Choosing a Whole House Water Filtration System…
A whole house water filtration system purifies all water entering your home and supplied to every fixture. This important fact distinguishes a whole-house system from individual point-of-use units that filter water at a single tap or fixture only. A whole house water filtration system is also not the same as a water softener. Though the water softening process removes certain minerals from the household water, it doesn’t eliminate chemical impurities.
Installed by a qualified professional plumber, a whole-house system is typically located in your main water supply line just after it enters the house and before the line splits off to the water heater. This ensures that all water—cold or hot—utilized in the house is subjected to filtration. Generally, whole-house filtration should be considered to eliminate these water quality issues:
- Sediment including sand, dirt and mineral granules resulting from hard water.
- Chemicals including chlorine, pesticides and solvents.
- Iron that naturally occurs in some municipal water supplies.
To properly compare and contrast whole-house filtration units, here are some characteristics to consider:
- Flow rate. Each whole-house filter system has a maximum flow rating expressed in gallons per minute (gpm.) The total household water usage of all taps and fixtures should not exceed the flow rating of the system. For example, a filtration system rated for only 10 gpm will not supply acceptable water pressure if household demand is in the range of 15 gpm to 40 gpm that is typical for most residences.
- Filter size. Larger filters deliver higher water flow rate and pressure. For most houses, a system with standard 4.5-inch x 20-inch filters is adequate. Households requiring more than 25 gpm flow rate may require a larger filter to accommodate higher water pressure.
- Filter life. Sediment filter life varies according to the amount and size of sediment in the water supply. In a typical home, carbon filters that remove chemicals including chlorine should usually filter up to 150,000 gallons of water before requiring replacement.
For professional advice about selecting the right whole-house water filtration system, contact Apollo Plumbing, Heating, Cooling and Electrical.