What Can You Filter With a Whole House Filter?
A whole house filter can remove many common contaminants that may be present in your water. It’s a good idea to have a water test before you make a final decision on what you’d like your whole house filter to accomplish. A few things the most popular filtration mediums can reduce or eliminate entirely include:
- Sediment
- Chlorine and chloramine
- Hydrogen sulfide
- Heavy metals
- Bacteria and viruses
- Pesticides and herbicides
- VOCs
Most whole home filters consist of sediment filters, carbon filters, and, if you’re on well water, a UV lamp. However, because these are generally cartridge systems, you ultimately have control over what’s being filtered out. If your water tests show significant problems with heavy metals, you may need additional equipment for drinking water. Reverse osmosis systems can also filter out things like heavy metals and produce very pure water, but they use a lot of extra water and can be very slow, so they’re generally only recommended for spot usage. They’re often used only for drinking and cooking water, so you won’t necessarily need a huge add-on to your whole home filter.
Choosing the Right System for Your Home
The right system for your home is the system that both meets your needs for water usage and is able to filter out the contaminants that are in your water. This is why it’s so important to have a water test before you even start to look at whole home filter systems, even if you already have an idea as to what you think would be good for your lifestyle. You may discover that your water simply doesn’t contain the contaminates you’re most concerned about, which would be great news! Since both municipal water and well water can change over time, a system that allows for multiple interchangeable cartridges, from a company that will support your whole home filter over the long term, is always the ideal. The same can be said for a reverse osmosis system, should you need one in addition to a filtration system.
A professional can help you find the exact system that will meet your needs for many years to come. Don’t be shy, look in the HomeKeepr community for a recommendation for a water quality expert. You’ll have cleaner, tastier water in almost no time!