Tuesday, September 27, 2016

How Can I Prevent Red, Orange, and Black Staining from Ruining My Fixtures?

Hello Hal,

Thanks for emailing about your well water.  You reported the following:

“I have red orange and black staining with calcium deposits on my fixtures. 

What type of filter system can I get to prevent staining and calcium deposits from ruining my fixtures?!  

My water test is: Calcium-18.4 mg/l, Magnesium-4.8 mg/l, Manganese-0.175 mg/l, Sodium-55.2 mg/l.”

Based upon this information and knowing there are 3+ Bathrooms in your home I’d recommend a
Pro-Ox Air Charger Iron Filter followed by a Water Softener to remove the calcium deposits. The result would be clean, non-staining soft water throughout the home.

One of the advantages of the Pro-OX Air Charger is the fact that it doesn’t use any chemicals during the back washing and cleaning process.  The system uses natural aeration and maintains a pocket of air inside the filter tank.  As water passes through the air-pocket it adds some oxygen to the water.  As the water comes into contact with the potent Pro-OX media, it rapidly oxidizes and removes iron, manganese, and and sulfur odors present.

Pro-OX Manganese Dioxide media is an NSF Certified natural high purity medium which utilizes an oxidation-reduction reaction and filtration process similar to Greensand, but at a much higher level of performance.  

Pro-OX has a much higher surface area and is much more porous than Greensand, and also lasts much longer (usually between 10 - 12 years) compared to around 5 years maximum for Greensand. 

Your water is hard (high in calcium) and the best solution is to use a good low-salt water heavy-duty Water Softener to remove the hardness.  Clothing lasts much longer when washed with softened water, skin feels better, and overall soap usage is reduced as well.  This will only regenerate based upon the gallons used and not the days of the week, thus saving salt and water.

These systems are fully automatic and uses the reliable 5900e control valve for dependable filtration with minimal maintenance requirement along with being quite user friendly in operation. 

I’ve included a link to the optional Spin-down filter which would be installed upstream of the Iron filter to protect against sand/sediment from entering the control valve and cause unwanted problems.  

You can also use this to shock the filter/house with chlorine from time to time for it will help with odor buildup as well as improving the filters cleanliness.  This uses a mesh screen without filter cartridges that will need constant servicing.  Simply flush the valve for 10 – 20 seconds as needed and done.

The following will show images, a brief description of each, system cost, warranty specifics, along with product links for more information.  

This system is sized for a home with up to 4.5 bathrooms however larger systems are available.  We can also offer a discount for bulk purchases.

water treatment




Air Injection Oxidizing Filter, Pro-ox 59000, air filter
Pro-OX 5900-AIR 2.0 cu. Ft.  -  Air Injection Oxidizing Filter


Unique NSF Control Valve allows the air pocket to be filled at night, without having the iron filter go through a complete backwash. Other Air-Charger Iron Filters must go through a complete backwash every night, in order to clean the air, wasting thousands of gallons of water each year.

No potassium permanganate, or other chemicals required like other iron filters.  

Dimensions:  12" diameter x 59" height with the valve attached.   ¾" or 1” connectors, media, valve, and bypass is included.  All installation and start-up guides will be sent directly to you and we are available for tech-support as well should you have questions during installation or down the line. 


Excellent warranty: 10 years on the tank; Industry leading 7 years on the control valve.



Softener 5900e Series- 64K Size, 2.0 cu. Ft.                        


Includes 1 inch or 3/4 inch pipe connectors and bypass valve;  2.0 cubic feet of heavy-duty Softener resin; heavy-duty brine tank; and 5900e Series digital metered-regeneration control valve.  Ease of service along with a simple user interface are a big plus with this valve.

Excellent quality and should last for years to come, typically 10+ as long as the back washing is normal and using the proper amount of salts.  These are quite efficient with usage, thus would only regenerate based upon the water used and not by days of the week.



Dimensions:  12” x 59” Tank, with the valve is approximately 61” tall.  All instructions on assembly are included as is tech-support as well.  Brine Tank is 18” x 33”, other sizes available.
Excellent Warranty:  Industry leading 7 years on the control valve; 10 years on the tanks.



rusco spin down filter

Rusco Spin Down Filter, PE, ¾” or 1”, 100 Mesh size:                    

Rusco Spin Down Filter Polyester Screen T Style: 1" Pipe Size, 1" SxS Port (Slip x Slip, for PVC pipes or glued connections), 100 Mesh (152 Microns). Includes 1/2" manual flush ball valve. Rusco Spin-Down Sediment Filters are highly flexible, filters are designed to be utilized in a wide variety of applications.





Why Choose Clean Water Systems?

Free Shipping:  All quoted prices include shipping within the continental U.S. at no charge. 

No Sales Tax as well!
Combination discounts available for multi-system purchases.
90 Day Guarantee:  Try the system out and return within 90 Days if not completely satisfied.




Dedicated Support:  Our trained and certified water specialists are here to help if you have any questions.  Our support and service is #1 in our industry.



Questions? Call us toll-free 888-600-5426 or email us!

I hope this information helps and finds you well, should you have any questions or require additional documentation simply let me know.  Thanks again for contacting us to treat your water, I look forward to hearing from you.