Iron Removal for single tub.

[Gast]

My parents have a tub with water jets that hasn't been hooked up to the water lines for almost 10 years due to fear that our well water will destroy the tub. I'm pretty sure we've got hard water and a sizable iron count. I really don't have the budget to put in a whole house system, so I'd like to know if I have any options for a smaller scale iron filter. (Ha! Sorry for pun.) My only goal is to get the water quality to a point that it won't harm the tub. I'll try and get the water tested soon.

[Wally Hays]

first test the water and the results will give you your options.

[Gast]

Aww, I was hoping for some ideas before then. I was told it takes an average of a week to get results for water tests done by the county. IIRC our iron was in the single digits (3-5), and I remember being well into the "hard water" category.

[jadnashua]

Depending on how much, and what type of iron compound is in the water would determine how you could remove it, and what would work. A softener can remove some iron in the process of softening the water, but if the water is very heavily loaded, you may need other process(es) to clear it. You may want to do this for the whole house, as getting access to the supply and having room for maintenance and the initial install could be tough.

[Gast]

Access to the supply and room to install and maintain any system installed is not really a problem, overall cost is. When we built the house there was a miscommunication about the crawl space height, so it's now more of a crouch space, and the access door is under the bathroom in question. And there's enough space in the bathroom itself to potentially build a cabinet to house a system right next to the tub.

As for cost, I'd have to keep it under $500, preferably under $200. I'm fairly handy and plan on installing the system myself.

[Bob999]

Iron stains but does not generally destroy surfaces like a tub. If there is high iron content then other surfaces (sinks, toilets, etc) are staining and you can expect the same with the tub. So why do you have special concerns about the tub?

[Gast]

It's a whirlpool or jacuzzi tub. It has water jets and pumps and stuff that my parents won't think will hold up well to the water. The shower heads don't fare so well, so I can understand their concern.

[Bob999]

It's a whirlpool or jacuzzi tub. It has water jets and pumps and stuff that my parents won't think will hold up well to the water. The shower heads don't fare so well, so I can understand their concern.

Good reasons to treat all the water--not just for the tub. But as Wally said--you need a water test before anyone can give you informed advice.

Added: An additional consideration is tubs have both hot and cold water supply and most filters are not rated to use with hot water. That means you need to treat the water before it enters the hot water heater.