Catch the particles without making your whole house fight for water.
A sediment filter is for suspended material: grit, rust particles, and other solids carried in the water. Choosing one means balancing particle capture, flow, and how often you want to maintain it. Buying the smallest micron rating you can find is not always the best answer.
Particles and dissolved material need different treatment
Suspended particles
A suitable filter physically retains particles within its rated capability. The collected material must eventually be removed by cartridge replacement or backwashing.
Dissolved substances
Hardness, dissolved clear-water iron, and dissolved salts do not become sediment just because the water causes stains or scale. They need the appropriate treatment process.
For orange staining, start with the iron guide. Oxidized iron particles can be filtered, but a sediment filter alone does not convert dissolved iron into particles. Our Filter-Ag Plus sediment media is not a treatment for dissolved iron, manganese, or sulfur.
If sand or sediment suddenly increases, investigate the source as well as filtering the water. A cartridge change does not correct a developing well or plumbing problem.
What does the micron number mean?
A micron is a measure of particle size. A lower number generally targets finer particles, but it does not tell you the entire story. Compare the stated removal efficiency, rated flow, and pressure drop along with the micron number.
A nominal rating describes removal at the manufacturer’s stated efficiency; an absolute rating uses a more strictly defined retention specification. Do not assume two cartridges with the same micron number have identical performance. Read the actual product data.
A fine cartridge exposed to a heavy load of larger particles can clog quickly. Where the equipment design allows it, staged filtration can remove larger material first and reserve the finer stage for what remains. Choose the final rating to meet the downstream equipment’s requirements.
Cartridge or backwashing filter?
Choose a cartridge for a manageable sediment load
A cartridge housing can be a practical choice when replacement intervals are reasonable and the cartridge supports the required household flow. Match cartridge length, diameter, sealing style, and rating to the housing.
Compare the cost and frequency of replacement, not just the housing price. Keep enough space below the housing to remove the sump.
Compare replacement cartridgesCompare a backwashing filter for recurring sediment
A media bed can collect sediment and flush it to the drain during a cleaning cycle. It can reduce the burden of frequent cartridge changes, provided the water supply can properly backwash it.
It still requires maintenance and correct programming. Check service flow, backwash supply, and drain requirements before choosing the tank size.
View a Filter-Ag Plus systemOne filter, separate service and backwash requirements
The 1-cubic-foot Fleck 2510 Filter-Ag Plus listing specifies 6 gpm service flow, 8.8 gpm peak flow, and a minimum 6 gpm well pump flow requirement. These numbers belong to that model, not every sediment filter.
The listing describes filtration in the 5–20 micron range. Do not read a media-bed rating as an absolute particle cutoff or as a disinfection claim.
Pressure loss is a useful maintenance clue
As a cartridge loads with material, the pressure drop across it can rise. Where gauges are installed before and after the filter, compare readings while water is flowing and follow the manufacturer’s replacement threshold. A dirty-looking cartridge and a clogged cartridge are not necessarily the same thing.
For replacement, follow the housing instructions: isolate the supply, relieve pressure, and use the correct cartridge and seal. Do not unscrew a pressurized housing. Check for leaks when returning it to service.
If a backwashing filter loses performance, check the programmed cycle and supply flow against its manual before assuming the media is worn out.
Choose the filter around the job.
Identify the particles and the downstream filtration requirement. Match the housing or media system to your service flow. Then compare replacement effort with backwash water and drain requirements. Avoid choosing a larger backwashing tank unless the supply can clean it.
Check the backwash selection stepsRelated: Water tests · Carbon filtration
Have a question this guide and the product specifications don’t answer? Contact us with that question.