While it’s healthy to have a certain amount of iron in your diet, you don’t want to get too much from your water supply. High levels of iron in your water come with risks both to your health and to your belongings, which is why iron filtering is necessary for many households. Here are some of the side effects of too much iron in the water.

Why You Need Iron Filtering

1. Bacteria

Some types of bacteria feed on iron, so the more iron in your water supply, the more bacteria will thrive in it. Good water filtration cleans the water of these contaminants to make it safer to drink.

2. Iron Overload

Too much iron in the diet can cause iron overload in some people. The condition starts with fatigue and can lead to diabetes as well as damaging the liver, heart, and pancreas. Only a portion of the population possesses the gene mutation which can lead to iron overload.

3. Stains & Soap Scum

Hard water contains minerals like iron and calcium that prevents soap from lathering properly, which means you’ll end up using more soap. This leads to soap scum being left on tubs, dishes, clothes, and surfaces. At the same time, the iron itself can cause rusty red or brown stains, particularly in places like sink and toilet drains.

4. Skin Problems

Hard water has a drying effect on the skin, causing it to age and wrinkle prematurely. Just as with household surfaces, it can cause a soap scum buildup on your skin which clogs pores and causes blemishes.

5. Taste

Finally, water with excessive iron simply tastes bad. The EPA's secondary drinking water standards specifically cite iron as an undesired contaminant because of its metallic taste and rusty stains.

 

If you need iron filtering to make your water safe and palatable, choose AquaKlear Filtration. Based in Boise and McCall, ID, they serve both cities and surrounding rural areas, providing top quality water purifiers, softeners, and filters to help you cope with a full range of water issues. To learn more about their services, call (208) 630-6189 or visit their website.