My question is:
In a water system, should water filtration come before or after the water softener? Edit: or even before the pressure tank?
At my cottage, we have a shallow well with an above ground jet pump. The "water system" is housed in an external pump house (basically a shed). The current flow is as follows:
well --> pump (pressure switch is on the pump) --> pressure tank --> water filters --> softener --> heater --> cottage
Water is pumped out of the well by the pump, then next is the water pressure tank, followed by three water filters (two for rust - different particle sizes, and the third is a "smell and taste" filter). Next is the water softener, then the water-heater inlet (where hot and cold splits) and then into the cottage from there.
It has been this way for three years, and no issues, but recently a plumber mentioned he would always have water flowing into the softener first and THEN through the rain fresh filters (opposite to what I currently have). I asked why and he couldn't articulate it other than it was what he had always done/was taught.
Based on the above components, is my current flow correct or are they in an improper order?
NOTE: we have incredibly rusty water... so rusty that without filters and softener, it would completely clog faucet aerators and shower heads after a few months. The pump is unhooked and drained before each winter, and every year it is seized from rust by the time I go to hook it up in the spring.
A few photos to give you an idea of what the water filters are: