Quality Water Treatment SoftPro Iron Filter Full Review

There’s nothing more refreshing than taking a drink of ice-cold orange, metallic tasting water.

I’m kidding, of course, but if you have well water, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Not only does it taste bad, but it smells bad, and the water doesn’t just look orange, it forms orangish-rusty looking spots on your sinks, faucets, toilets, and appliances. The cause? Iron in water, which is especially common in well water systems.

Iron is not dangerous for human consumption, but you don’t want it in your water because it can damage your pipes, faucets, and appliances, cause your laundry to fade, and it adds a metallic taste and rotten-egg like odor to your water. An iron filter is what you need, but not just any iron filter.

Established in California in 1990 as a family business, Quality Water Treatment (QWT) was initially a rural water treatment company for private wells and farms. However, over the past 30 years, this business has grown to a nationally acclaimed water filtration company, and they have designed the SoftPro Chemical Free Iron Filter that uses Katalox, a revolutionary advanced filtration media, initially developed in Germany.

This lightweight, low-maintenance, chemical-free system removes iron, manganese, and sulfur down to 3 microns and comes with a seven-year warranty!

Key Features of the Quality Water Treatment SoftPro Iron Filter

The SoftPro Iron Filter uses Katalox, which is a new filtration media that exceeds the performance of other methods such as Birm, Greensand lPus, Manganese Greensand, and others. This filter removes up to 10ppm of iron without additional oxidizers. With an additional oxidizer, it can remove up to 30 ppm!

It also removes up to 7 ppm manganese and up to 5  ppm hydrogen sulfide. With “additional requirements,” this system can remove up to 120 ppb of arsenic. QWT says to contact them if this is a feature you want to add to this filter.

This iron filter is ANSI/NSF 61, certified for drinking water applications and has met the ANSI/NSF 372 lead-free compliance.

The unique MnO coating on ZEOSORB® provides a higher filtration surface, more service life, and better performance than its competitors. This coating makes the oxidation and coprecipitation of contaminants more effective.

For removal of very high (over 7 ppm) concentration, Katalox media requires the use of sodium hypochlorite as its oxidizer, providing accelerated catalytic oxidation on the surface of the media. If you have high levels of iron and manganese, you can purchase a solution tank and conversion kit separately.

The SoftPro 1-inch valve is adaptable to give you optimal flow rates and the digital program ability so you can customize your system. The Large Backlit LCD display holds four lines and 80 characters in the touchpad screen.

This filter comes in one of three sizes: 1.0, 1.5, or 2.0 cubic feet. Each size requires a different backwash rate, ranging from 5 to 10. This is a relatively affordable filter, especially when compared to some of its competitors. QWT prides itself on keeping costs reasonable. In addition, it can be used for commercial, industrial, municipal, or residential customers.

QWT offers a 60-day money-back guarantee, a seven-year warranty, along with “lifetime customer support.” The media life of this filter averages 8-10 years before it needs to be replaced.

What does the Quality Water Treatment SoftPro Iron Filter Remove?

The SoftPro Iron Filter removes the following down to 3 microns:

• Up to 10 ppm Iron (With additional oxidizers, up to 30 ppm)
• Up to 7 ppm Manganese
• Up to 5 ppm Hydrogen Sulfide
• Additional arsenic removal up to 120 ppb; however, additional requirements are needed for arsenic removal.

What Comes with the  Quality Water Treatment SoftPro Iron Filter?

You will also need the following to install this filter:

• UV resistant drain tubing ½ ID
• Hose clamp to secure the drain line
• Plumbing material pope and fittings
• 3/8 inch female cap to plug brine port on the SoftPro valve

QWT offers videos and directions for installation. While the videos are helpful, some customers reported that the directions could have been clearer. In addition, you will need to make a trip to the hardware store if you don’t have the above materials on hand.

The good news is that QWT is a responsive business, with great customer service, so if you run into any issues while installing this filter, it’s easy to reach out to them for help.

What to Expect with the Quality Water Treatment SoftPro Iron Filter

While Quality Water Treatment has been in business for 30 years, it started as a family business and still is today. This company is gaining more recognition and has happy, repeat customers, but some of the reviews seem skewed. The website states that there are 1400 five star reviews (and no negatives), which is odd, because no matter what product it is, there are always some negatives.

In addition, their website lacks some specific details about this filter. For example, how often it needs to be changed and whether or how much water waste it produces. Some of the “FAQs” are asked, but not answered. However, QWT consistently asks those interested in their products to contact them via phone or email, and they do have an excellent reputation for customer service. Still, more public information on their products is necessary.

When your filter arrives, you should be able to install it yourself with a few tools that are highlighted above. The installation is relatively easy, although the instructions are a bit confusing to some.

The removal of iron, manganese, and sulfur is extremely efficient utilizing Katalox filter technology. You should see immediate results: no more orange, metallic-tasting water, easier cleaning, softer skin and hair, with practically no filter maintenance.