per gallon) and he will confirm whether the small-home configuration is right or whether you need to step up to the larger 4-stage. No upsell, no hard sell, no commission. Mid Atlantic Water is an online-only national ecommerce business shipping to all 50 states; consultation, sizing, and ongoing support are remote (phone, email, text). You can also text 443-277-2204 or email support@midatlanticwater.net. Stage-by-Stage Treatment Train Stage 1, Sediment Filter: 10-inch Big Blue housing with a pleated polyester sediment cartridge, captures rust flakes, sand, silt, and particulate down to 5 microns nominal before the chemistry stages. Cartridge is reusable on the polyester model and replaceable. Required first because particulate fouls AIO bubble physics and softener resin. Stage 2, Iron and Sulfur AIO Filter (2.5 cubic feet): Air-injection oxidation tank with a 13 inch diameter by 54 inch tall mineral tank, Pentair Fleck 2510SXT control valve, and a Vortech gravel-free underbed. Removes ferrous iron, ferric iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide using an air pocket that oxidizes dissolved iron and sulfide into solid particles, which the bed traps and backwashes to drain. No chemicals, no chlorine injection, no air pump. Sized at 2.5 cubic feet specifically because iron removal depends on contact time and bed depth, not household size; downsizing this stage causes iron breakthrough. Stage 3, Calcite Acid Neutralizer (1.5 cubic feet): 10 inch diameter by 54 inch tall mineral tank loaded with food-grade calcium carbonate (calcite) media, Clack non-backwashing valve, Vortech gravel-free underbed. Raises pH from the 5.5 to 6.9 range up toward neutral (7.0 to 7.5) by sacrificially dissolving calcium carbonate as low-pH water passes through. No electricity, no drain line, no backwash required on this size. Stops blue-green copper staining, pinhole pipe leaks, and acidic taste. 1.5 cubic feet is sized for 1 to 4 person households with up to 3 bathrooms; larger homes step up to 2.5 cubic feet. Stage 4, Water Softener (48,000 grain): 10 inch diameter by 54 inch tall mineral tank loaded with high-capacity ion-exchange resin, 8% crosslink standard. Pentair Fleck 5600SXT demand-initiated regeneration control valve regenerates only when the household has actually used the calculated soft-water volume, not on a fixed clock, which cuts salt consumption by 30 to 40 percent versus timer-based softeners. Round salt brine tank with safety float included. Removes calcium and magnesium hardness up to 25 grains per gallon for households of 1 to 4 occupants with up to 3 bathrooms. Stops scale on faucets, fixtures, water heaters, and dishwashers. Key Features Treats the three most common well-water problems in one shipment: iron and sulfur staining, low-pH pipe corrosion, and hardness scale, in the correct sequential order so each stage protects the next. Right-sized for small homes (1 to 3 bathrooms, 1 to 4 occupants) so you do not pay for oversized 2.5 cubic foot acid neutralizer and 64,000 grain softener tanks you will not use. Full 2.5 cubic foot iron filter is not downsized because iron removal depends on contact time, not home size; smaller iron tanks cause breakthrough. All three media tanks are Vortech gravel-free underbed for higher service flow rate and lower pressure drop versus traditional gravel-bed systems. Professional-grade Pentair Fleck (5600SXT softener, 2510SXT iron filter) and Clack (acid neutralizer) control valves, not generic imports; 5-year valve warranty and 10-year mineral tank warranty. Free pre-purchase phone consultation with Aidan at 800-460-5810: water test interpretation, sizing confirmation, and installation guidance, 7 days a week. Free pallet shipping to the lower 48 United States; ships pre-loaded with media so the installer does not need to load tanks on site. Specifications Configuration: 4-stage whole-house well water treatment train Stage 1 Type: 10-inch Big Blue sediment housing with 5-micron pleated polyester cartridge Stage 2 Type: Iron and sulfur air-injection oxidation (AIO) filter Stage 2 Capacity: 2.5 cubic feet of catalytic iron media Stage 2 Tank: 13 inches diameter by 54 inches height, Vortech gravel-free underbed Stage 2 Valve: Pentair Fleck 2510SXT digital control valve Stage 3 Type: Calcite acid neutralizer (non-backwashing) Stage 3 Capacity: 1.5 cubic feet of food-grade calcium carbonate (calcite) media Stage 3 Tank: 10 inches diameter by 54 inches height, Vortech gravel-free underbed Stage 3 Valve: Clack non-backwashing in/out head Stage 4 Type: Water softener with demand-initiated regeneration Stage 4 Capacity: 48,000 grain ion-exchange resin (8% crosslink) Stage 4 Tank: 10 inches diameter by 54 inches height, Vortech gravel-free underbed Stage 4 Valve: Pentair Fleck 5600SXT digital control valve, demand-initiated Stage 4 Brine Tank: round salt tank with safety float Service Flow Rate: 8 to 10 GPM whole-house Iron Removal Capacity: up to about 5 ppm ferrous and ferric iron Manganese Removal Capacity: up to about 1 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide Removal: mild rotten-egg smell, up to about 1 ppm Operating pH Range: raises pH from 5.5 to 6.9 up toward 7.0 to 7.5 Hardness Removal Capacity: up to 25 grains per gallon Recommended Bathrooms: 1 to 3 Recommended Occupants: 1 to 4 Connection Size: 1 inch female threaded plumbing on each tank Power Required: standard 110 to 120 volt grounded outlet for the iron filter and softener valves only; the acid neutralizer is non-electric Drain Required: drain line for the iron filter (backwash) and softener (regeneration); the acid neutralizer does not need a drain Plumbing Position: install after the well pressure tank, before any branch plumbing, in the order sediment, iron filter, acid neutralizer, softener Bypass Valve: 1 inch bypass included on iron filter and softener Salt Type: solar salt or pellet salt (do not use rock salt) Warranty: 5 years on Fleck and Clack control valves, 10 years on mineral tanks Certification: NSF/ANSI 61 certified components throughout the train Media Life: calcite tops up annually as it dissolves, AIO catalytic media 8 to 10 years, softener resin 10 to 15 years Shipping: free pallet shipping to the lower 48 United States, ships pre-loaded with media Country of Origin: United States assembly with imported control valves and tanks Common Contaminants and Symptoms Treated Ferrous iron, ferric iron, dissolved iron, oxidized iron, iron staining on toilets and tubs, orange staining on laundry, manganese, black staining, hydrogen sulfide, sulfur smell, rotten-egg smell, mild sulfur taste, low pH, acidic water, pH 5.5 to 6.9, blue-green copper staining, pinhole copper leaks, pipe corrosion, calcium hardness, magnesium hardness, hard water scale, scale on faucets, scale on fixtures, scale in water heater, scale in dishwasher, soap scum, dry skin from hard water, sand, silt, rust flakes, sediment, particulate. Installation Overview Installs after the well pressure tank and before any branch plumbing. The mandatory treatment order is: sediment filter, then iron filter, then acid neutralizer, then water softener. Installing out of order will cause iron fouling of the softener resin (catastrophic) or scale fouling of the AIO bed (slow degradation). Each tank uses 1 inch female threaded plumbing with a bypass valve for service. The iron filter and softener each need a drain line for backwash and regeneration; the acid neutralizer does not require a drain. Power is standard 110 to 120 volt grounded outlet for the iron filter and softener control valves only. Most homeowners hire a local plumber for installation; budget 4 to 6 hours of plumbing labor. The system ships pre-loaded with media on a pallet so no on-site media loading is required. Warranty and Support 5-year warranty on the Pentair Fleck and Clack control valves, 10-year warranty on the mineral tanks. Lifetime support by phone and email through Mid Atlantic Water at 800-460-5810. Aidan and the support team handle water test interpretation, sizing questions, programming questions on the Fleck control valve, and any troubleshooting after install, free of charge for the life of the system. Mid Atlantic Water is an online-only national ecommerce business; we ship to all 50 states and provide remote consultation and support, but we do not install and we do not refer to a regional installer network. Frequently Asked Questions What is the difference between the small-home 4-stage and the larger 4-stage system? The small-home version has a 1.5 cubic foot acid neutralizer and a 48,000 grain softener, sized for 1 to 4 person households with up to 3 bathrooms. The larger 4-stage uses a 2.5 cubic foot acid neutralizer and a 64,000 grain softener for 4 to 6 person households with up to 5 bathrooms. The iron filter is 2.5 cubic feet on both because iron removal depends on contact time, not home size. Why is the iron filter the same size as the larger system? Iron removal depends on bed depth and empty-bed contact time (EBCT), not household size. A smaller iron tank causes iron breakthrough at peak flow even in a small home. We do not downsize this stage. Do I need a UV sterilizer too? Only if your water test is positive for total coliform bacteria or E. coli. A UV system installs at the end of this 4-stage train. Call us at 800-460-5810 and we will quote the add-on if your test shows bacterial contamination. Do I need a carbon filter for taste polishing? Optional. If you want to remove residual organic taste or a small amount of chlorine from a chlorinated well treatment, a non-backwashing carbon filter installs at the end of the train. Most well-water customers do not need it. How much salt does the softener use? About 30 to 40 percent less than a timer-based softener because the Fleck 5600SXT regenerates on demand only when the household has used the calculated soft-water volume. A 1 to 4 person household with 15 to 20 grain hardness typically uses 1 to 2 bags of solar salt per month. How long does the calcite last? Calcite is sacrificial, meaning it dissolves slowly as it neutralizes acidic water. Plan to top up the tank with about a half cubic foot of calcite every 12 to 18 months for a 1.5 cubic foot tank. We sell replacement calcite media; refilling takes about 30 minutes. Can I install this myself? If you have plumbing experience and standard tools, yes. Most customers hire a local plumber for the soldering or PEX work. The system ships pre-loaded with media so you do not need to load tanks. Call us at 800-460-5810 before installation and we will walk through the order and the bypass setup. Does this work on city water? No. This system is specifically configured for private-well water with iron, low pH, and hardness. City water needs a chlorine and chloramine carbon filter instead. Call us and we will recommend a city-water configuration. Where do you ship? All 50 United States. Free pallet shipping to the lower 48. Alaska and Hawaii available with a freight quote.