Record WT-0017 · Last verified September 2026

Crystal Quest Metal Removal (Iron, Manganese, Hydrogen Sulfide) Whole House Water Filter

Name: Crystal Quest Metal Removal (Iron, Manganese, Hydrogen Sulfide) Whole House Water Filter
Brand: Crystal Quest
SKU: crystal-quest-metal-removal-whole-house
Price: 1331 USD
Availability: InStock

Whole-house filter (well water) by Crystal Quest. No system-level certification found at NSF, IAPMO, WQA or CSA.

Overall gradeWeighted from five measures. How grades work

$1,331starting price, larger sizes cost more

Estimated 10-year cost$2,398

Check price at Crystal Quest Compare with similar systems

We may earn a commission. It never changes a grade.

Scorecard

Measure	Grade	Basis
Certification evidence	D	Maker claims only, no certification or published lab data
10-year cost	A	$2,398 over 10 years
Flow rate	B	9 gpm rated flow
Warranty	F	1 years on main parts
Returns	D	30 days, 30% restocking fee

What it treats

"Certified" means an independent body (NSF, IAPMO, WQA or CSA) lists this system for that contaminant. "Lab tested" means the maker published a third-party lab report. "Maker claim" means neither.

Contaminant	Evidence
Iron	Maker claim	Other systems for Iron
Manganese	Maker claim	Other systems for Manganese
Hydrogen sulfide	Maker claim	Other systems for Hydrogen sulfide
Sediment	Maker claim	Other systems for Sediment
VOCs	Maker claim	Other systems for VOCs

No claim made for: Chlorine, Chloramine, PFAS, Lead, Hardness, Bacteria, Arsenic, Nitrate, Fluoride, Copper, Uranium.

PFAS evidence: No PFAS claim for the standalone metal removal system (PFAS wording appears only for the optional SMART stage, uncertified).

Certifications

Standard	Covers	Scope	Certified by
none (system)	No Crystal Quest system appears in NSF's drinking water treatment listings (search by manufacturer 'crystal' returns 'No Matching Products Found'). NSF public notice (page last updated 20 Apr 2022): prior to 9 Jun 2020 Crystal Quest sold water filter products bearing the NSF mark without having NSF-certified products or authorization to use the mark (nsf.org blocks plain HTTP with a 403; wording taken from the search-indexed page). Site badge 'ISO Certified' refers to an ISO 9001 quality-management certificate, not product performance.	system	none
NSF/ANSI 44 and NSF/ANSI 372	Whole House Manual valve spec sheet: 'Tested and certified by the WQA to NSF/ANSI Standard 44 for water softener performance and NSF/ANSI Standard 372 for lead-free compliance.' Applies to the third-party control valve, not the filter system.	components	WQA (maker claim for the control valve only)

What each standard means

Specifications

Type	Whole-house filter (well water)
Technology	Sediment filtration, Specialty media, KDF media, Activated carbon
Water source	City water, Private well
Price	$1,331 to $5,697
Rated flow	9 gallons per minute
Capacity	1,000,000 gallons (1.5 cu ft) or 1,500,000 gallons (2.0 cu ft)
Media	20 in sediment cartridge, MetalX iron/manganese/H2S media (manganese dioxide coated zeolite, per MetalX data sheet), Eagle Redox Alloy 6500 and 9500, 20 in solid carbon block cartridge
Stages	3
Port size	1 inch
Needs a drain	Yes
Needs power	Yes
DIY install	Professional install advised
Dimensions	tank 10 x 54 in (1.5 cu ft); overall footprint not stated
Weight	270 lb
Warranty	One-year limited warranty on the system against defects in materials and workmanship (replacement filters excluded); RMA required.
Returns	30-day returns from delivery, restocking fee up to 30% (the refund policy makes 30% mandatory on products $350 and over, which covers every configuration of this system), shipping not refunded, media not returnable. 'Guaranteed Performance' program: if an independent lab test (at the customer's expense) 1-3 months after install shows lack of performance, CQ attempts fixes (at customer's expense) and, failing that, refunds less shipping. CQ may refuse returns of products not installed by a qualified, licensed plumber.

10-year cost

Item	Each	Times in 10 years	Cost
System purchase	$1,331	1	$1,331
Installation (assumed, professional)	$500	1	$500
20 in pleated sediment pre-filter cartridge, 2-7/8 x 20 in (CQE-RC-04015)	$32	9	$284
20 in coconut carbon block post-filter cartridge, 2-7/8 x 20 in (CQE-RC-04014)	$32	9	$284
Total			$2,398

Install assumption: $500 for whole-house systems, $150 for under-sink units. Installing it yourself brings the total to $1,898. Try your own numbers in the 10-year cost calculator.

Owner reports

Brand-level, no model-specific pattern: Trustpilot (4.3 from 128) 1-2 star reviews repeatedly cite unanswered calls and emails, wrong or ill-fitting parts, housings leaking from badly seated O-rings, and systems underperforming their claims. One Trustpilot owner's lab test showed no iron or manganese reduction, and the single on-site Stamped review of this system (5 star) says instructions are online only and not detailed.

Trustpilot: 4.3 from 128 reviews (source).

CQ's whole-house collection page names iron removal as the lead system for private wells ('Iron Removal Whole House Filters for Well Water'); no dedicated 'well water' SKU exists. No maximum iron/manganese/H2S ppm stated on the page. Flow claim conflict: the MetalX data sheet (linked on the page) rates a 13x54 vessel with 2.0 cu ft at 4.40 GPM standard / 5.28 GPM max service flow, far below the 9-13 GPM CQ quotes for 10x54 and 12x52 tanks. No compare-at price shown.

Where we cover it

Best picks: The best whole house water filters for well water

Alternatives in the same category

System	Grade	Price	10-yr cost	Certified to
SpringWell WS1	C	$2,231	$2,731	None
SpringWell WSSS1	C	$3,124	$3,624	None
SoftPro Iron Master AIO	C	$1,517	$2,692	None
Aquasana Rhino Well Water with UV WH-WELL-UVS (WH-WELL-UV)	C	$1,749	$8,523	None
US Water Systems Flexx Oxi-Gen (081-FX)	C	$2,230	$2,730	None

Sources

Crystal Quest Metal Removal Whole House Water Filter (CQE-WH-01195) $1,331 Check price