What is a Whole House Water Filter and How Does it Work?

Today, the world is facing water scarcity and water quality problems. Water scarcity has affected a huge population in different parts of the world. However, people who can get water supply to their homes still have to face several water quality issues which highly deteriorate the quality of their health and life.

Having a proper water supply from the municipality department of your city to your home is not the ultimate solution to tackling the water problem. The municipality department adds a lot of minerals like chlorine, etc., to remove the disease-causing organisms from the water. However, still, it is not the high-quality water that can enhance your lifestyle or ensure that you will not get the disease.

A whole house water filter is one of the equipment that tackles your water problem and enhances your lifestyle. It not only helps in killing the disease-causing micro-organisms from the water, but it also helps in removing chemicals like chlorine, magnesium, iron, potassium, etc. from the water that automatically enhances the water quality and provides you with healthy water.

In this article, we are going to discuss what exactly the whole house water filter is and how it works.

What is a Whole House Water Filter?

As the name suggests, the whole house water filter is a filtration system responsible for treating the water at the main water line that enters your house.

We all know how a normal filter works, RIGHT? In short, you have to install the water filter near the faucet to get quality water from that particular faucet.

But in the case of a whole house water filter, you must install it nearby the main water supply of your house. This means that the water supply will get filtered in the initial phase, and you will get quality water at all the taps of your house, from the drinking tap to the shower.

It is a one-stop solution to all the water problems of your house. Due to its highly efficient work, it has become the number one choice of people worldwide. In this way, people will not have to invest in buying a filter for every faucet and can easily take benefit of this special equipment to fulfill the requirement of quality water at all the house faucets.

What Does a Whole House Water Filter Do?

What Does a Whole House Water Filter Do

As we have already discussed, what is a whole-house water filter? Now the real question is how it has become the number one choice of people all around the globe.

The whole house water filter helps in removing the extra chlorine content from the water, which your municipality department has added to kill the bacteria from the water.

It not only removes the excess chlorine content but also removes the other chemicals like magnesium, iron, etc., other harmful chemicals from the water and also decreases the smell of chlorine from the water.

Apart from this, it also helps reduce the hardness of water (because of the potassium and magnesium) and reduces the sediment from the water. By doing this, it enhances the water’s complexity and quality.

A whole-house water filter enhances the quality of water and the durability of water appliances at your house. The whole house water filter removes all the sediments from the water at the initial phase, which means the water appliances, like the water heater and shower head, will not have to face the issues of a building up of sediments in them, and that is how it enhances their durability.

So using a whole house water filter saves a lot of money in replacing or cleaning the other water appliances at your house, as well apart from the health benefits.

How Do I Know If I Need a Whole House Water Filter?

How Do I Know If I Need a Whole House Water Filter

Sometimes, investing in a good whole-house water filter is a personal choice because your area may have many sediments or other contaminants in the water that can result in significant skin diseases or health issues.

Now, this is something when you suffer from certain diseases. Still, there are some ignored symptoms by most households, which indicate the need for a whole-house water filter. If you are facing any of the below-listed signs in your house, then we will recommend you invest in a good whole-house water filter:

  • If you see stains on the toilets, laundry, sinks, or tubs
  • The visible discoloration of the water and sediment
  • Rotten egg-like smell in the drinking water
  • Corrosion in the metal pipes

The above-listed signs are the most common signs that are generally ignored by family members until and unless someone from the family doesn’t suffer from a hazardous disease or skin allergies. We recommend you keep an eye on these signs or check the pH level, etc., at regular intervals. Focus on noticing the above-listed signs. You can also get water quality information from your municipality department or your neighbors. You can simply ask your neighbors to give some recommendations on purchasing the filter.

Different Types of Water Filters Available in the Market

Different whole-house water filters are available in the market because they are specifically designed to tackle the water problem. These water problems vary from one area to another, which is why you can see a wide range of whole-house water filters available in the market and have been presented by different brands. A few of the types of water filters are listed below:

1. Water Softener

If you live in an area with a very big problem of hard water, then this water softener ( whole house water filter) is the ultimate solution to take care of your problem.

If you need help figuring out if the water has high levels of potassium or magnesium in it initially, then we will recommend you to notice faded laundry, clogs on your pipes, scale, chalky dishes, etc. If you see these signs, that means the water is hard.

You will have to use a water softener to tackle the problem. There is a high probability of suffering from hard water if your main water supply is from a well instead of the municipality supply. So ensure that you keep a regular check on the chemicals in your well by simply performing a lab test or a patch test.

Working Principle

The simple working principle of the water softener is that equipment will consist of negatively charged resins, which can easily capture the calcium, potassium, and magnesium ions as they are positively charged.

We all know that positive and negative charge ions attract each other, and that is how the resin will capture these ions and result in a smooth water flow of soft water.

2. Sediment Filter

A sediment filter can be one of the best options for you if you are living in an area that has a very big problem of dust, dirt, clay, rust dots, etc., in the water.

Most of the time, the sediments can highly influence the durability of other water appliances like a water heater, etc.; sediments can get deposited in the pipes and cause clogging or leakage by bursting up pipes at a specific location.

Working Principle

The sediment filter’s main principle is the use of mechanical filtration by physically blocking the sediments from entering the main water supply. The pores present in these sediment filters are very small, which does not allow this solid matter to pass through, and that is how they act as a first line of defense in providing you with quality water.

3. Acid Neutralizers

Acid neutralizers can be one of the best options for you if you live in an area with a big problem of acidic water. The acidity and the basicity or the alkalinity of the water can only be predicted by performing a lab test.

If the water’s pH is below 7, that means the water is highly acidic and harmful to drink. So it is very important to use acid neutralizers.

Working Principle

Acid neutralizers work in a very simple principle as they decrease water acidity. The acid neutralizer tank will have a very high amount of calcite. This chemical helps to enhance the alkalinity of the water. Using acid neutralizers can prevent many health-related issues because we all know how harmful acid is to our bodies.

4. Carbon Filters

Carbon filters are generally used to remove the chlorine content from the water. This should be your number one choice if you have the municipality water supply coming to your house because they use a very high amount of chlorine to kill the disease-causing micro-organisms in the water.

You can also smell or taste the chlorine chemical in the water because the added quantity of chlorine is very high.

Working Principle

By using the carbon filter, you can easily prevent consuming more chlorine in the water. The carbon water filter generally consists of activated carbon, which has very tiny pores on its surface.

These activated carbon capture the chlorine content by adsorption, which helps to minimize the chlorine content passing through the water supply.

5. Ultraviolet Purification System

This is also one of the best options when the water has a very high probability of having disease-causing micro-organisms like fungi, parasites, viruses, bacteria, etc. This should be your best choice when the water comes directly from the well or from the natural water source, which is highly contaminated by industrial waste.

Working Principle

The ultraviolet purification system utilizes UV light to reduce the disease-causing micro-organisms population in the water by directly damaging their DNA or genetic content.

This way, the micro-organisms will not be able to survive, and this process will automatically neutralize the water. It will provide you with high-quality water for drinking and other purposes.

The above five whole-house water filters are the most common whole-house water filters available in the market. However, the price range and durability of the product vary from one brand to another, so ensure you research well before investing in a whole-house water filter.

We recommend you talk to your municipality department and neighbors. You should also take a lab test before investing in the whole house water filter as it is one of the most expensive water equipment available in the market. So get clarity on water issues before making a huge investment.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best whole-house water filter available in the market?

There is no universal best whole house water filter available in the market. The main idea of a whole-house water filter is to solve the problem of water quality that varies from one place to another.
So for you, the best whole-house water filter would be the one that could tackle your particular problem. So ensure that you know about the water problem that is specific to your area before buying a whole house water filter.

Can I install the whole house water filter for a particular faucet only?

Yes, you can install the whole house water filter at any location that is appropriate for you. However, we will always recommend you install it near the main water supply, which will enhance the durability of other water appliances at your house. You will also get high-quality water from all the faucets of your house.

Do I need a whole house water filter if I use well water?

Yes, you may still require a whole-house water filter if your well water has a high amount of calcium, potassium, and magnesium ions present in it.
Well, water has a high probability of having these chemicals because they directly come from the earth’s deep rocks. On consuming this, your health can easily get impacted, so ensure that you use an appropriate whole-house water filter.

Conclusion

Installing a whole-house water filter comes with several advantages. We all know that the water quality all around the world is deteriorating, and a whole-house water filter is an easy solution to solve all the water issues.

It cannot only help in extending the lives of other water appliances available in the house but also helps prevent damage to the pipes and enhances the smell and taste of water.

Apart from this, it gives quality water, which decreases the chances of getting allergies from the water or getting diseases by consuming it.

By having a whole house water filter, you will save a lot of money. We hope the article has helped you gain knowledge of whole-house water filters.