Is your trusty Britta water pitcher from five years ago simply not cutting it anymore? Maybe you think that adding a water filter to your kitchen sink is enough. But did you know that you can purchase water filters for your entire home?
Whole house water filters might be right for you if:
- You have dry, brittle hair after showering 💇♀️
- Your water has slight coloration 🎨
- Your skin is dry and/or flaky after bathing 🛁
- Your water has a funny smell 👃
- You keep encountering plumbing issues 🪠
- Your clothes are aging quickly and losing color 👕
- Your dishes come out of the washer with spots and streaks 🍽️
If any of these dilemmas sound familiar, it might be time to start looking at whole-house water filters for your home.
Why Do I Need a Water Filtration System? 🤷♀️
So, why exactly are water filtration systems necessary, anyway? After all, your water tastes fine.
While taste can be an indicator of your water quality, there are actually many invisible factors that could be affecting your water quality and your health.
Of course, for many people, the primary concern is their drinking water filter. They are right to be concerned. Regardless of where you source your drinking water, it is possible that it could be carrying pathogens, pesticides, and even lead. All of these things and more are obviously detrimental to our health.
But unfiltered water can cause other problems. If you have particularly hard water, you might notice problems popping up, even with a water softener.
Hard water can be very drying. Because hard water makes it more difficult to rinse soaps off of your body, the residue can cause your hair to turn brittle and your skin to flake.
Hard water is also often very hard on your pipes. Unbeknownst to you, repeated exposure to hard water can cause limescale to build up on the inside of your pipes. This can eventually lead to blockages and decreased water quality.
While having a water filter for your drinking water is all well and good, your whole house will benefit from the installation of a filter.
How Do Water Filters Work? 🤔
Water filters, at their essence, are designed to filter all sorts of things from the water in your home. If you have city water, it is likely that the city uses harsh chemicals like chlorine to ensure the safety of your drinking water. While you won’t find much chlorine in a well water system, you run the risk of consuming too many heavy metals that can lead to kidney, liver, and intestinal problems further down the road.
Water filters are designed to remove things like
- chlorine
- heavy metals
- volatile organic compounds
- bacteria
However, not all filters are created equal. There are five different types of house water filter systems, and they all work in different ways.
1.) Reverse Osmosis – Reverse osmosis is one of the most popular water filter options on the market. At its essence, it uses water pressure to force the water through a semipermeable membrane. This membrane allows the water to pass through while trapping sediments and contaminants behind.
2.) Absorption – An absorption water filtration system typically relies on carbon to absorb the contaminants you typically find in tap water. A catalytic carbon filter is particularly effective when it comes to removing chlorine from your water. Also referred to as an activated carbon filter, the carbon can come from a variety of plant-based sources, such as trees.
3.) Mechanical – A mechanical house water filter is a type of sediment filter that physically blocks sediment. Basic mesh filters will block large particles, but for maximum effectiveness, we’d recommend choosing a ceramic filter. When it comes to sediment filters, mechanical filters are just fine, but they will not remove other harmful contaminants.
4.) Ion Exchange – If you have a water softener, then you have an ion exchange system! These filtration systems are used for homes with hard water. Ion exchange filters use sodium to remove magnesium and calcium from your water.
5.) Sequestration – Sequestration uses chemicals to isolate calcium and magnesium from the water. This is done using food-grade polyphosphate. This being said, sequestration will only decrease the calcium and magnesium, not eliminate them fully.
How Much Do Water Filtration Systems Cost? 💰
The cost of a whole-house water filter will vary, depending on the type of system you choose to buy. In general, with labor costs, most types of house water filter systems cost between $1000-$4000.
Keep in mind some filters will require more regular maintenance than others. When deciding what type of filter will work best for you and your budget, it’s a good idea to know how much you are willing to pay in advance.
Best Whole House Filters
Novo Reverse Osmosis Systems 💦
When it comes to a whole house water filter, you simply cannot beat Novo’s reverse osmosis filters. When it comes to filters for the whole house, we particularly like the Aqua Flo Platinum QCRO system.
This super-powered system comes with ten filter options that a professional will tailor to your specific needs. The filtration system has been proven to reduce Cadmium, Chromium III, Arsenic V, Copper, Barium, Fluoride, Lead, Radium, and Selenium.
The system is a breeze to maintain, as well. The filter cartridges can be twisted on and off for a simple refresh.
Aquasana Water Filter 🌊
Aquasana’s whole house water filter offers lots of benefits, including keeping your clothes brighter for longer and promoting healthier skin and hair. Your home’s water will go through a five-step system to ensure you get the best water possible.
- Sediment Filter – The water first runs through a sediment filter to remove dirt and rust.
- Water Conditioner – Aquasana’s salt-free water softening system helps remove minerals that can create build-up in your plumbing system.
- Rhino Filter – Their signature rhino filter uses copper-zinc to reduce heavy metals and chlorine.
- Post-Filter – The post-filter takes care of any remaining sediment and organic particles.
- UV Filter – Lastly, the UV filter sterilizes your water by removing 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses.
Express Whole House Water Filters 💧
Express’s house water filtration system will help you protect your whole house. Their three-stage system has been proven to remove volatile organic compounds, heavy metals, chlorine, rust, dirt, sand, silt, iron, and industrial solvents. Your whole house water filter will last you for up to a year before needing filter changes The system is specifically designed to give you clean, drinkable water without reducing your home’s water pressure.
SpringWell Water Filter 🥛
SpringWell’s whole house water filter is a catalytic carbon filter that promises to remove chlorine, pesticides, herbicides, PFOA, PFOS, and more. The filters have a 1,000,000-gallon capacity, meaning that they can process up to 1,000,000 gallons before needing to have the filters replaced.
Each filtration system comes with a lifetime warranty, so you can rest easy knowing your house water filter system is cared for. SpringWell also offers a 6-month money-back guarantee on your filtration system.
Pentair Water Filter and Softener Combination System 💧💧
If your home has hard water, you may need double filtration in order to ensure that you have odor-free water that tastes and smells as good as it looks. Pentair Water Solutions offers a filter and water softener combination system that will do just that.
Their combination system helps to reduce chlorine through the use of a carbon filter. The carbon filter, combined with a sediment pre-filter, gives you water that tastes as good as bottled water.
US Water Systems Bodyguard Plus Filter 🧊
The Bodyguard filter comes with some big claims when it comes to protecting your home. Namely, their Magna 5-Micro pre-filter is the only filter on the market that has 100% filtration of sediment with zero bypasses! But the results don’t lie. This filtration process leaves you with great-tasting water that won’t cause build-up on your pipes.
In addition to their sediment pre-filter, they use a coconut shell-based carbon filter to remove cysts, bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals. On top of all of this, their filter is eco-friendly! It is designed to waste very little water so that you can protect your family while protecting the earth.
Talk to a Professional ☎️
Ready to add a house water filtration system to your home? The first step is to contact a plumbing professional near you. At AJ Alberts Plumbing, we can help you choose a home water filtration system that will give you the results that you need. Whether you have city water or well water, there is a filter system that will work for you. Contact us today to get the water upgrade you deserve!
