Orange, brown, or reddish staining in sinks, tubs, and toilet bowls
Iron Filters & Whole-Home Systems in West Michigan
Fix the Orange Stains and Rotten Egg Smell
A water softener doesn't fix iron or hydrogen sulfide. Iron leaves orange and brown staining in sinks, tubs, toilets, and laundry. Hydrogen sulfide is the rotten-egg smell that hits you when you run the hot water. Both are common in West Michigan groundwater, which is low in oxygen and picks up minerals as it moves through rock. About a quarter of Michigan households draw from a private well, and those are the homes that see this most. A whole-home filter treats it where the water enters the house, ahead of every fixture.
★★★★★ Family-owned since 1973 WQA-certified Water Specialists
50+ years
Treating West Michigan iron and sulfur since 1973.
The Signs
How Do You Know You Have an Iron or Sulfur Problem?
These are the ones homeowners describe to us most often. Any of them is worth a test.
White laundry coming out with a yellow or rust cast
A rotten-egg smell, often strongest from the hot water tap
A metallic taste that shows up in coffee and drinking water
Reddish-brown water for a few seconds when a tap has sat unused
A slimy or gelatinous buildup in the toilet tank, which usually means iron bacteria
Screens, filters, and aerators clogging faster than they should
Water that looks clear in the glass but turns orange after sitting a few minutes
Clear water that turns orange in the glass is ferrous iron, dissolved and invisible until air reaches it. Water that comes out already orange is ferric iron, already oxidized. They call for different treatment, which is why the test comes before the recommendation. Staining generally shows up around 0.3 parts per million, which is also the EPA's secondary standard for iron.
The Fix
What Does an Iron Filter Do?
Dissolved iron has to be turned into a solid before anything can filter it out. That's what an iron filter does: it introduces an oxidant, usually just air or ozone generated on site, which converts dissolved ferrous iron into particles the media bed can catch. The same process handles hydrogen sulfide and, within limits, manganese. The system backwashes itself on a schedule, flushing the trapped material to drain.
If your water has iron already oxidized and no sulfide, a plain backwashing filter can handle it without the oxidation step. Which one you need depends on the form of the iron and how much of it there is, and that's a test result rather than a guess.
A softener is not an iron filter. A softener will handle small amounts of dissolved iron along with hardness, and plenty of homes get by that way. Push it past what it's designed for and you foul the resin bed, which shortens the life of a system that costs more than the filter would have. A softener also does nothing for sulfide odor, nitrates, or arsenic.
How Oxidation and Filtration Work
- Well water in — Dissolved ferrous iron, hydrogen sulfide, manganese
- Oxidation — Air or ozone converts dissolved iron to particles
- Contact time — Held long enough for the reaction to finish
- Media bed — Layered media traps the oxidized particles
- Backwash to drain — The bed cleans itself on a set cycle
- Filtered water out — To every tap in the house
The Systems
Iron & Whole-Home Systems We Install & Service
We carry several lines, so the system can be matched to your iron level, your sulfide, and your flow rate.
Hellenbrand
Iron Curtain 2.0 (Dual Tank)
Chemical-free treatment using ambient air as the oxidant, with a separate aeration tank that gives the reaction several minutes of contact time rather than seconds. Rated for iron up to 10 ppm, manganese up to 2.0 ppm, and hydrogen sulfide up to 10 ppm, at pH 7.0 and above. The two-tank design supports better flow rates and more efficient backwashing. Our pick when iron is high or sulfide is stubborn.
Hellenbrand
Iron Curtain Storm (Single Tank)
One tank, using ozone generated on site during regeneration to oxidize the iron. Rated for iron up to 6.0 ppm, hydrogen sulfide up to 5.0 ppm, and manganese up to 1.0 ppm. Three sizes covering roughly 4 to 7 gpm of service flow. A good fit for moderate iron and sulfur where floor space is tight.
Kinetico
Sulfur Guard Backwashing Filter
Non-electric and demand-metered, so it regenerates on the water you've used rather than on a timer. Aimed at hydrogen sulfide. Nothing to plug in and no controls to set.
Enpress
PIONEER Whole-Home System
An activated carbon system installed where the water line enters the house, rated for up to 8 gpm and roughly 100,000 gallons of filter life, with status lights that tell you where the cartridge stands. Gordon publishes certification to NSF/ANSI 53 for lead and cyst reduction and NSF/ANSI P473 for PFOA and PFOS.
Ask about whole-home PFAS reduction →
Kinetico
Salt-Free Scale Control
A salt-free system uses template-assisted crystallization to condition hardness minerals so they stay suspended instead of forming scale. It does not soften the water. A hardness test after installation reads the same as before. What it does is cut scale in your water heater and appliances without salt, electricity, or wastewater, and it works best on moderate hardness. For soft water on your skin and in your laundry, you want a water softener.
How To Get Started
1
Schedule your free water test
Fill out a short form or call us at 800-928-3768. We'll set up a time to visit your home, usually within a few days.
2
We test your water on-site
One of our WQA-certified Water Specialists tests your water right at your home and walks you through what's in it, with results explained on the spot.
3
We show you options, not one "package"
Based on your results, household size, and budget, we lay out one to three systems that fit your situation and explain the trade-offs in plain language.
4
Installation & long-term support
Our factory-trained technicians handle the install. After that, we stay your local water team, with service & repair, salt delivery, and maintenance plans like the Gordy Care Plan.
Ready to Stop Scrubbing Rust Stains?
No pressure, no obligation, just a test that tells you which form of iron you're dealing with and what it takes to treat it.
Where We Work
Our Iron Filter Service Areas
We install and service iron filters and whole-home systems across West Michigan, including:
Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids KentwoodWyomingEast Grand RapidsGrandvilleJenisonByron CenterAdaCascadeRockford
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo PortageSchoolcraftVicksburgGalesburgRichlandComstock
Lakeshore
Holland ZeelandGrand HavenSouth HavenMuskegon
Why Gordon
Why Choose Gordon Water For Iron & Whole-Home Filtration?
WQA-certified Water Specialists who educate instead of pressure
Authorized Kinetico dealer, with the most efficient softeners on the market
Free on-site water testing before any recommendation
Factory-trained installation and service technicians
Highest-rated water treatment company in West Michigan (read our reviews)
Second-generation, family-owned, and locally rooted since 1973
Testimonials
What Our Customers Say
★★★★★
"Terry was very professional and knowledgeable about all of my water systems. The appointment took less than an hour to change the filters and test everything to make sure our system was working properly and safely."
JJ
Jellyfish JamGoogle Review · Verified
★★★★★
"The team explained our water test results in plain language and recommended exactly what we needed, nothing more. Our water has never been better and the difference in our skin and laundry is obvious."
MR
Maria R.Google Review · Verified
★★★★★
"Been a customer for years for both our home and our restaurant. Reliable salt delivery, honest service calls, and a local team that actually answers the phone. Highly recommend Gordon Water."
DK
David K.Google Review · Verified
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my water leaving orange stains?
Iron. If the water is clear from the tap and turns orange after sitting, that's ferrous iron, dissolved and invisible until air reaches it. If it comes out already orange, that's ferric iron, already oxidized. Staining generally starts showing up around 0.3 parts per million. Both forms are treatable, but they call for different systems, so the test comes first.
Why does my water smell like rotten eggs?
Hydrogen sulfide, usually produced by bacteria in oxygen-poor groundwater. Michigan EGLE recommends remedial action above 1.3 mg/L. One thing worth knowing: EGLE also notes the rotten-egg smell fades at higher concentrations, so how strong it smells isn't a reliable gauge of how much is there.
Will a water softener take care of my iron?
Up to a point. A softener handles small amounts of dissolved iron along with hardness, and plenty of West Michigan homes run that way. Push past what it's designed for and you foul the resin bed and shorten the life of the softener. A softener also does nothing for sulfide odor. Where the line falls depends on your numbers, which is what the free test establishes.
Do iron filters use chemicals?
The systems we install don't need a chemical feed. The Hellenbrand Iron Curtain 2.0 uses ambient air as the oxidant. The Iron Curtain Storm generates ozone on site from air during regeneration. No chlorine, no potassium permanganate, nothing to buy and refill.
What's the slimy buildup in my toilet tank?
Usually iron bacteria. They feed on iron in the water and leave a gelatinous film on fixtures and inside pipes. They aren't a health hazard, but they clog things and they make the staining worse. Treatment generally pairs filtration with a shock disinfection of the well, and we'll walk you through what that takes.
Do you treat manganese?
Yes, within limits. The Iron Curtain 2.0 is rated for manganese up to 2.0 ppm, and the Storm up to 1.0 ppm. The 2.0 works best on manganese above pH 8.5. Michigan EGLE notes that water above 0.05 mg/L may taste bitter or metallic, and flags health concerns above 0.3 mg/L, so it's worth testing for rather than assuming.
Is a salt-free system the same as a water softener?
No, and this is worth being clear about. A salt-free system uses template-assisted crystallization to condition hardness minerals so they don't form scale. The hardness is still in the water. Your test will read the same before and after. You'll get less scale in the water heater; you won't get the slippery feel, the easier lathering, or the softer laundry that come with a softener.
What does a whole-home filter do that a drinking water system doesn't?
Location. A whole-home system treats water where the line enters the house, so every tap, shower, and appliance gets it. A drinking water system treats one tap. For staining, odor, and appliance protection you need whole-home. For the best possible drinking water, a reverse osmosis system at the sink still does more. A lot of homes here run both.
Can a whole-home filter reduce PFAS?
The Enpress PIONEER system is the whole-home option we install for it. Gordon publishes certification to NSF/ANSI P473 for PFOA and PFOS along with NSF/ANSI 53 for lead and cysts. If PFAS is your concern, start with the third-party PFAS test so treatment is based on your actual numbers. That test carries a charge and isn't part of the free water test.
How much does an iron filter cost?
It depends on your iron level, whether sulfide is in the picture, and the flow rate your house needs. We test your water for free, then lay out options at different price points so you can choose what fits.
Get a Quote
Request a Quote
Call or submit the form and a member of our team will follow up with pricing and options sized to your home. Not sure which system you need? Ask for a free water test and we'll start there.
Sized to your waterEvery quote starts with your water, tested free on site.
Local install, minimal downtimeBackground-checked Gordon team, never a contractor.
Honest adviceRecommendations backed by science, not a sales script.
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