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More people are now adopting whole house water filter systems as one of the most reliable filtering solutions around. They are well-known for their efficiency and consistency in producing high-quality water.
That said, it can be challenging to choose the best whole house water filter for your use, considering the number of options out there. This article offers you professional insights into how whole house filters work and their pros and cons. You will also get expert reviews of the top whole house water filters, highlighting the strengths of each.
What Is A Whole House Water Filter?
Whole house water filters are one of the most evolved filtration solutions out there. They are so advanced that you may not know you are even using one.
To the question, a whole house water filter is a filtration system designed to filter out the impurities in your water, which may not be visible to the naked eyes. They are often referred to as Point of Entry (POE) systems since they do the filtration right at the point where water enters your home. With a whole house water filter, both your cold and warm water are filtered. So, whichever faucet you open, you get filtered water, including toilets, washing machine showers, or kitchen taps.
Interestingly, there are point-of-use filters that work for refrigerators and others that can sit conveniently on your countertop. We have explained them in the later parts of this article.
Why Do You Need A Whole House Water Filter?
There are many reasons to buy a whole house water filtration. However, the most important reason is access to the best quality water. You cannot entirely trust the purity and safety of your municipal water supply. A water filter removes all the doubt and ensures you get clean and healthy water.
Municipal treatment plants use chlorine in disinfecting water, which means the water that gets into your home is most likely chlorinated. Having chlorine in water is necessary; it is a disinfectant that kills bacteria and other microorganisms. But the prolonged consumption of chlorinated water may affect your health. It even gets worse if you are ingesting large quantities of chlorine.
Your skin and hair are also at risk of different issues. Skin dryness and hair dullness have been consistently linked to bathing with chlorinated water. With a whole house filter, you can reduce the chlorine levels that get on or into your body, giving you clear skin and healthier hair.
The whole house water filter also helps protect the environment, compared to buying bottled water or adopting other filter types. Buying and consuming bottled water contributes to the carbon footprint. The plastics that contain the water are not easily recycled; the only way to lower their consumption and use. Furthermore, the bottled water consumed in one part of the country is often produced in another region. This necessitates transportation using trucks, thus increasing the carbon footprint of the bottled water.
Who Needs A Whole House Water Filter?
Whether you depend on the municipal water supply or the well in your backyard for your household water, you need to improve the quality. This is where a whole house water filtration system comes in. Once you have tested your water source using a home water test kit or by physical examination, you can come up with the following deductions;
- The water is chlorinated;
- There is high bacterial contamination;
- The water smells or tastes unusual;
- There are small floating particles in the water
If any of the facts above check, you can install a whole house water filtration system. Another point of use option is an under sink water filter, a shower filter, or a faucet water filter.
wp-org-recommended Whole House Water Filter Reviews
We know you are curious about how a whole house filter works. That is why we have made this short buying guide to explain their performance, strong points, and other points of considerations you should check before purchasing one.
1. Waterdrop Auto Flushing Spin Down Sediment Water Filter
Waterdrop WD-PFA whole house water filter is known for its compactness. This feature is missing in most traditional whole house water cartridges. The stainless-steel filter mesh is built to be strong and anti-corrosive. The sediment filter size has a 40-micron pore size, which means it can adequately block large particles, including rust and sand, from getting your home’s water supply.
The water filter system works without manual flushing. There is an inbuilt advanced flushing function, meaning your water filter flushes automatically. There are 7-, 15-, or 30-days automatic flushing interval periods to choose from. The dedicated flush button allows you to automatically flush the system, ensuring that the filter mesh doesn’t clog.
Thanks to the two push-fit plumbing fittings fitted with the spin-down sediment filter, the installation process is simple. This saves you some extra money for the purchase. You also get four types of screw threads– 1” MNPT,3/4” MNP,3/4” FNPT, and ¾” push-fit plumbing fitting, and three inbuilt AAA batteries with a year lifespan out-of-the-box. All you have to do is connect and use.
2. 3M Aqua-Pure Whole House Sanitary Quick Change Water Filter System
3M is a household name in the water filtration business. This whole house filtration system is one of their best products, striking a balance between performance and price. You get four filtration stages in this 1,000,000-gallon system, alongside the KDF media and the premium coconut carbon. Therefore, it can efficiently get rid of contaminants in water, including bad taste, bad odor, haloacetic acids, pesticides, VOCs, chloramine. It also controls bacterial growth.
It is powered by an innovative technology designed to offer higher accuracy in removing contaminants in water. There is also a 6-month satisfaction guarantee on the system, plus a lifetime warranty on all the pieces and parts.
To install the SpringWell Water System, use the installation kit included in the box, as well as the installation guide. Alternatively, you can bring in a plumber.
3. Aquasana 10-Year, 1,000,000-Gallon Whole House Water Filter
If you are in the market for a comprehensive filtration system that guarantees the safety of your water, the Aquasana 10-Year, 1,000,000-Gallon Whole House Water Filter is your best bet. This low-maintenance unit is equipped with a pro-grade installation kit containing a post-filter, a pre-filter, brass fittings, shutoff valves, and installation support.
When you go for this particular model, you can rest assured of the longevity of the water softener cylinder. The 1,000,000-gallon capacity means you can get up to 10 years of filtration performance, based on how much water you consume. If you want to monitor your consumption, note the original value of your water meter and check it periodically.
Another reason to get this whole house water filter system is that you get a pro installation kit out of the box, consisting of all the required installation parts. This helps save money and prevent leaks or faulty parts.
4. iSpring WGB21B 2-Stage Whole House Filter
The iSpring WGB21B 2-stage whole house filter is another excellent way to ensure your household water is healthy and safe for drinking. The installation process is a simple DIY; you need no plumber. Just grab the pre-assembled part and connect. You can switch from the right-to-left arrangement to otherwise if that is your preference.
This whole house filter doesn’t double as a water softener, so it cannot remove the hardness in water. But it can efficiently remove the bad smell, chlorine, and sediments in your hard water, providing you with up to 50,000 gallons of filtered water. This filter can meet the water needs of a family of four for up to a year. However, the manufacturers recommend replacing the filter every six months to guarantee the best performance.
Asides from the excellent filtration, this filter guarantees a consistent water pressure at all times. When installing the shutoff valves, they can come at the beginning and end of the system. This ensures that replacing filters does not force you to drain all the water in the house.
5. Home Master HMF3SDGFEC Whole House 3-Stage Water Filter
A large number of homeowners currently use this whole house water filter from Home Master for apparent reasons. First, it is relatively affordable, and second, it delivers a remarkable performance. With a filtering capacity of 15 gallons per minute, you are getting a good value for your money.
The high-quality sediment filter is efficient, ensuring no particle larger than 1 micron makes it to the filtered water. The inbuilt activated carbon filter also refines the taste and odor of the water. Therefore, your filtered water is always clean, crisp, and great tasting.
The lifespan of the carbon filter is relatively long – you can get up to 100,000 gallons of filtered water. That is a year (or two) of filtered water supply, depending on the size of your family.
In Conclusion
We have discussed all you need to know about whole house filters, including what they are all about, why you need one, and how to get a suitable model for your family. The benefits of a whole house water filter are well worth the price. So, you can consider this a major investment into your family’s wellbeing, which will pay off both in the long and short runs.