Whole House Water Filter Guide

TOPICS

 Why Do I Need a Whole House Filtration System?

 How Do Whole Home Water Filter Systems Work?

 What is Whole House Water Filter?

 How Do I Select a Whole House Water Filter?

 How Do I Install a Whole House Water Filter?

 What's the Difference? Are Water Softeners and Water       Filters the Same Thing?     

 How Much Does a Whole House Filter Cost?

Perhaps your neighbor had one installed and you were wondering why whole house filters are necessary.  Or, maybe you've been noticing the smell of chlorine in your shower and it's been bothering your eyes, giving you headaches or even worse.  You may have even read about the ill effects of breathing chlorine while showering.  For these and more more reasons,  you've come to the right place to learn more about whole home water filters! 

Most people purchase systems for their home for one of the following reasons:

• Improve the TASTE of their water.  They may also be concerned about ODOR in their water. 
• They are concerned about their HEALTH.  Chlorine or chloramines are dangerous to your health and so are many of the contaminants frequently found in city water or well water such as heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, and more.
• They want an environmentally friendly and cost-effective means to ELIMINATE BOTTLED water.

How do Whole House Filters Work?

Whole house filters are designed to be plumbed on your main water line. Whole house filters treat all the water entering the home and there are many types available on the market today. There are several types of filters designed for whole house use and city treated water is treated differently than water from a private well. Following are a few steps for both City and Private Well applications:

City Water – Your Water Authority pre-treats the water making it biologically safe to drink, this process oxidizes out secondary contaminants including iron, sulfur, and manganese.

Following are several types of filtration methods designed for the treatment of City Water:

1. Sediment, Chlorine, and Organic Contaminant filtration
2. Sediment, Chlorine, Chloramines, and Organic Contaminant filtration
3. Sediment, Chlorine, Chloramines, Organic Contaminant, and Heavy Metal Filtration
4. Water Softening only – this is traditional water softening – you will need to regenerate with salt or potassium
5. Water Softening combined with Carbon Filtration – this is traditional water softening – you will need to regenerate with salt or potassium, combined with carbon filtration to filter out contaminants 
6. Conditioning Technology only – the minerals are not removed – this is a de-scaling salt-free technology
7. Conditioning Technology combined with Carbon Filtration – this is a de-scaling salt-free Technology to clear your pipes and water appliances from buildup 
8. Conditioning Technology combined with Carbon and Heavy Metal Filtration - this is a de-scaling salt-free Technology

Well Water – Water being drawn from a private well is raw and may contain many secondary contaminates like iron, sulfur, manganese, tannins, and hard minerals. The main concern is bacteria like E coli and Coliform of which are not safe to drink. It is a good idea to have your water tested. Following are several types of filtration methods designed for Private Well Water:    

1. Secondary contaminant filtration – filtering for iron, sulfur, and manganese
2. Secondary contaminant filtration combined with Conditioning Technology - this is a de-scaling salt-free Technology
3. Aeration – used to remove sulfur smell and aerate iron
4. pH Neutralizer - used when the pH of the water is below 6.5
5. Chlorine Injection is used when sulfur bacteria is present or to kill E coli and Coliform
6. Ultraviolet Purification (UV) is used to kill E coli and Coliform – sediment and carbon filtration can be combined with multi-stage Ultraviolet filtration systems
7. Water Softening only – this is traditional water softening – you will need to regenerate with salt or potassium, traditional water softeners will remove small amounts of iron and manganese

For more information and a custom recommendation for your water, we recomend visiting www.puriteam.com.  They will test your water for free and provide free recommendations based on your water situation.

For a FREE recommendation for your water situation, Click Here for WELL WATER.

Or Here for CITY/MUNICIPAL WATER.

Where Can I Buy a Whole Home Water Filter?

Click here if you have City Water

Click here if you have Well Water (or other private source)

If you are interested in softening/conditioning hard water, click here:

For Water Softeners

For NO-SALT Water Softeners

To compare City Water Whole House Systems, visit www.my-water-quality.com.

Click here for more interesting facts about water.

What is a Whole House Water Filter?

A whole house water filter is one that is attached to the Point of Entry - where the water enters your home.  They are becoming more and more popular because they are a cost-effective way to reduce bottled water usage and improve the quality of all your home's water!

 

With a whole home water filter, every home in your house will have filtered water - including your drinking water, the icemaker, cooking water, your pets' water, and very importantly your bathing and showering water.

 

Most units are economically friendly when you consider the cost over the long-term.  For just pennies a day, you can have clean, fresh filtered water in every outlet in your home. 

How Do I Select a Whole House Filter?

When selecting a filter, be sure to understand your water and its source.  Do you have municipal water?  (If you get a water bill, then yes you have municipal, i.e. "city" water.)  If yes, does your municipality use chlorine to disinfect the water?  Or perhaps it uses chloramines.  It is important to understand the difference because they require different filtration methods.

Do you have well water?  If so, have you had it tested?  Understanding your chief complaints will make the buying process much simpler.  For example, are you concerned about sulfur smell?  Or do you have a foul taste in your water?  Do you bacteria in your water?  Your best bet is to have the water tested.  Some firms will do this for free.  Be wary of companies that will sell you a well water system without asking first what your issues are.  There are many types of solutions depending on what the issues are.  Keep in mind with well water there may need to be multiple solutions for multiple problems!  Make sure you deal with a company with extensive well water knowledge.

To receive a comprehensive guide to buying a well water treatment system, sign up here.

Who Can Install the Filter?

A licensed plumber can handle the job and typical installation will take 1-3 hours.  If you consider yourself to be a very handy homeowner with plumbing knowledge, you may be able to do it yourself.  Keep in mind not all companies will honor warranties in the event of improper installation.

Is a Water Softener and Water Filter the Same Thing?

No, a water softener will only address the HARDNESS of water, and does not provide any filtration or contaminant protection. If your water is hard (and a simple test can tell you if it is), then you may wish to soften or condition it with a traditional salt-based water softener or the newer, more advanced no-salt water conditioners available today that do not require salt.  A conditioner will de-scale your pipes and appliances, but not change the properties of the water, i.e. it will not make your water "soft."  For more information on hard water and the treatment of hard water, click here.

How much does a whole house filter or softener/conditioner cost?

Prices online can start anywhere from about $300 to over $2,000 depending on your water situation.  If you have municipal water, expect to pay $700 or more for a good system.  For well water, expect to pay at least $700 if your problems are minimal and up to $3,000 or more if your problems are extensive. 

A system purchased online can save you thousands of dollars over a local franchisor/dealer. 

Stricter labeling urged for bottled water

By EMILY FREDRIX, AP Food Industry Writer

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Consumers know less about the water they pay dearly for in bottles than what they can drink almost for free from the tap because the two are regulated differently, congressional investigators and nonprofit researchers say in new reports.

 The researchers urged Americans to make bottled water "a distant second choice" to filtered tap water because there isn't enough information about bottled water. The working group recommends purifying tap water with a commercial filter, however.  Read More....