Whole house water filters – a guide to buying them

What is a whole house water filter?

A whole house water filter connects to the main water line entering your house enabling all of the water dispensers in your house such as faucets, toilets, kitchen, bath, shower and laundry to dispense treated water. A whole house water filter connects to your house’s main water line before it splits into the hot water heater. If you want to purify your water going to the garden and sprinkler system you may find it to be a little more challenging than your house. That is because the main water line that comes from the city system splits into the house water line and the yard water line situated in the house’s foundation slab or in the ground before the house. It is best to consult your house’s blueprint or your city’s municipality.

Which house water filter is best for you?

In order to determine which house water filter is best for your needs, you should first find out what type of contaminants are present in your water and what needs to be removed. If your city’s municipality is your water supply then your water will typically be contaminated with sediment, chemicals and hardness minerals. If your water is supplied by a private well you’ll find contaminants like sediment, iron and hardness minerals in the water. Most municipalities provide a water analysis upon request opposed to a private well where you are required to pay for a local laboratory test.

Guide when buying a whole house water filter

• Filter size

The larger the filter the longer the service interval and more water will flow with greater pressure. The ideal water filter for most homes is 4.5” x 20”. For smaller homes a 4.5”x10” water filter would suffice.

• Flow rate

The flow rate of a water filter determines the amount of water you have to run your shower, bath, toilet, dishwasher, hot water heater etc. with and is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). When calculating your house’s requirements look at the demand ratings printed on appliances and your toilet. Typically a showerhead will flow 2.5 to 5 gpm, the toilet 5 gpm and a dishwasher 3 gpm. A whole house water filter that flows less than 10 gpm is unacceptable.

• Filter life

A sediment filter’s life depends on the quantity and quality of the sediment. In normal municipal supplies a good quality 4.5” x 20” carbon filter cartridge will last 100 000 to 150 000 gallons. Stand alone carbon filters with carbon beds will last much longer that is if they have a backwashing valve and a regular back wash cycle.

• Port Size

The ideal port size for any home’s whole house water filter is 1”. A whole house water filter with a 1” port and 4.5” x 20” filter carry more than enough water so that pressure drops are virtually non-existent.

Contact Glacier for a variety of whole house water filters, water coolers, water purifiers and home water coolers.