Whole House Water Filtration System

​A whole house filtration system will allow you to turn on a fixture or appliance in your home and get filtered water.    

Why You Should Install a Whole House Water Filtration System
By Pierre Mouchette | Real Property Experts LLC

What does a water filtration system do?
A water filtration system will prevent problems in the water supply.  These problems can fall into several categories, with different solutions:

• Biological Contamination (toxic) - this must be found and removed at the source.  Unfortunately, filtration will not solve this problem.
• Herbicides and Pesticides (toxic in enough concentration) - can enter locally (at the reservoir in municipal systems and the underground water supply for wells).
• Chlorine (in excessive levels over time can cause long-term health risks) - chlorine is a very reactive chemical and may combine with organic molecules to form toxic compounds.
• Hard Water Minerals (calcium and magnesium) - are not a health risk, but they can cause mineral buildup in plumbing, making soaps and detergents work poorly.
• Iron (comes in two forms: iron oxide (rust) particles, or ionized iron dissolved in the water) - rust can spoil the taste and color of the water where dissolved iron gives water a metallic taste.
• Lead (can cause long-term harm) - usually found when there is old plumbing in use.
• Sediment (includes particles of dust, rust, sand, and dirt) - can discolor your drinking and bath water.  Will discolor and grit your laundry.

 
The USCG Water Science School has a chart on contaminants found in groundwater on their website that may have additional helpful information.
 
To determine if and what type of filtration system you need, you must obtain a water analysis.  If you have:

• Well water - if through a condominium association, they can provide this to you.  And if it is your well, you will have to have a professional analysis performed.  (You should do this periodically, in any case, to verify that the well is safe).
• Municipal water - the utility should be able to provide this to you.

           
Filters for the appropriate problems are determined as stated above by the issues.  Once you know the issues to address, you can decide on the filtration system.  There are several different methods a water filtration system can use, and it may utilize more than one if necessary.

• Carbon Filters - removes chlorine, herbicides, and pesticides
• Ion Exchange - removes calcium and magnesium ions.  This is an electrochemical process using ion exchange and reverse osmosis.  The iron exchange and reverse osmosis process can resolve many water problems because the filter contains a resin made of polystyrene beads
• Reverse Osmosis - removes sediment, iron, and some molecules.  The reverse osmosis process forces water through a membrane under pressure.  It is not effective against hard water and is usually used in conjunction with other methods.

 
What is the difference between water softening and water filtration?
Water Softeners remove the hardness (minerals), whereas water filters remove a broad range of contaminants.  The two systems can be combined.
 
What is a whole house water filtration system?
A system installed at the entry of the water into the house.  This system will allow you to turn on a fixture or appliance in your home and get filtered water.
The installation will require turning off the water service main shutoff valve, cutting the pipe, installing the filtration system, and a bypass with a check valve.  Since this system will interrupt your water usage activities, you should schedule this when you can go without water for a few hours.  We recommend that a professional perform this installation.
Note:  All filters have a limited life and must be replaced periodically.  Keep this in mind when selecting the water filtration system and for maintenance.
 
Special considerations for selecting your system are

• Flow rate - the amount of water that flows through your incoming service pipe.  The flow is measured in gallons per minute (GPM).  Be sure that the whole house filtration system can provide the GPM required by your household's usage during peak flow.
• Filter size - the larger the filter, the longer the service interval, and the more water it will flow with greater pressure (each restriction and bend of the pipes will reduce the pressure and flow in your system).
• Filter life - depends on the quality of the water and the GPM flow through your house system to fixtures and appurtenances.

Port size - the ideal port size on a whole house water filter is one inch.  Even if your home has three-quarter-inch piping, using a one-inch ported system will not create any bottlenecks when fitted to the three-quarter-inch pipe using a union.  Additionally, the pressure loss is virtually unmeasurable.