In certain parts of the country and the world, it may be a good idea to install whole house water filters anywhere you are concerned about the water quality. These filters are installed at the beginning of your water system, before any water reaches the hot water tank, and depending on the type of whole house water filter you’ve chosen, they can remove a whole range of contaminants before any water reaches you or your family.
You might be surprised at the range of benefits your whole house water filter can provide you. For instance, they remove most of the chlorine from your water, which prevents chlorine from vaporizing in the shower to form hazardous chlorine gas. They can also help soften your water or at least remove much of the mineral problem in it before it gets to your hot water heater and to your family. Purer, softer water works better with soaps and cleansers, so you’ll be able to use less and save money, and fewer deposits will accumulate in your shower, saving you time cleaning.
Drinking water, too, is affected positively by your whole house water filter. If you get a high quality filter system, you can get bottled-quality water just by turning on your kitchen faucet.
A whole house water filter is a home improvement project, and should be approached as such. While it is a significant expense, it also adds to your home’s value. These filters will take up about half the space of a standard water heater, and you’ll need to hire a professional plumber to install them. Filters need to be changed out once or twice a year, depending on the type of filters you have and how contaminated your water is. Costs of your whole house water filter will be offset by savings on bottled water purchasing and by the decrease in the amount of soaps you’ll need to use; if you have a problem with indoor air quality, a whole house water filter can often improve that as well, and the lung health of your entire family.
There are several different varieties of whole house water filters; most work on a three-stage system. First, the water coming into your house is allowed to settle in a sediment tank, any large pieces removed at that point. Next, the settled water is forced through a carbon or ceramic filter to eliminate chemical and biological contaminants. Finally, a redox potential high filter, like certain metallic filters, is used to remove the chlorine from your water before it circulates further in the system. With this three-tiered system, nearly all the contaminants are removed from your water, but the beneficial minerals like fluoride and calcium are still dissolved in the water, giving it a better taste as well as contributing to your health.
Choose your whole house water filter carefully. You’ll need to find out what contaminants are in your water at the main source; if you have no idea how to go about this, your water company may test it for you for free, or they’ll be able to tell you where to go to have it tested. Worry more about removing all the contaminants that are a problem in your water than about how much your filter is going to cost; it will pay for itself, but only if you get every contaminant at the source. And find out how and when to change filters, and how much filters are going to add to your bill each year.