If you want to protect your family, you need to make sure they have the cleanest, safest water. A home water filtration system can help you keep your home safe for everyone by removing potentially harmful contaminants from your home’s water. One popular option is a whole house system, which filters all the water in your home so you have peace of mind your water is safe. In this article, we’ll discuss whole home water filtration systems and some key things to know before you get one.
The first step toward creating safer water for your family is scheduling a free water quality test with our experts.
What is a Home Water Filtration System?
A home water filtration system is a system that filters the water that enters your home. Water filtration happens at incredibly large scales in public water systems to remove dangerous impurities before they reach your home. However, these systems don’t address all contaminants. In fact, while the EPA does have water quality standards that most public water systems follow, there are many contaminants that the EPA doesn’t regulate. In fact, in some places, tap water may be harmful, particularly to vulnerable populations like those with weakened immune systems, children, pregnant women, and the elderly.
Home water filtration systems are a much smaller scale and filter specifically the water for your home. The purpose is to filter out additional contaminants and impurities that may be in the water once it reaches your home, like those not addressed by local water treatment systems or that may leach into the water from old piping systems from the city.
Why Get a Whole House Water Filtration System?
There are many options for water filters, including small pitchers that live in your fridge and point of use filters that treat only the water at a particular tap. However, whole house water filtration systems are incredibly popular. Also known as point of entry water filters, these systems filter the water as it enters your home’s main line. Many Texas homeowners install these to ensure that all the water flowing into their homes is free of critical impurities that can make them and their families sick. Whole house filtration systems mean you know all the water in your home is free of concerning contaminants because it flows through the water filters.
What Does a Whole Home Water Filtration System Remove?
We’ve talked a lot about water contaminants and impurities, so you might be wondering specifically what water filters can remove. Keep in mind that we generally customize home water filtration systems based on the results from your water quality test.
However, there are some common contaminants that you may have in your water that water filters can address, such as:
- Chlorine: Chlorine is commonly used as a disinfectant for water and can make the water taste and smell bad.
- Fluoride: Fluoride is a mineral commonly added to public water systems to improve dental health, but exposure to too much can cause staining on the teeth.
- Lead: Lead can seep into water especially from aging pipes, like Flint, Michigan saw during their water crisis.
- Copper: Similarly, copper can also leach into water through old pipes in the water system.
- Pathogens: Pathogens like bacteria and parasites can also commonly be found in water. One common germ, Cryptosporidium is difficult to treat in water systems and can cause many symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, dehydration, fever, and weight loss.
- Iron: Iron in water can cause the water to taste bad and may also cause discoloration on fixtures throughout your home.
- Sediment: Sediment like dirt and rust particles can affect the taste of your water and can be filtered out by home water filtration systems.
How Does a Home Water Filtration System Work?
You might be wondering how a water filtration system works. Of course, this all comes down to the type you choose. Whole house water filtration systems use a variety of filters. Which types depends on the specific water quality concerns for the home.
Water filters either attract certain contaminants or prevent them from passing through the filter by making the pores small enough to only let small molecules like water through. This way, contaminants get trapped before the water reaches the rest of your plumbing system.
Customizing Water Filters to Your Needs
As we mentioned, it’s generally best to customize which types of filters you have in your home to the specific water quality concerns. This means getting a water test to determine what kinds of impurities are in your home’s water. From there, we can recommend filters that can remove these contaminants.
Types of Filters for Home Water Filtration Systems
There are several types of water filters to improve the water quality in your home. With whole home water filtration systems, some common ones include:
- Carbon Filters: Carbon filters use carbon adsorption to attract a wide range of contaminants, including things like organic compounds, chlorine, metals, and some cleaning products and pesticides.
- Sediment Filters: Sediment filters are designed to stop particulates like dirt, dust, and rust so they don’t ruin the taste and color of your water.
- Ion Exchange: Ion exchange is a type of water filtration that basically swaps contaminant ions for better ones. They’re really similar to water softeners, which exchange hard minerals for sodium or potassium.
Considerations When Choosing a Water Filtration System
Of course, installing a whole home water filtration system requires a bit of thought. For instance, you’ll need to know what’s in your budget. It’s also important to consider what types of contaminants you want to remove. Also, make sure you choose the right company for whole house water filter installation. The right company can guide you to the most practical and affordable system and will also make sure that the installation goes smoothly to reduce risks for leaks and water quality issues.
Another thing to think about is the maintenance a home water filtration system needs. Different systems require different levels of maintenance. Generally speaking, all filters will need replacement at one point or another, as they will contain a lot of contaminants and eventually be less effective at removing them. It’s important to know how often your system needs replacement filters, like every six months or every few years.
Other Types of Home Water Filtration Systems to Consider
If you’re considering a whole house water filtration system, know that these systems can’t remove every possible contaminant. As such, you may want to install more than just one water conditioning system for your home. For instance, usually water filters won’t remove hard minerals that can build up in your pipes and dry out your skin. Instead, you may need a water softener for this. Additionally, for the purest drinking water, you may need reverse osmosis systems. Usually we install these at the kitchen sink to provide purified drinking water for your family. Typically they’re too expensive and high maintenance to install for an entire home. Our experts can help you find solutions for all your water quality issues.
Whole House Water Filter Installation from Southern Water Solutions
If you need a water conditioning system, contact our team at Southern Water Solutions. We offer expert system design, installation, and maintenance to improve the quality of water in your home. As a locally owned and operated company, we are here to help you find the right solutions for your needs and budget. Get in touch for a free water test to learn which contaminants are in your water.