Why filter water?  Simple.  Water sources, even government-maintained systems, are not perfect.  There are certain materials and microorganisms that manage to pass through and enter the drinking water system.  Although this doesn’t automatically make drinking water straight from the tap dangerous, the amount of contaminants entering the body can cause some health problems in the future.  Is it time for your household to use whole house water filters?

What are whole house water filters?

Whole house water filters are full-sized filtration equipment designed to provide water filtering service for an entire household.  Compared to other types of water filters, whole house filters are capable of delivering purified water to every faucet or shower head in the house.  This greatly increases the protection of water users by eliminating any water-borne threat.What kind of filtering media are used in whole house water filters?That will depend on the brand and manufacturer of the system.  However, some common media used include copper-zinc alloys, coco shell carbon and bituminous carbon.  These often appear in combination for more efficient filtering.

What are the advantages of a whole house water filter system?

Because it is capable of filtering every drop of water that enters a home, there is no concern regarding the quality of the water that homeowners use.  If you use a single faucet-mounted filter in your kitchen sink but not in your bathroom, you will be able to use purified water if it comes from the kitchen sink.  If you use water coming from the bathroom, you could still expose yourself to contaminants in the water.

With a whole house water filter system, every faucet or tap water outlet in the house – from the kitchen sink to the shower to the one found in the laundry area – will be a source of purified water.  No longer will chlorine vapors in the shower water be a concern for you and your family.  You will also prevent the contamination of your clothing with chlorine or VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Some considerations when using whole house water filters

Whole house water filters are very efficient in ensuring that water in your house – regardless of source and location – will be safe to use.  However, if you’re considering using this type of water purification system in your household, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Whole house water filters are considerably more expensive than the simpler single faucet-mounted types.  Depending on the number of filters you need, the units and installation can cost a few hundred dollars.  While there are filter replacement units that are quite affordable, there are also others that can cost from $300 to $650.

It’s also important to consider the capacity of the whole house water filter unit.  This is usually expressed in number of gallons against the output of gallon per minute.  Depending on the unit and brand, this could range from 100,000 to 300,000 gallons.  The larger capacity will require replacement of its main filter unit after about 3 years or so, depending on use and demand.

Whole house water filters also require professional installation.  Depending on the unit, this can take from one to two hours and fees can range from $115 to $180.  Make sure only a plumber who holds a license performs the installation because it is often a requirement of the unit’s warranty.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Water Purification. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.