Are you concerned about the quality of your home’s water? If so, a whole-home water filtration system can be an excellent investment. The right whole-house water filter can offer many benefits and might even save you money in the long run. Read on to learn more about how whole-home water filtration systems work and what benefits they can bring to your home.
Eliminate Contaminants and Impurities
You might be surprised to learn that even treated water can still carry high levels of contaminants. Municipal water treatment systems simply cannot remove every impurity. After treatment, water can still contain traces of pharmaceuticals and hormones. Water may also contain traces of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, copper, chromium, and manganese. Additionally, as the water travels from the water treatment plant to your home, it can pick up contaminants and possibly bacteria or viruses. These contaminants can affect the flavor and smell of your water, but some can also put your health at risk. With a whole-home water filtration system, you’ll never have to worry about these contaminants and impurities again. The system will work to eliminate most impurities, and your water will be cleaner and safer, and it might just be more refreshing, too.
Enjoy Fresh, Clean Tasting Water With No Bad Odors
A whole-home water filtration system can greatly improve the taste of your water by eliminating the contaminants associated with off-putting odors and unpleasant flavors. Some of these flavors and odors are caused by various impurities, while others are associated with the water treatment process, such as chlorine. You can then use the water any way you want for cooking, drinking, or washing and not have to worry about added smells and unwanted tastes.
Save Money by Eliminating the Need for Bottled Water
The average American spends somewhere between $100 and $250 on bottled water every year. Other studies have placed the number even higher, suggesting that the typical family spends closer to $1,400 a year buying bottled water. After use, the plastic bottles are left behind, taking up space in landfills or requiring recycling. You can avoid the hassles and the expense by installing a whole-home water filtration system, which will ensure your tap water is as clean and pure as bottled water. It might even be cleaner!
Protect Your Plumbing Appliances and Fixtures
Water can pick up sediment, silt, rust, and other particulates as it makes its way to your home, especially if you have well water or spring water. The sediment, although not necessarily harmful to people, can be harmful to your plumbing, appliances, and fixtures. Silt can build up in the aerator of the faucet or clog the showerhead. It can also affect the operation of your dishwasher, washing machine, and water heater. Filtering the water removes particulates and sediment, which can then prevent sediment-related damage. In other words, a whole-home filtration system might add years to the lifespan of your various appliances and fixtures.
How Whole-Home Water Filtration Works
Whole-home water filtration systems are installed at the main water line just after it enters the home. The water flows into your home, moves through the different filters, and then comes out to your faucets, water heater, and all other plumbing appliances and fixtures.
Most whole-home water filtration systems have multiple stages, and each stage uses a special filter designed to remove certain impurities. The first stage is typically a basic mesh filter that traps larger particles like silt, sediment, and rust. The next stage is a much more efficient filter that removes smaller particles like metals, pharmaceuticals, chlorine, bacteria, and other impurities and contaminants that can remain in the water supply even after it has been treated or get picked up as the water travels to your home. Many whole-home water filtration systems also have an activated carbon filter that primarily helps to improve the taste of the water and eliminate any unpleasant odors.
Another option is a reverse osmosis filtration system. Instead of using filters, this type of system has a semi-permeable membrane. When water enters the unit, it can easily flow through the membrane. However, any impurities or contaminants in the water are too large to pass through the membrane and will be trapped and thus filtered out.
Reverse osmosis filtration units are typically “point of use,” which means that they are installed at one fixture and only filter the water that flows through that fixture. These units are most commonly installed underneath the kitchen sink. A reverse osmosis filter can also be connected to your refrigerator so that the water and ice from it are also pure and clean. Reverse osmosis systems are great for ensuring that the water you cook with and the drinking water in your kitchen is clean, but they are not necessarily a good option for the whole home.
You can find whole-home reverse osmosis systems, but they aren’t very common for several reasons. One is that a whole-home reverse osmosis system requires a huge amount of space. Once the water is treated, it flows into a large holding tank so you always have a constant supply of fresh, clean water. For a reverse osmosis system to effectively supply water to an entire home, you will typically need at least a 300- to 500-gallon holding tank.
Most people simply don’t have sufficient room in their garage or elsewhere for a tank this large. These systems can also get quite costly since you will need a pump to move water out of the holding tank into the plumbing system as well as a separate UV light to disinfect the water as it flows out of the storage tank.
Because of this, multi-stage whole-home water filtration systems are almost always the better option. These systems are relatively easy to install and have a smaller footprint. They don’t require a holding tank or a pump, as the water will automatically flow through the filters whenever you turn the faucet, shower, or any other fixture on. Any time you use any hot water, the water will also flow through the filter and into the water heater.
One thing to note is that no type of water filtration system will take care of hard water issues. Hard water can cause problems for the filtration system and will typically shorten its lifespan. For this reason, we also recommend installing a water softener if your home has hard water, as this will help to prevent issues with your filtration system, your plumbing system, and appliances.
At Meade’s Heating and Air, we can help if you’re considering adding a whole-home water filtration system to your house. We also install a range of different water heaters, and we specialize in all cooling and heating installation, repair, and maintenance services as well. For more information or to schedule a service call in the Sterling area, contact us today.