Orange or brown staining
Check iron / manganese results and how the water appears at the tap.
Read the staining guide
Home water
Understand your water before choosing treatment.
Find help with hard water, odors, staining, and private wells. Learn what to test and how to compare treatment options.
Staining, well tests, and filtration
Practical answers for your home.
Private well testing
Get a usable well-water test before assembling a treatment system.
Plan a well-water test
Well-water filtration system
Start from a recent test or a specific water problem, not a generic system package.
Explore treatment choicesStart with your water
A symptom, or a result from a water test?
Choose the observation or result you already have.
I can see or smell a problem
- Scale, white spots, or hard-water symptomsConfirm hardness before choosing a softener.
- Rotten-egg or sulfur smellLocalize the odor before treating it.
- Orange or brown stainingCheck iron / manganese results and how the water appears at the tap.
- Sediment or visible particlesSeparate particles from persistent turbidity and identify the source.
I have a test result—or need a test
- I have a hardness resultDecide whether you want true softening before sizing equipment.
- I’m worried about PFAS or have a PFAS resultSeparate a general concern from a current result for your water. Work from exact contaminant-reduction claims when comparing treatment.
- My well test found coliform or bacteriaStart from the lab result and confirm the microbial-safety issue before choosing UV.
- I need to test my private wellGet a usable well-water test before assembling a treatment system.
Testing and sizing
From a hardness result to a treatment plan
Keep the result and units together, choose the treatment goal, then check household demand and installation requirements.
1
Measure hardness
Keep the units and water source with the measurement. A test method answers “how hard is the water?”; it does not decide the treatment for you.
2
Choose softer water or scale control
A softener removes hardness; scale control is a different goal. For a softener, use your measured hardness, household demand, and installation requirements to work out the size.
3
Work out the size
Use the measured result with household demand and install constraints.- Evidence
- Measured hardness
- Goal
- Hardness removal
- Demand
- Household use / flow
Treatment and quotes
Compare the equipment and work in each quote
Put the treatment stages, installation work, and ongoing costs side by side.
- “What filtration system do I need?”Start from a recent test or a specific water problem, not a generic system package.
- Softener or salt-free conditioner?Compare softer water with reducing scale buildup.
What to check
- Treatment stages
- What exact problem or result is each treatment stage supposed to address?
- Installed cost
- Which costs are equipment, installation, plumbing/electrical work, warranty, and maintenance?
- Who supplies and installs
- Can I buy the equipment myself and hire someone to install it?
Browse all water guides
Read more about your test result, water source, or treatment options.
Hardness & treatment
Well water & symptoms
Filtration & safety
Before you choose equipmentCheck what your water needs before comparing treatment products.
Photography credits
Tap-water sampling: Paul Bradley / USGS. Budgeting: Hanna Pad / Pexels. Photos illustrate the task.