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Best Acid Neutralizer for Well Water: Top Picks for 2024

Scott Winfield
Written by Scott Winfield
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Meta Title: Best Acid Neutralizer For Well Water | Water Defense

Meta Description: Check out the best acid neutralizers for well water based on filtration tech, flow rate, and more. Our list will get you up to speed!

For homes supplied with well water, an acid neutralizer is an indispensable item. This is because the acidity levels of well water tend to be higher than those of municipal water supplies. So, you need an effective neutralizer that can adjust the pH level of your well water to make it safe to drink.

BEST ACID NEUTRALIZER FOR WELL WATER: TOP PICKS FOR 2024

But what is an effective neutralizer? We’re here to help you make a decision on what neutralizer to get.

Our top-rated system is the SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer, which is perfect for well water with a pH of 6-6.5. It also has a really high 12 GPM flow rate, so it’s suitable for large homes with high water demands.

The Fleck 2510SXT pH Neutralizer Calcite Water Filter is a great option for smaller homes because of its lower flow rate of 7 GPM, and it can neutralize water with a pH level of 5.5-6.9. But if you’re looking for something cheaper, we recommend the AFWFilters Acid Neutralizer for Well Water — the most affordable and eco-friendly unit on our list.

Best pH Acid Neutralizer for Well Water:

  • Best for Well Water With a pH of 6-6.5: SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer—If your water supply has pH levels in the range of 6-6.5, the SpringWell Calcite is the best solution thanks to its lifetime warranty, high-quality build, and amazing flow rate.
  • Best for Eco-Friendliness: AFWFilters Acid Neutralizer for Well Water—This unit uses an upflow pH filter, which reduces the amount of wasted water by eliminating the need for backwashing. This makes it an eco-friendly option. Plus, it’s the most affordable system on our list.
  • Best Option for Small Houses: Fleck 2510SXT pH Neutralizer Calcite Water Filter—Despite being relatively affordable, the Fleck 2510SXT can neutralize the water acidity in small-to-medium houses as long as the pH range of water is from 5.5 to 6.9.

SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer – Best Acid Neutralizer for Well Water With pH of 6-6.5

Best Acid Neutralizer for Well Water With pH of 6-6.5
Calcite
  • pH range: 6 to 6.5
  • Technology: Calcite media with backwash
  • Flow rate: 12 GPM during normal service, 7 GPM during backwash
  • Warranty: Lifetime on both tank and valves
  • Price: $1,534.53

PROS

  • Its high-quality build is likely to last you a lifetime
  • Decent 12 GPM flow rate, which meant it worked well when we tested it in a large home with multiple bathrooms, and we didn’t notice any drop in water pressure
  • A system head that allows you to observe and control the acid-neutralizing process so that you can ensure it’s performing as it should
  • Lifetime warranty, which demonstrates SpringWell’s confidence in the unit’s longevity

CONS

  • Useless against water with lower pH than 6
  • Needs to be installed by a professional, and the plumber’s fees add to the upfront cost of the system

Check Price

The SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer is the best acid neutralizer for well water thanks to its ability to neutralize water in the pH range of 6-6.5, the most common pH range for wells in the United States. This system comes with a sturdy build and a lifetime warranty on both the tank and valves.

To make sure this is the right option for you, you’ll need to test the pH range of your water to see if it’s in the 6-6.5 range (which we’ll cover later). If it is, then this filter is perfectly suitable for your home.

Calcite Bed and Automatic Backwashing

Since the lack of minerals, especially calcium and magnesium bicarbonate, makes water acidic in most cases, the SpringWell Calcite system utilizes a calcite bed that introduces these minerals into the water to raise its alkalinity. This is not an arbitrary process, as the system automatically measures the pH of incoming water and adds adequate calcium and magnesium bicarbonate minerals to neutralize it. On top of that, once every two weeks, the system backwashes itself so that the acidic water can’t cause the calcite to solidify and lose its efficiency.

App Integration

The SpringWell acid neutralizer comes with a system head that connects to a smartphone application via Bluetooth. This connection allows you to control the backwash cycle of the device by monitoring the pH of incoming water and the flow rate with which it passes through the system.

High Flow Rate

Most acid neutralizers max out at a peak flow rate of 7 gallons per minute (GPM). The SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer offers a flow rate of up to 12 GPM, which provides adequate water pressure for houses with 1 to 6 bathrooms. The flow rate decreases only during the backwash cycles, but even then, it’s equal to the peak flow rate of its competitors—7 GPM.

Lifetime Warranty

Lastly, the SpringWell Calcite pH neutralizer has a lifetime warranty on its tank and valves. We recommend hiring a professional plumber to install the system to avoid inadvertently voiding the warranty due to improper installation.


AFWFilters Acid Neutralizer for Well Water – Best Eco-Friendly Option

Best Eco-Friendly Option
AFW
  • pH range: Max 6.7
  • Technology: Calcite media with backwash
  • Flow rate: 7 GPM
  • Warranty: Information unavailable
  • Price: $679

PROS

  • It uses an upflow filter to remove the need for backwashing so it wastes less water than the other two systems on our list
  • The tank is made from reinforced fiberglass and the valve is molded in thermoplastic resin, making it highly resistant to cracking and corrosion
  • It’s the cheapest option on our list but still utilizes calcite media bed tech

CONS

  • The manufacturer doesn’t seem to provide information about its warranty
  • Its 7 GPM flow rate means it’s not suitable for larger homes with high water demands

Check Price

The AFWFilters Acid Neutralizer for Well Water uses calcite media to effectively neutralize acidity and an upflow valve to reduce wastewater. It’s the most affordable option on our list but it’s still highly durable. The main downside is that the manufacturer doesn’t make the warranty information readily available, so you may have to cover repairs and replacements yourself.

Yet, if eco-friendliness is a priority for you, then you’ll like that this system reduces water wastage by eliminating the need for backwashing.

Excellent Durability

Both the valve and the tank are made with high-quality materials designed to be as durable as possible. The tank is reinforced with fiberglass which minimizes the risk of cracking. The valve is molded in thermoplastic resin, which greatly increases its longevity as this material is particularly resistant to corrosion from alkaline or acidic water.

So, even though we can’t confirm the warranty length, it’s unlikely that many repairs and replacements will be necessary.

Minimal Water Waste

This system’s upflow filter, also known as an in/out filter, means it doesn’t require a backwash cycle to flush the calcite media. This is because the water is forced upward through the media, which agitates it and stops it from becoming clogged or compacted.

This increases the unit's eco-friendliness as quite a lot of water is wasted during the backwashing process. By removing the need for it, this unit wastes less water than the other two models on our list.

Affordability

To be honest, we were quite surprised by the low price of this system. Considering it uses the same calcite media bed tech as the other two systems on our list, its $679 price tag makes it an ideal option if you’re on a tight budget. In fact, it’s almost $1,000 cheaper than the SpringWell unit!


Fleck 2510SXT pH Neutralizer Calcite Water Filter – Best Option for Small Houses

Matrixx
  • pH range: 5.5 to 6.9
  • Technology: Calcite media with backwash
  • Flow rate: 7 GPM
  • Warranty: 10 years on the tank, 5 years on the valves
  • Price: $1,007.00

PROS

  • Its 5.5 to 6.9 pH range means it has a higher upper limit than the SpringWell unit
  • Its system head is easily plugged in and out, and the entire unit is quite simple to install
  • There’s no need for expensive calcite cartridge replacements as you just need to replace the media around once or twice a year
  • Like the AFWFilters unit, it has automatic backwashing capabilities
  • Comes with a user-friendly LCD display that allows you to monitor performance levels

CONS

  • 7 GPM flow rate is suitable only for small households
  • It doesn’t come with a BlueTooth app that allows you to control the system from afar
  • The 5-year warranty on valves is not impressive when compared to other devices on our list

Check Price

If you have a small house with minimal water needs of < 7 gallons per minute, then you should look no further than the Fleck 2510SXT pH Neutralizer, which neutralizes water at 5.5 to 6.9 and is one of the more budget-friendly options on the market.

Calcite Media

Like all the acid neutralizers we tested, its technology is based on calcite media that adds calcium carbonate to the water as the acidic water passes through, dissolving the calcium molecules inside it. As a result, you get neutral water that’s not a corrosive risk to your plumbing and appliances.

The Fleck 2510SXT has an easily controllable system head with a straightforward design. However, similarly to the APEC WTS-Calcite-15, this system doesn’t connect to a BlueTooth app, so you must adjust the backwash cycles and monitor the neutralizing process manually.

Still, we were really happy that it came with an LCD display. It meant you can easily control the backwash cycles with just a few taps.

Easy To Maintain

The system head of the Fleck 2510SXT pH Neutralizer has an advantage over the other acid neutralizers we mentioned. You can easily plug it in and out without needing a wrench or a screwdriver, so when it’s time to check the condition of the calcite media or to replace it, you should have no trouble whatsoever.

Local Installation Package

Another thing we like about this system is that the manufacturer helps you find a plumber through their local installation package. This offer saves you the trouble of looking for a capable plumber in your area and also saves you money on the installation cost.

What is Acidic Water?

Acidic water is water with a pH lower than 7. However, since pH levels between 6.5 and 8.5 in water are considered to be no risk by the EPA, the term acidic water mostly refers to water with a pH lower than 6.5.

pH Scale
pH Scale

Tap water across the United States is regulated and monitored by municipal authorities, governing bodies like the EPA, and water suppliers. So, tap water rarely presents a cause for alarm in terms of its pH.

However, that’s not the case for well water. Since private wells draw water from underground water reservoirs, they can have very acidic water due to many natural causes such as acidic rain, which makes its way to underground sources through surface water runoff. In addition to acidic rain, rock formations that naturally contain acid, soil microbes, and even the roots of some trees, like pines, can contribute to the acidity of groundwater.

Of course, the improper handling of industrial waste, especially around chemical plants, mining sites, and landfills also plays a role. Lastly, we should also note that reverse osmosis systems can make the water acidic since it removes the minerals that give water its alkalinity.

Such acidic water can easily corrode pipes and lead to greenish or bluish stains on appliances with which it comes into contact. This is why most people prefer to neutralize the acid levels of their water supply.

Health Concerns Associated With Acidic Water

The corrosion of pipes is both a health problem and a problem for the piping system. Especially if heavy metal components, like lead, copper, or cadmium, are in your pipes, solders, and fixtures—the corrosive character of the acidic water will cause them to dissolve and leach into drinking water. This results in a serious threat to our health.

Water that has high acidity can lead to heavy metal toxicity with symptoms including:

  • Diarrhea
  • Weakness
  • Respiratory problems
  • Vomiting
  • Nausea

High acid content and exposure to heavy metals in water can also lead to bone disease. Although water with a pH range of 5 to 6.5 is a rarer threat to teeth health than water with a pH lower than 5, long-term consumption might still erode your teeth’s enamel and expose it to further problems like bone decay.

So, for private well owners, it’s best practice to keep an eye on the pH levels of their well water and take necessary measures if need be.

How to Measure pH Levels of Water

Luckily, measuring the pH levels of water is relatively easy. There are 3 methods we recommend to all well owners:

  • Digital pH meter: A digital pH meter provides the easiest and most accurate way of measuring the pH of your water. Just attach the device to a water container, press its calibration button, and wait for it to give you a stable reading.
  • pH test strips: pH test strips are a more affordable alternative to digital meters. Just by dipping a strip into a glass of water and waiting for 15 seconds, you’ll learn the pH levels of your water supply.
  • Litmus paper: The litmus paper is the most affordable and traditional way of testing water for pH. If the paper turns blue once you dip it into the water, you have alkaline water. If it turns red, on the other hand, it means that you have acidic water.
Litmus Paper Test

We should note that only the digital pH meter will give you an exact reading of the pH level of water. pH test strips and the Litmus paper can only provide a range.

If the tests show that your water has a pH level below 6.5, it means that it’s time to look for solutions like an efficient acid-neutralizing system.

How Do Acid Neutralizers Work?

Acid neutralizers work like water-softening devices in reverse. While water softeners remove calcium and magnesium from water to decrease its hardness, acid neutralizers add these minerals to water through their calcite media to raise their alkalinity.

The calcite media of acid-neutralizing systems are made of naturally occurring calcium sources like white marble. Some systems designed to handle lower pH levels (to be precise, lower than 5.5) also utilize materials that contain magnesium carbonate or magnesium oxide.

Similarly to water softening devices, contaminants might build up, and too much acid might solidify the calcite resin inside the neutralizer tank. To that end, most acid-neutralizing devices come with pre-programmed backwash cycles that clean the calcite media once every one or two weeks, depending on the water's acidity level.

Most calcite media on the market need to be replaced once or twice a year. You can identify the time for replacement when the efficiency of the acid-neutralizing system decreases by a decrease in flow rate and an increase in the acidity of the water coming out of your faucets.

However, we should note that calcium and magnesium are minerals that add hardness to water. So, you might need to combine your acid neutralizer with a good water-softening system for optimum results.

What to Look for When Buying an Acid Neutralizer

The first and most important thing to check when on the market for an acid-neutralizing device is compatibility with the pH levels of your untreated water. Our list proves that not all acid neutralizers can handle acidity levels.

That said, compatibility is not the only thing you should look for. Different devices come with different flow rate options, so it’s important to choose a device with a high flow rate.

Of course, the warranty and price of any consumer item are also important factors when making any purchase. When it comes to water treatment products, the warranty is especially important because these are complicated and expensive devices, so it’s only natural to want the manufacturer to respond promptly to any problem the device might have.

In that sense, we can say that the lifetime warranty of the SpringWell Calcite pH Neutralizer inspires trust and assurance.

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Scott Winfield
Scott Winfield
My name is Scott Winfield and researching and writing about water filters and other strategies to purify water has become my full time passion in recent years. I'm glad that you found our site and you can look forward to authoritative and well researched content here to help you get the best in water.
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