Many homes have issues with their water smelling bad and not tasting all that good. If your home’s water doesn’t taste great or you’re concerned about water quality, it’s worth investing in a whole-home water filtration system. In this article, we’ll look at how this type of system works and what benefits it can provide to your home.
Why Whole-Home Water Filtration Is a Great Investment
While virtually all municipalities treat their water supplies, the water flowing to many homes isn’t as clean and pure as you may think. This is especially true in places where the municipal water system is older since this often results in various contaminants like heavy metals getting into the water as it flows through the old pipes. Another issue is that municipal water treatment plants don’t always eliminate all the contaminants in the water. Studies have found that municipal water supplies in many places contain various man-made chemicals, such as pesticides, fertilizers, and pharmaceuticals, including birth control chemicals like estrogen. Almost all municipal water also contains chlorine and other chloramines since these chemicals kill viruses and bacteria in the treatment process.
With so many contaminants and impurities potentially remaining after the water is treated, it is up to the end user (i.e., the homeowner) to ensure that their water is clean and pure. This is the main advantage of installing a whole-home water filtration system since most systems will remove around 97% of chloramines and the majority of other contaminants.
By ensuring that your home’s water is clean and pure, you can eliminate the need to rely on bottled water. Statistics show that the average American family spends over $1,000 on bottled water yearly. The fact that a whole-home water filtration system can greatly reduce how much bottled water you buy means that the system can essentially pay for itself in a fairly short time. The filtration system will also ensure that your water tastes just as good, if not better, than bottled water.
How a Whole-Home Water Filtration System Works
There are a few different methods of water filtration, which serve the same purpose but work differently. The most common option for point-of-use water filtration is a reverse osmosis filter. Reverse osmosis systems have a semi-permeable membrane. While water can seep through the tiny holes in the filter, any suspended contaminants in the water are too large to pass through and get trapped in the filter. When opting for a reverse osmosis filter, you’re generally better off choosing a multi-stage system that uses different types of filtration.
One drawback to RO systems is that they require a booster pump to force the water through the filter, which means they use electricity, unlike most other systems. Without this pump, you’d have extremely poor water pressure unless you have a large tank to store the treated water since water seeps through an RO filter extremely slowly. The other major drawback is that whole-home reverse osmosis systems waste a lot of water since the filter frequently needs to be flushed out for it to continue working. This issue is why RO filters are more commonly used for point-of-use filtration in the kitchen.
Each stage in a whole-home filtration system filters out different contaminants and impurities. The first stage is usually a pre-filter that removes silt, sediment, and any other larger particles. The water then flows into the second stage, which is usually either an RO filter or an activated carbon filter. As the water flows through this filter, the carbon binds to chloramines and various other impurities so that they get removed to purify the water and make it smell and taste better. In most multi-stage RO systems, the water still flows through an activated carbon filter after passing through the reverse osmosis stage. Most systems also have a post-filter that then works to remove any remaining contaminants and impurities that may remain after the water has passed through the previous stages.
Many whole-home water filtration systems either come with or can be upgraded with a UV filter. As the water flows through the ultraviolet light, any microorganisms like bacteria and viruses essentially get destroyed due to the UV light damaging their DNA.
Whole-home water filtration systems are “point-of-entry” systems that are installed right where the main water line enters the house. That means the water coming into the house gets fully filtered and purified before it then flows out into the rest of your plumbing. As a result, you’ll have clean, pure water at every fixture inside your home instead of just in your kitchen, like you do with a point-of-use filtration system. With a quality filtration system, you also don’t have to worry about any issues with your water pressure being reduced.
Best Plumber is a local, veteran-owned business that provides exceptional plumbing services throughout the Knoxville area. We install whole-home water filtration systems and can also help if you have an existing system that you need to have maintained or prepared. For more information on our water filtration services or to set up an appointment for any plumbing service, contact us today.
