Well Water
20 guides. Each one cites its sources and says what we checked and what we didn't.
Testing Well Water
- Well Water Test Kits: Choose the Test by the Question You Need AnsweredBuying guide
Mail-in lab kits, at-home strips and free provincial programs compared by what they measure (bacteria, nitrate, arsenic, iron, hardness) and who they suit.
- How to Test Well Water: Taking a Sample the Lab Will AcceptHow-to
How to take a well water sample the lab will accept: the right tap, sterile handling for bacteria, keeping it cold and getting it there in time.
- Where to Get Your Well Water Tested by a Certified LabHow-to
Find a certified lab for your well in the US or Canada, including free provincial bacteria testing, and compare mail-in lab services.
Iron, Manganese & Sulfur
- Iron Filters for Well Water: Pick the Type That Fits Your Iron LevelBuying guide
Softener, oxidizing filter or chlorine injection: which iron filter fits your well test, with the iron and manganese limits used in the US and Canada.
- Iron Bacteria in Well Water: How to Confirm Them and Keep Them in CheckHow-to
Orange slime in the toilet tank? How to confirm iron bacteria in your well, shock chlorination doses, and what to do if they come back.
- Manganese in Well Water: What Your Result Means, and What Removes ItHow-to
Manganese has a health limit in Canada (0.12 mg/L) and advice for infants. What your test means and which treatments remove it from well water.
- Rotten Egg Smell in Well Water: Find the Source, Then Fix ItTroubleshooting
Find out if the sulfur smell comes from your water heater or your well, and which fix fits: anode rod, carbon, oxidizing filter or chlorine injection.
- Sulfur Filters for Well Water: Pick One Rated Above Your H₂S LevelBuying guide
Compare whole-house sulfur filters by the hydrogen sulfide level each one is rated for: carbon, air injection, oxidizing media and chlorine injection.
Softeners for Well Water
- Water Softeners for Well Water: What They Handle, and How to Size OneBuying guide
When a softener can handle well water iron, how to size it from your hardness in gpg or mg/L, and which softeners publish the limits a well needs.
Bacteria: UV & Chlorination
- UV Systems for Well Water: Class A, Sized to Your Pump, After the FiltersBuying guide
Choose a UV disinfection system for your well by flow rate and certification, and learn the iron, hardness and pre-filter limits it needs to work.
- Coliform in Well Water: What to Do After a Positive TestHow-to
What a positive coliform or E. coli result means for your well, the steps health agencies recommend, and when a UV system makes sense.
- How to Shock Chlorinate a Well, Step by StepHow-to
The shock chlorination steps health agencies give: how much bleach for your well, contact time, flushing safely and when to retest.
Complete Well Systems
- Well Water Filtration Systems: Build the Chain From Your Test ReportBuying guide
Which parts your well needs and in what order, from sediment to UV, and the complete systems that cover the most common well water test results.
- Acid Neutralizing Filters for Well Water: Fixing Low pHBuying guide
Blue-green stains or pinhole leaks? How to fix acidic well water with a calcite neutralizer or soda ash injection, and the hardness it adds.
- Carbon Filters for Well Water: What They Fix, and What They Don'tBuying guide
What a carbon filter fixes on well water and what it doesn't, activated vs catalytic carbon, cartridge or tank, and where it goes in the system.
- How to Install a Well Water Filter System: Placement, Drain, Power and GroundHow-to
Where a whole-house well filter goes, the bypass, drain and power each type needs, and the install steps from manufacturer manuals.
- Reverse Osmosis for Well Water: At the Kitchen Tap, for the Right ContaminantsBuying guide
When a well needs reverse osmosis (nitrate, arsenic, uranium), which NSF/ANSI 58 claims to check, and the pretreatment RO needs on well water.
- Sediment Filters for Well Water: Spin-Down, Cartridge, and Which MicronBuying guide
How to choose a well water sediment filter by particle type and micron rating, where it goes in the system, and how often to clean or change it.
- Shower Filters for Well Water: What They Can and Can't FixBuying guide
Most shower filters target chlorine, which well water lacks. What a shower filter can do for iron, sulfur smell and hardness, and when it won't help.
- Well Water Filter Change: A Schedule for Every PartBuying guide
When to change each well water filter, cartridge, lamp and membrane, the signs it's time, and how to pick the right replacement.