The number 1 reason iron is difficult is that iron can exist in three states in a water supply:

Dissolved
Suspended
Colloidal - In between dissolved and suspended.

Each state of iron has it's own type of treatment.

A complicating factor is that sampling is difficult. You can submit a sample for iron and get a result, but you will still not know what state the iron is in. The sample will tell you that you have iron, which you probably already knew anyway, but it will not tell you how to treat it.

Dissolved iron will change to suspended iron in the presence of air - oxygen or any other oxidant. When you send out a sample sooner or later it comes in contact with the air and your sample is no longer of value except for some absolute level of iron.

We sample on site and quickly determine how much iron is present in each state in the water supply. This is the only way you can accurately treat the water.

Does your water smell; do you have rusty or brown stains on your laundry, sinks, washing machine, and plumbing fixtures? These stains cannot be removed by soaps or detergents. Bleach and alkaline builders (often sodium phosphate) can make the stains worse. Over time, iron deposits can build up in water heaters, pressure tanks, and plumbing, reducing your water pressure.