5-Stage Well Water System: Iron Filter, 48K Softener, Carbon Filter & UV
5-Stage Well Water System: Iron Filter, 48K Softener, Carbon Filter & UV
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What homeowners are saying
Every tank ships empty. The Katalox Light, softener resin and Centaur carbon ship in separate boxes and bags and are loaded into the tanks at install through the included fill funnels. The UV lamp ships in its own tube in the main box and slides into the chamber at install. Drain tubing is not included.
Sediment 20 inch Big Blue sediment filter kit
- ✓ Pentek 1 inch Big Blue housing, about 23 inches tall, with a pressure-relief button
- ✓ One 5 micron melt-blown cartridge
- ✓ Wall bracket and screws, and a spanner wrench
- ✓ The parts can arrive in two boxes
Iron 2.5 cubic foot iron filter
- ✓ Fleck 2510 AiQ control valve with air injection, and a stainless steel bypass valve
- ✓ 13 x 54 inch Vortech mineral tank, shipped empty
- ✓ 2.5 cubic feet of Katalox Light, shipped separately
- ✓ Rated for up to 30 ppm iron, 15 ppm manganese and 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide
Hardness Fleck 5600SXT softener, 48,000 grain
- ✓ Fleck 5600SXT metered control valve with the 1 inch stainless steel bypass pre-installed
- ✓ 10 x 54 inch Vortech mineral tank, shipped empty
- ✓ 1.5 cubic feet of 10% crosslink resin in separate bags
- ✓ Brine tank with a safety float
Taste and odor Clack carbon tank, 2.5 cubic feet
- ✓ Clack upflow (non-backwashing) head with a bypass valve
- ✓ 13 x 54 inch Vortech tank, shipped empty
- ✓ 2.5 cubic feet of Centaur catalytic carbon: two 1 cubic foot bags and one 1/2 cubic foot bag
- ✓ No electricity and no drain
Bacteria VIQUA VH410 UV light
- ✓ Stainless steel UV chamber with the quartz sleeve inside, and its controller
- ✓ UV lamp in its own tube in the main box; it slides into the chamber at install
- ✓ Controller that counts down the lamp's days and beeps when it is due
Not included What your plumber supplies
- ✓ Drain tubing for the iron filter and the softener
- ✓ A GFCI outlet for the UV light (VIQUA calls for one)
- ✓ Pipe, fittings and adapters
- ✓ Softener salt
Free shipping to the lower 48 states. The package can arrive in more than one shipment: the media, the Big Blue parts and the UV light can come separately. For the current ship date, text Aidan at 443-277-2204 before you order.
The boxes carry little or no install guidance; use our install guide and ask Aidan. Call 800-460-5810 or text Aidan at 443-277-2204, 7 days a week, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern.
Who it fits
| Household | Up to about 4 people on water up to about 15 grains per gallon; 1 or 2 people up to about 30. More people or harder water: text Aidan. |
| Water source | Private well. Not for city water. |
| Iron, manganese, sulfur | Up to 30 ppm iron, 15 ppm manganese, 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide |
| pH | The iron filter works best near pH 8. No acid neutralizer is included; on low pH, Aidan checks your test first. |
| Bacteria | Coliform and E. coli: the UV light kills them as the water flows past the lamp |
| Well flow needed | About 10 GPM to backwash the iron filter |
| System flow | About 12 GPM (the softener is the slowest stage) |
| Power | Three outlets: the iron filter valve, the softener valve and the UV controller (on a GFCI) |
| Drains | Two: the iron filter and the softener. Tubing not included. |
Sediment filter
| Housing | 20 inch Big Blue (Pentek), about 23 x 7.5 inches, 1 inch female NPT ports |
| Cartridge | 5 micron melt-blown |
| Flow | About 15 GPM |
| Cartridge change | About every 4 to 6 months on a typical well |
Iron filter
| Valve | Fleck 2510 AiQ with air injection |
| Media | 2.5 cubic feet of Katalox Light |
| Tank | 13 x 54 inch Vortech |
| Service flow | 17 GPM |
| Backwash | Needs about 10 GPM from the well; about 140 gallons per backwash; ships set to backwash every day and can be set to less |
| Power and drain | Standard outlet; a drain line your plumber sizes for the backwash |
| Media life | 6 to 8 years |
| Warranty | 5-year valve, 10-year tank |
Water softener
| Valve | Fleck 5600SXT metered (regenerates by gallons used) |
| Resin | 1.5 cubic feet of 10% crosslink resin |
| Tank | 10 x 54 inch Vortech, with a brine tank and safety float |
| Capacity | About 45,000 grains on full salt, 36,000 on a salt-saving setting |
| Service flow | 12 GPM |
| Per regeneration | About 7 lb of salt and 25 to 50 gallons of water |
| Bypass | 1 inch stainless steel, pre-installed |
| Power and drain | Standard outlet; 1/2 inch drain tubing (not included) |
| Warranty | 5 years on the control valve, 10 years on the mineral tank, 5 years on the brine tank |
Carbon tank
| Head | Clack upflow (non-backwashing) |
| Media | 2.5 cubic feet of Centaur 12x40 catalytic carbon (Calgon Carbon) |
| Tank | 13 x 54 inch Vortech |
| Flow | Up to about 17 GPM |
| Power and drain | None |
| Start-up | Calgon recommends soaking Centaur before use; the install steps include a soak |
| Carbon life | About 5 years in a typical home |
| Warranty | 10-year tank, 5-year valve |
UV light
| Model | VIQUA VH410 |
| Chamber | Stainless steel, 3.5 x 23.5 inches |
| Flow (VIQUA) | 18 GPM at VIQUA's standard 30 mJ/cm2 dose; 14 GPM at 40 mJ/cm2 |
| Water going in | VIQUA's limits include iron under 0.3 ppm and hardness under 7 grains; the iron filter and softener ahead of it get the water there, and the Big Blue gives the 5 micron filtration VIQUA calls for |
| Power | 60 watts, about $95 a year; GFCI outlet |
| Controller | Counts down the lamp's days and beeps when it is due; no UV sensor |
| Clearance | About 23.5 inches at the lamp end to pull the lamp and sleeve |
| Warranty (VIQUA) | Chamber 10 years, controller 3 years, lamp and sleeve 1 year |
No certification is claimed for the package as a system, and the VH410 is not certified by NSF. The ratings above are each component's own.
We recommend having a plumber install it, ideally one who has installed water treatment before. This is the biggest kind of install we sell: five stages in a set order, a drain line for the iron filter and another for the softener, an outlet for each valve and a GFCI outlet for the UV, and media to load. Aidan supports your plumber by phone at 800-460-5810.
If you'd rather do it yourself, text Aidan at 443-277-2204 with any questions. Before you order, send him your water test and a photo of your utility area.
Order, from the well to the house
- Pressure tank (your existing tank)
- 20 inch Big Blue sediment filter, the first filter after the pressure tank
- Iron filter
- Water softener
- Carbon tank
- UV light, last, before any branch to the house
The UV goes last because it only works on water that is clear and free of iron and hardness: in Aidan's words, "you want the hardness ... and iron completely out before it goes through the UV." Anything that comes after the UV can carry bacteria back into the water, so nothing else goes after it.
Why this order: the correct order for well water treatment.
Power
Three stages plug in: the iron filter valve and the softener valve, each on a standard outlet, and the UV controller. VIQUA calls for a GFCI outlet for the UV (not included). The sediment filter and the carbon tank need no power.
Drains
The iron filter and the softener each need a drain line with an air gap to a floor drain, standpipe or utility sink. Tubing is not included: your plumber sizes the iron filter's line for its backwash flow, and the softener uses 1/2 inch tubing. The sediment filter, carbon tank and UV have no drain.
Well flow
The iron filter needs about 10 gallons a minute from the well to backwash. If your well gives less, tell Aidan before you order; on a weaker well he sets a longer backwash.
Space
Three mineral tanks (the iron filter and carbon tank 13 inches wide, the softener 10 inches), the softener's brine tank, the Big Blue housing on the wall and the UV chamber. Leave about 23.5 inches clear at the UV's lamp end so the lamp and sleeve can come out.
Loading the media and starting up
Each tank ships empty. At install your plumber loads the Katalox Light, resin and carbon through the included funnels, soaks the carbon as Calgon recommends, and slides the UV lamp into the chamber. VIQUA's manual also calls for disinfecting the plumbing after the UV at start-up.
Time
Aidan's figure for an iron filter and a softener is 3 to 4 hours of a plumber's time. The carbon tank and the UV add to that, so ask your plumber to quote the whole job.
Step by step: how to install a well water system.
Sediment filter About every 4 to 6 months
Swap the 5 micron cartridge about every 4 to 6 months on a typical well: up to 12 months on a clean well, every other month on a dirty one. Flow dropping is the sign. Replacement cartridge, $55.
Iron filter Media every 6 to 8 years
It backwashes on its own; typically there is no annual maintenance. The Katalox Light lasts 6 to 8 years; a refill for the 2.5 is about $875 at today's prices (two 1 cubic foot and one 1/2 cubic foot of Katalox Light).
Water softener Salt
Keep the salt level above the water level in the brine tank; it uses about 7 lb of salt per regeneration. In Aidan's service work, 10% crosslink resin on water protected from iron and chlorine has lasted 30 to 40 years.
Carbon tank About every 5 years
Replace the carbon about every 5 years: with the head off, the old carbon comes out and the new goes in through a funnel. The 2.5 takes two 1 cubic foot bags of Centaur ($295 each today) and a 1/2 cubic foot bag, which Aidan prices by text. The tank stays.
UV light Lamp once a year
The controller counts down the lamp's days and beeps when it is due. Replacement lamp, $170. Clean the quartz sleeve periodically and replace it only if it will not come clean (sleeve, $145). VIQUA calls for disinfecting the plumbing after any lamp or sleeve change.
Questions about upkeep? Call 800-460-5810 or text Aidan at 443-277-2204, 7 days a week, 8 AM to 5 PM Eastern. More: well water system maintenance.
What's In This Package
Installed in this order on your main water line.
Who This 5-Stage System Is For
For a well with iron, hard water and bacteria
This package is for a private well whose water test shows iron (orange stains), manganese (black specks) or hydrogen sulfide (a rotten egg smell), hard water (scale and spots), and coliform or E. coli bacteria, or a household that wants a UV light as protection. A sediment filter goes in first; a carbon tank after the softener takes out tastes, odors and the farm chemicals that can reach groundwater, such as herbicides and pesticides; and the UV light goes last, where the water reaching it is already free of iron and hardness.
The 48,000 grain softener sets the household size: up to about 4 people on water up to about 15 grains per gallon, or 1 or 2 people up to about 30. The iron filter is rated for up to 30 ppm iron, 15 ppm manganese and 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide, works best near pH 8, and needs about 10 gallons a minute from your well to backwash. There is no acid neutralizer in this package.
If your test shows something else, buy something else: low pH as well, the 6-stage package with a neutralizer ($8,295); no bacteria, the iron filter + softener package ($4,395), with a carbon tank added if you want one; no iron, the 5-stage neutralizer, softener, carbon and UV package ($5,975). On city water this is the wrong system. Send Aidan your test and he will tell you which one fits: Call 800-460-5810 or text Aidan at 443-277-2204.
Every tank ships empty; the media comes in separate boxes and bags and is loaded at install, the UV lamp ships in its own tube, and drain tubing is not included. We recommend a plumber who has installed water treatment before; Aidan supports your plumber by phone at 800-460-5810. Free shipping to the lower 48 states.
| Feature | This 5-stage package | Iron + softener package |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7,495 | $4,395 |
| Iron and rotten egg smell | Yes: 2.5 cu ft iron filter | Yes: the same iron filter |
| Hard water | Yes: 48,000 grain softener | Yes: the same softener |
| Taste, odor, farm chemicals | Yes: carbon tank | No |
| Bacteria (coliform, E. coli) | Yes: VIQUA VH410 UV light | No |
| Sediment filter | Yes: 20 inch Big Blue | No |
| Best when your test shows | Iron, hard water and bacteria | Iron and hard water only |
Got a Question About Your System?
Whether your plumber needs help with the order of the stages, the settings on the Fleck 2510 AiQ and 5600SXT valves or the UV start-up, or you have a question about media refills, Aidan answers 7 days a week. Real answers from someone with 32 years in this business.
Frequently Asked Questions
1-Year Risk-Free Guarantee
If your water test still shows iron, hardness or bacteria after installation, that is on us. Every stage should be performing.
We troubleshoot with you: water test results, installation order, valve settings, flow rates. Most issues are resolved with a simple adjustment.
"You want the hardness ... and iron completely out before it goes through the UV." Send me your water test and I will tell you which of these five stages you actually need.
"I had well water with over 20 ppm ferrous and 7 ppm of ferric iron, plus manganese and some sulfur. Local water companies rejected me, said they couldn't help. I purchased two Fleck 2.5 cu. ft. 2510AIO iron filter tanks with Katalox-Light. Problem solved."
"New house, brass fittings on my Pex were all corroding. Tested the water, acidic at 5.5. Found Mid Atlantic Water YouTube videos which were very helpful, ordered the non-back washing 2.5. Easy install, water tests great now."
"Straight forward installation. In, out, and the drain. Ran a back wash cycle then put it online and it works GREAT. Cleaned out the iron and raised the pH to 7.5. Culligan tried to sell me something twice the price."
"Three contractors and two other suppliers reviewed my well report. Quotes ranged from $5,000 to $10,000. Then I found Mid Atlantic. Aidan reviewed the report and recommended a complete system. Same equipment, fraction of the cost, and the support was real."
"Easy, bullet-proof installation. No moving parts. Raised my pH from 6.8 to a perfect 7.6. I had previously installed the same unit in my daughter's water system. Her pH was 5.2. Following Aidan's videos, both installs went smoothly."
"Super easy install. Shouldn't have to service it for approximately 24-36 months based on my water usage. Tank is solid, fittings are clean, no leaks. Exactly what was advertised."
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