Iron Filter Cartridge

Orange rings in the toilet bowl. Rusty streaks in the tub. Orange stains on laundry and water with a metallic taste. On well water, the usual cause is iron. Most groundwater contains some iron, which naturally leaches from rocks and soil.

The Crystal Quest Iron Filter Cartridge is a drop-in iron filter for well water and other groundwater. It is packed with Crystal Quest's own MetalX iron-removal media, then finished with a spun polypropylene post-filter, so it turns dissolved iron into particles and keeps them inside the cartridge instead of on your fixtures.

At a glance

• Fewer orange and brown stains on sinks, tubs, toilets and laundry, and better-tasting water
• Targets iron first, with hydrogen sulfide and manganese also named on Crystal Quest's label and system literature
• No backwashing, drain line or electricity: it works in a standard filter housing
• Capacity with conditions: 2,500 to 10,000 gallons by size, rated at 3 ppm iron and under 100 ppm hardness
• Four sizes, 0.5 to 6 GPM, sold by actual measurements for slim and Big Blue housings

What you are looking at

The rigid polystyrene shell is filled with granular media rather than a carbon block. Inside is the MetalX iron media, held in place by a polypropylene expansion pad and followed by a spun polypropylene post-filter. Polypropylene end caps and a Buna-N top gasket seal it in the housing. The label shows the flow direction, part numbers, pressure range and the replacement steps. Each end cap has 1-micron pads behind its openings.

How an iron filter cartridge works

Why well water stains

Groundwater that is low in oxygen holds iron dissolved and invisible. That is why well water can come out of the tap clear, then turn orange or leave rusty stains once it meets air. Dissolved iron is most common in groundwater with a pH below 7.0.

Oxidize, then capture

MetalX iron media works as an oxidizing filter media. It promotes the reaction that turns dissolved (ferrous) iron into solid (ferric) iron particles. The media bed and the spun polypropylene post-filter then hold those particles inside the cartridge, so they never reach your fixtures.

Why capacity has conditions

Every gram of iron the cartridge captures uses up part of its capacity. That is why Crystal Quest rates each size at a stated condition, 3 ppm iron and under 100 ppm hardness, instead of quoting a gallon number with no context. Higher iron uses capacity faster; lower iron stretches it.

What it reduces

Primary target: iron, including the orange and brown staining, rusty color and metallic taste it causes. Iron causes rusty color, a metallic taste and reddish or orange staining at levels as low as 0.3 mg/L.

Also targeted (named on Crystal Quest's cartridge label and Metal Removal system literature; capacity is rated for iron only):

• Hydrogen sulfide, the cause of a rotten-egg smell
• Manganese, which leaves black or brown stains and a bitter metallic taste (noticeable at levels as low as 0.05 mg/L)

Not designed to treat: iron bacteria (their slime clogs oxidizing media), bacteria and viruses, hardness, nitrate, arsenic or fluoride. Very high iron or a strong sulfur smell calls for a backwashing tank system such as the Metal Removal Whole House Water Filter.

Why Crystal Quest

• Our own media. MetalX is Crystal Quest's iron-removal media, and this cartridge is the iron stage of Crystal Quest's Metal Removal cartridge systems.
• Numbers you can plan with. Every capacity figure states the iron and hardness levels behind it.
• Full construction disclosure, from media to post-filter to gasket, listed in the Specifications tab.
• Over 1,000,000 people served since 1994. Crystal Quest builds under ISO 9001 quality management, has made water filtration in the USA for over 30 years and offers lifetime support by phone, email or chat.

Where it fits

• Metal Removal whole house cartridge systems (Mini, Compact and Big Blue): the iron cartridge is the first stage. Double systems add SMART after it; triple systems add SMART and then a carbon block.
• Countertop and under-sink housings that take the 2-7/8" x 9-3/4" size.

Choose the size printed on your current cartridge or in your order history: 2-7/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04010), 2-7/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04083), 4-5/8" x 9-3/4" (CQE-RC-04072) or 4-5/8" x 20" (CQE-RC-04077).

Common questions

Iron filter cartridge specifications

Published ratings apply to the selected cartridge and listed conditions. Capacity is an estimate that depends on incoming water contaminants and usage.

Media and treatment

Operating conditions

*Capacity is an estimate at 3 ppm iron and under 100 ppm hardness. Actual life depends on incoming water contaminants and usage.