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Problem Index

Fix My Water: A Symptom Index for Common Water Problems

Symptom first, product second. Find your water problem in the table below, understand the cause, and follow the link to the right solution.

By Tim Parker — Reads the spec sheets and prices the full install

See it, know it, fix it

Six symptoms, six causes, six fixes. Find the one that matches your water and go straight to the product that solves it.

  1. Orange and brown iron staining in a sink basinA washbasin with rust-coloured streaks running down the bowl toward the drain, the classic sign of dissolved iron in well water.

    Step 1 · You see

    Rust-orange or brown streaks in the sink, tub, or laundry

    What it is

    Dissolved iron in well water turns orange the moment it hits air, and it stains everything it touches.

    Fixed by: Air-injection iron filter

    What we'd buy

    SpringWell WS1 Air-Injection Iron Filter

    $2,250–$3,000 installed

    Check price on SpringWell direct Read the verdict
  2. Rotten-egg smell rising from a glass of waterA drinking glass with bubbles and wavy vapour lines rising from it, representing the hydrogen sulfide smell described as rotten eggs.

    Step 2 · You see

    A rotten-egg smell from the tap, especially the hot side

    What it is

    Hydrogen sulfide gas forms in well water low on oxygen and it smells long before it's dangerous.

    Fixed by: Whole-house oxidizing filter

    What we'd buy

    Crystal Quest SMART Whole House Filter

    $1,790–$2,600 installed

    Check price on Amazon Read the verdict
  3. White limescale crust on a showerheadA showerhead with chalky white mineral deposit blocking its nozzles and patchy scale on the face, caused by calcium and magnesium hardness.

    Step 3 · You see

    Chalky white crust on the showerhead, faucets, and coffee maker

    What it is

    Calcium and magnesium in hard water don't dissolve away, they build up on anything wet.

    Fixed by: Whole-house carbon filter

    What we'd buy

    SpringWell CF1 Whole-House Carbon System

    $1,170–$1,900 installed

    Check price on SpringWell direct Read the verdict
  4. Chlorine taste and smell from a municipal tapA kitchen tap releasing a droplet, marked to represent the chlorine disinfection residual that causes a pool-like taste and smell in city water.

    Step 4 · You see

    A pool-like taste or smell straight from the tap

    What it is

    City water utilities add chlorine to kill bacteria in the pipes, and some of it is still there when it reaches you.

    Fixed by: Whole-house carbon filter

    What we'd buy

    iSpring WGB32B 3-Stage Whole House Filter

    $378–$900 installed

    Check price on Amazon Read the verdict
  5. PFAS contamination warning in drinking waterA water droplet carrying a warning mark, representing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances detected in a local water supply.

    Step 5 · You see

    A local news story or water-quality report naming PFAS in your supply

    What it is

    PFAS are man-made chemicals that don't break down, so they build up in a water source over years.

    Fixed by: Certified under-sink reverse osmosis

    What we'd buy

    Aquasana SmartFlow Reverse Osmosis + Claryum

    $200–$550 installed

    Check price on Amazon Read the verdict
  6. Cloudy or milky water in a drinking glassA drinking glass filled with hazy, milky-looking water and suspended particles, the visual signature of sediment or trapped air.

    Step 6 · You see

    Water that looks hazy or milky right out of the faucet

    What it is

    Fine sediment or trapped air is suspended in the water and hasn't had a filter to catch it.

    Fixed by: Whole-house sediment and carbon filter

    What we'd buy

    iSpring WGB32B 3-Stage Whole House Filter

    $378–$900 installed

    Check price on Amazon Read the verdict

Most buy buttons here are paid links — we earn a commission at no extra cost to you, and it never changes a score. Some earn us nothing at all, because the best system for a problem is sometimes sold by a brand we have no arrangement with. How we make money.

Symptom → cause → fix

Most water problems have a specific cause and a specific fix. The mistake is buying a product before confirming the cause — a carbon filter does nothing for iron staining, and a softener alone will not clear hydrogen sulfide. Use the table to find your symptom, then read the linked guide for sizing, cost ranges, and which brands publish the specs to back up their claims.

SymptomLikely causeFixGuide
Orange or brown stains on sinks, tubs, laundryDissolved or particulate ironAir-injection oxidation filterIron guide →
Rotten-egg smellHydrogen sulfide (H₂S)Air-injection + catalytic carbonIron & sulfur guide →
PFAS detected in local tests or newsPer- and polyfluoroalkyl substancesCarbon + under-sink RO strategyPFAS guide →
Cloudy or milky waterSediment (sand, silt, particulates)Spin-down prefilter, sediment cartridgeWell-water guide →
White scale on fixtures and appliancesHigh hardness (calcium/magnesium)Salt-based softener or TAC systemWell-water guide →
Chlorine taste or smellMunicipal disinfection residualCatalytic carbon whole-house filterBest whole-house filters →

Always test before you buy

The table above maps single symptoms. Many wells have compounding problems — iron plus hardness, or sulfur plus sediment — that require a treatment train rather than one device. A certified water test ($30–$60 through your state extension lab) shows every contaminant at once and gives you the ppm numbers filter manufacturers use for sizing. It is the cheapest step in any well-water project.

City-water households can usually skip testing and go straight to a whole-house carbon filter for taste, odor, and chlorine. If your municipality has issued PFAS advisories, read the PFAS guide before selecting a system.