Whole-house water filters provide peace of mind that all the water in your home is safe to drink and use. They usually include a polypropylene sediment filter, carbon filters and, for well water, a UV light.
They remove many contaminants and help prevent Montezuma’s revenge (or other diseases and illnesses). Most require professional installation or the warranty may be voided.
Purity
A whole house water filter helps remove harmful impurities from your home’s water supply. Its purification process reduces contaminants such as iron, lead, sulfur and chlorine. These contaminants are not only unhealthy for you but can also damage your pipes and appliances.
The first step of a whole-house filter is a sediment filter that reduces sand, clay and silt in your water. This filter is important because a build-up of these particles can cause premature wear and tear on your plumbing and appliances.
Next, a Stage-2 KDF media filter traps and converts chemical contaminants like PFAS, PFOS, chlorine, lead, chromium, iron, hydrogen sulfide and others through a process called redox. It also reduces chloramines and cyanide in your drinking water. Finally, a Stage-3 catalytic carbon filter removes volatile organic compounds from your water.
These contaminants can leave stains on your clothes and skin and contribute to bad odors in your kitchen and bathroom. They may also negatively impact your health and make your hair and skin feel dry and dull. A water test from your local Culligan Water Expert can help identify the contaminants in your home’s water and recommend the best whole-house filtration system for you.
Health
Whole-house water filtration systems reduce contaminants in your home’s drinking and bathing water. These systems install at the point where your main water line enters your home. They deliver filtered water to all taps in your home when you wash dishes, make coffee, take showers and do laundry. Better tasting and safer drinking water encourages you to drink more water, which keeps you hydrated for improved health.
Sediment, clay, iron, hydrogen sulfide, low pH, arsenic, chlorine and other impurities can be removed with the use of different filter media depending on your specific needs. For example, sediment filters trap the particles inside the filter to reduce the presence of these minerals in your home’s water supply. Iron filters convert the soluble iron to insoluble form to prevent it from entering your home’s water system. Sulfur and rotten egg odors are removed with the use of specialty media, while carbon filters reduce chlorine taste and odor and many other contaminants.
You’ll also enjoy softer, healthier skin and hair with a home water filtration system that removes the harmful substances from your home’s drinking water. You’ll also save money by avoiding the purchase of expensive bottled water. Additionally, a whole house water filtration system can help extend the life of your appliances by keeping them free from harmful contaminants in your home’s water supply.
Convenience
A whole-house water filtration system treats your entire home’s water supply and all the appliances and pipes in your house that use this water. This can help prevent damage to your plumbing from harmful contaminants that can cause major problems. These can include heavy metals that corrode pipes, minerals that leave hard-to-clean deposits, and iron that leaves everything red. These contaminants can lead to clogged drains, damaged appliances, and expensive repairs. A filtration system that filters the water before it enters your home can prevent these issues from happening and extend the life of your pipes and household appliances.
One of the top reasons why people look into buying a whole house water filtration system is because they want cleaner drinking water. Cleaner water can make food and drinks taste better, as well as improve the appearance of skin, hair, glassware, and clothing.
There are many different types of whole-house water filters and each removes a different set of contaminants. Your water test will help determine which type of filter you need. For example, a reverse osmosis system may not be worth the cost if you only need it to reduce chlorine and lead. For a good value, consider a single or dual-tank media filter. These filters typically last for up to 10 years and require little maintenance.
Affordability
A whole-house water filter can cost a few thousand dollars to install, but it can save a lot in plumbing repair and bottled water costs. It can also prolong the life of appliances and help prevent buildup of minerals in the pipes.
Unlike point-of-service systems that treat water at a faucet, a whole-home system filters all the incoming water. It starts with a paper or polypropylene pre-filter to remove large sediment and other impurities so they won’t block the other filters and shorten their life. The next stage is a carbon filter, which is usually made with activated carbon granules or catalytic carbon, to filter out chlorine and other organic contaminants that cause odor and bad taste, including herbicides and pesticides.
The final stage is a water softener to reduce the hardness of the water, which can damage or degrade pipes and appliances. These systems are typically installed near the main water shut off in the basement of a home. They can be salt-free or require the addition of salt to attract and bind with hard metals, such as iron, calcium and magnesium.
Some systems combine a water filter and water softener into one unit for extra convenience. These all-in-one systems are ideal for people with hard water, as they can remove both harmful contaminants and the minerals that create a film on faucets, hot water tanks and inside pipes.