5-Stage Whole House Well Water Filter System with Iron + Carbon
5-Stage Whole House Well Water Filter System with Iron + Carbon
Every tank ships empty. The Katalox Light, calcite, softener resin and Centaur carbon ship in separate boxes and bags and are loaded into the tanks at install through the included fill funnels. 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
Low pH Clack acid neutralizer, 2.5 cubic feet
- ✓ Clack upflow (non-backwashing) valve with a bypass valve
- ✓ 13 x 54 inch Vortech tank, shipped empty
- ✓ Five 50 lb boxes of calcite
- ✓ No electricity and no drain
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 foot tank)
- ✓ Clack upflow (non-backwashing) head with a bypass valve
- ✓ 13 x 54 inch Vortech tank, shipped empty
- ✓ 2 cubic feet of Centaur catalytic carbon in two 1 cubic foot boxes
- ✓ No electricity and no drain
Not included What your plumber supplies
- ✓ Drain tubing for the iron filter and the softener
- ✓ Pipe, fittings and adapters
- ✓ Softener salt
Free shipping to the lower 48 states. The package can arrive in more than one shipment. 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 (after the 3 to 6 grains the neutralizer adds); 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 | Calcite corrects down to pH 5.5. Lower needs FloMag, sold separately. |
| Bacteria | Not treated. Bacteria on the test needs a UV light. |
| Well flow needed | About 10 GPM to backwash the iron filter |
| System flow | About 12 GPM (the softener is the slowest stage) |
| Power | Two standard outlets: the iron filter valve and the softener valve |
| 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 |
Acid neutralizer
| Valve | Clack upflow (non-backwashing) |
| Media | Five 50 lb boxes of calcite |
| Tank | 13 x 54 inch Vortech |
| Flow | Up to 17 GPM |
| Hardness added | About 3 to 6 grains per gallon (the softener removes it) |
| Power and drain | None |
| Warranty | 10-year tank, 5-year valve |
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 cubic feet of Centaur catalytic carbon in the 2.5 cubic foot tank |
| Tank | 13 x 54 inch Vortech |
| Flow | Up to about 17 GPM |
| Power and drain | None |
| Carbon life | About every 5 years (5 to 6 on the 2.5) |
| Warranty | 10-year tank, 5-year Clack head |
Ratings are given stage by stage; we make no certification claim for the package as a whole.
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, and 50 lb media boxes 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 and acid neutralizer: your water test decides which goes first, and Aidan tells you
- Water softener, after both
- Carbon tank, last
Why this order: the correct order for well water treatment.
Power
Two stages plug in: the iron filter valve and the softener valve, each on a standard outlet. The sediment filter, neutralizer and 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, neutralizer and carbon tank 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
Four mineral tanks (three 13 inch wide, the softener 10 inch), the softener's brine tank and the Big Blue housing on the wall.
Loading the media
Each tank ships empty. At install your plumber loads the Katalox Light, calcite, resin and carbon through the included funnels.
Time
Aidan's figure for an iron filter and a softener is 3 to 4 hours of a plumber's time, and the same for a four-stage well train. Five stages take longer, 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).
Acid neutralizer Check yearly
Calcite dissolves as it works. Once a year, shine a flashlight behind the tank to see the level; add calcite when it is about half gone, about every 30 to 36 months on the 2.5, usually 1 to 2 boxes. Calcite, $145 a 50 lb box.
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 (5 to 6 on the 2.5): with the head off, the old carbon comes out and two 1 cubic foot boxes of Centaur go in through a funnel, $590 at today's prices. The tank stays.
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 homeowners are saying
What's In This Package
Installed in this order on your main water line.
Video Guides
Watch our well water treatment guides
Complete Guide to Well Water Filtration Systems
Best Sediment Filter for Well Water
Iron Filters for Well Water: The Complete Guide
Acid Neutralizer for Well Water: The Complete Guide
Best Water Softener for Well Water
Best Whole House Carbon Filter
Who This 5-Stage System Is For
For a well with iron, low pH and hard water
This package is for a private well whose water test shows three problems at once: iron (orange stains), manganese (black specks) or hydrogen sulfide (a rotten egg smell), low pH (blue-green stains, pinhole leaks in copper pipe) and hard water (scale and spots). A sediment filter goes in first, and a carbon tank goes last for taste, odor and the farm chemicals that can reach groundwater, such as herbicides and pesticides.
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. Count the 3 to 6 grains the neutralizer adds as it works. The iron filter is rated for up to 30 ppm iron, 15 ppm manganese and 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide and needs about 10 gallons a minute from your well to backwash; the calcite corrects pH down to 5.5.
If your test shows less, buy less: iron and hard water with a pH of 7 or above, the iron filter + softener package ($3,695); only iron, the 2.5 iron filter ($2,495). The carbon tank is optional, and for 1 or 2 people at pH 6.0 to 6.9 the 4-stage small-home package ($5,150) has no carbon. Bacteria on the test means a system with a UV light; 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, 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 | $6,995 | $3,695 |
| Iron and rotten egg smell | Yes: 2.5 cu ft iron filter | Yes: the same iron filter |
| Low pH (acidic water) | Yes: calcite neutralizer | No |
| Hard water | Yes: 48,000 grain softener | Yes: the same softener |
| Taste, odor, farm chemicals | Yes: carbon tank | No |
| Sediment filter | Yes: 20 inch Big Blue | No |
| Best when your test shows | Iron, low pH and hard water | Iron and hard water, pH 7 or above |
✔ Got a Question About Your System?
Whether your plumber needs help with the order of the stages or the settings on the Fleck 2510 AiQ and 5600SXT valves, 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, low pH, or hardness 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.
"So it goes iron filter, water softener, carbon's last." Send me your water test and I will tell you which of these five stages you actually need, and where the neutralizer goes.
"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."
Want a real human to walk you through whether this is right for you?