Choosing the best whole house water filter system for your home is a decision that needs to be carefully considered. Why? Your health and safety depend on it! In this article, we will discuss what you should look for when shopping for a whole house filter, as well as 3 of our favorite options.
So let’s get started!
What Is a Whole House Water Filter?
A whole house water filter is a system that filters all of the water that enters your home. This includes water from your municipal supply, as well as water from wells or other private sources — also commonly known as a point-of-entry (POI) and Reverse Osmosis. However, this article won’t cover them all as there are too many types of whole house water filtration systems to list and we suggest visiting Qualitywaterlab.com who covered this in-depth recently.
What we will cover are the most popular types of systems available: 1-stage, 2-stage, or 3-stage cartridge-based filters, and Reverse Osmosis Systems.
1. Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Reverse Osmosis Systems are the most powerful type of whole house filtration and are often used as a final filter within your home. They use an extremely fine membrane to remove contaminants from water by forcing it through with pressure (known as osmotic pressure). Reverse Osmosis systems can also be combined with other
2. Multi-stage Whole House Filtration Systems
A multi-stage whole house water filter is a system that has multiple filters within one housing (multiples stages). These types of systems are often used as the first line of defense to improve taste and odor, remove sediment and rust particles, or reduce chlorine levels. A common misconception with these types of systems is they only have two filtration stages, when in fact there can be up to five. The number of stages will vary based on the filter manufacturer and the specific type of system you purchase.
The three most popular types of multi-stage whole house filters are:
- Carbon Block Filters – often used to reduce chlorine levels and improve taste and odor
- Cation Resin Filters – often used to reduce sediment and rust particles
- Carbon Block filters are typically between $300-$500, while Cation Resin can cost anywhere from $800 to over $1000.
Cartridge Based Whole House Water Filter Systems
A cartridge-based whole house water filter is a system that uses replaceable cartridges to filter water. The main benefit of these types of systems is they are often less expensive than other whole house filter options and are easier to maintain. However, one downside is the cartridges don’t last as long as some of the other options are available.
What To Look For?
Capacity:
The first thing you need to do is determine how much water your home uses. You can find this out by checking the water meter before and after a two-hour period when no water has been used (e.g., at night). This will give you the average gallons per minute (GPM) your home uses. Be sure to also account for peak times, such as when everyone is all taking showers at the same time.
Filtration:
The second thing you need to consider is what type of filtration you want. There are many different types available, including carbon filters (for removing chlorine and other chemicals), reverse osmosis (for removing chemicals, heavy metals and salts), sediment filters (for removing dirt and other particles) as well as scale inhibitors.
Installation:
The third thing to consider is how much effort you want to put into the installation process. While some whole house water filter systems are very easy to install yourself, others require a professional
Why You Need One
There are many reasons why you might want to install a whole house water filter. Some of the most common reasons include:
- To improve the taste and odor of your water
- To reduce the amount of chlorine in your water
- To remove sediment, rust particles, or other impurities from your water
- To protect your appliances from scale build-up caused by hard water.
Have Your Water Tested
Before considering a whole house water filter, it’s extremely important to have your water tested so that you know exactly what type of filtration system to purchase – there’s nothing worse than wasted time and money!
What will a water test show?
It will show you the levels of any chemicals, heavy metals or other contaminants that are present in your water at a given time. Depending on what’s found during the test it might even be necessary to perform more than one before installing a filter system.
How Do I Get A Water Test?
There are several ways to get a water test. You can contact your local water supplier and ask for a free water quality report, or you can have a professional water testing company come to your home to perform a more in-depth analysis.
In Closing:
The best whole house water filter systems are those that not only remove contaminants but also improve the taste and odor of the water. When choosing a whole house water filter system, it’s important to consider the capacity of your home and what type of filtration you want. It’s also a good idea to get your water tested before deciding on a whole house water filter so that you can purchase one tailored specifically for your needs.
