The whole house filter system provides you and your family with clean water throughout your home so you can bathe, cook and wash with filtered water, and have access to it anywhere in the house.
House water filter installation is a good idea for families who are concerned about the quality of their water.
Which model whole house filter is right for you?
There are several options and brands whole house filter for you to choose from.
Home water filter system come in many different types. The ease of installation and the price of the filter depend on the type of system.
Filter types:
Ion exchange
The water passes through resin, which scavenges bad ions and replaces any calcium and magnesium in your water with sodium.
Sometimes well or city water is “hard” and the ion-exchange filtration system “softens” it. Water softening is one of the most important results in filtration systems.
It purifies cooking and drinking water.
Resin should be periodically replenished with new useful ions. Ion exchange polymers are considered useful media in these filtration systems. These resins come in the form of porous “beads” that are made from sodium polystyrene sulfonate, and are considered highly acidic.
Porosity removes unwanted ions and impurities from your home’s tap water.
There are four types of ion exchange resins:
- Strongly acidic.
- Strongly basic. amino acid groups.
- Weakly acidic. Varieties of carboxylic acids.
- Weakly basic. Weak amino acids.
The Harder Your Home Water, Consider Ion Exchange Filtration Options.
Reverse osmosis
There are several reasons why reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration systems are very popular. It is simple and not complicated. Reverse osmosis filtration helps tap water pass through a semi-permeable membrane filter.
But how does it work? A lot of people use RO because:
- Tasty and pure water arrives.
- Works safely and efficiently.
- Human participation is not required, the system works automatically.
- Small price.
- No need to buy bottled water as your pure water will only cost a penny a gallon.
- Easy kitchen faucet installation.
Carbon filtration
Almost all home water filters contain activated carbon. It can be in granular or block form and is the most used filter media. Carbon perfectly removes chemical compounds from water sources and various impurities and contaminants.
Carbon filters remove: chlorine, odors, sediment, other volatile organic compounds and improve the taste and quality of water. But coal will not remove salts and minerals from water.
Carbon filters are also needed to remove air, which may be slightly radioactive, from rooms used for radiation treatment and nuclear medicine.
This indicates the effectiveness of activated carbon filters for various purposes.
Filter size and layout of your kitchen:
Whole house system
If you need high-quality and clean water in all the taps in your house, then this is your option. The setting is the same for all filter types. They differ in the way the water is filtered and the contaminants removed.
Find a location near the main plumbing for your home. Do not forget, you filter all the incoming water in the house.
We will talk about the installation steps that you must follow later in this article.
Under sink installation whole house water filter
Installing under the sink removes the large filters at the ends of the kitchen faucet. For individual sinks, this installation method is more economical.
But if you have more than three bathroom sinks in your home, you’d be better off looking at a larger “whole house” system, which ends up not being an economical option, and you’ll get tired of installing multiple cleaning products under every sink.
Under bathroom and kitchen sinks, you need space to install each type of plumbing system under the sink that we wrote about earlier. But to set up filtration systems under the sink, you only need a little knowledge of plumbing.
How to install and set up a whole house water filter system?
Step 1. Preparation
Before installing a house water filtration system, you need to carefully prepare the tools that you may need during the installation process.
You will need some installation space and installation height. Before proceeding with the installation, draw on a piece of paper a diagram of the installation of each functional water filter, indicate the direction of wastewater discharge, the location of the outlet, etc.
Step 2. Prefilter
In the entire water purification system in the house, pre-filtration is the most important process. It can remove large particles in tap water, as well as rust and sediment. The pre-filter is often installed in place of the main inlet valve or in the inlet pipe water meter.
When installing, it is important to route the wiring so that the water outlet and power cord can be left. If this is done after finishing, it will be more difficult.
Step 3. Central house water filter system
To install a central water filter throughout the house, the water pressure range is acceptable within 0.3-0.35 MPa. For high water pressure, it is better to install a pressure regulator valve, and for low water pressure, it is better to install a booster pump.
So, you have chosen a place on the main aqueduct, and now you can start the self-installation.
1. Turn off the water supply to your home and open all taps. It is necessary to drain the water and release all the air from the pipes.
2. Take a pipe cutter or other tool to cut through the main plumbing. When you have removed most of it, tilt a bucket or other container under the water line.
This is necessary to collect water in the pipe that remains.
3. Set the cut pipe section aside and sand both cut pipe ends. Remove debris from the inside of the pipe.
4. Install a shut-off valve on both sides of the unit. Now you can shut off the water leading to and from the device when you need it, for example, during the next maintenance or in the event of an emergency.
5. Install a bypass valve next to the shutoff valve. Some devices come with the valve included, but mostly you have to buy new devices yourself. Bypass valves provide access to water even when you don’t use the filter.
6. Install pressure gauge. The pressure gauge will give you the ability to control the water pressure at the inlet and outlet of the unit.
7. Mount the wall mount to the wall (if the filter is included) .
8. Please note that the “input” and “output” ports are facing the correct direction. Install a filter. Take flexible pipes and use the flexible push fittings and adapters to attach the filter to the plumbing. Seal the threaded ends with plumbing tape to prevent leakage.
9. Do not overtighten push fittings as this may cause leakage.
10. Clean the inside of the filter housing to remove debris. Work on the o-rings.
Rinse the filters with tap water according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
11. If your home is not new, it may have water pipes to ground the electrical system. Make sure the ground connection is intact by running a copper wire (or jumper cable) from one side of the new filter to the other.
Step 5: Water softener for whole house water filter system
The parts of a central water softener and a water filter are similar.
But you need to know that the water softener is divided into types: upper and lower.
When the pump is turned on, it must be connected to a power source. Before installing the filter, it is important to remove the power connection board under the cabinet.
Step 6: Flush and leak test
After you have completed the installation, turn on the main domestic water tap to check if the piping is leaking. Then manually backwash and backflush the water filter. After completing this procedure, set the control valve to the desired state.
For all control valves, estimate the flush time and set it on the control valve.
Step 7. Quality of tap water
This is an optional part.
But if you want to be sure that your whole house water filter is working well, consider testing your water system.
If you have a city water supply, test your whole house water filter for chlorine and lead, and then compare it to the contamination level on a water quality report. This will show you how well and productively the filter system works.
In order to conduct the test, you need to buy a test kit at home or order analysis in the laboratory.
If you have well water, it can be tested for iron, manganese, and sulfur. For such a test, there are also kits for home analysis.
Remember to test the water before installing the system and after installing the device to know how effective it is.
Be aware that all filtration systems have different installation instructions. Before you get started, first make sure you have the right tools for your project before you get started.
Then go to your local hardware store if you need to buy additional parts.
Read the user manual carefully to find out how your water supply should be installed correctly. Contact the manufacturer if you are unsure of what you are doing.
If you decide to install the system yourself, you will need:
- Drill;
- Several types of drills;
- 2 wrenches of different sizes;
- Pipe cutter;
- Capacious containers for collecting water;
- Whole house water filtration system;
- Mounting bracket (included);
- Pressure tubes and fittings;
- Bypass valve (optional);
- Plumbing Tape.
Where to install the whole house water filter?
The biggest question to answer is where is the best place to install your new whole house water filter.
It’s best to choose a location near the main water supply that enters your home so that you have filtered water at every outlet. Outdoor faucets, on the other hand, usually do not require filtered water.
You need to find a place so that you can easily maintain your whole house water filters later on by replacing cartridges. There should be enough space in the location you choose.
Near the main shutoff valve and upstream of the water heater would be a good choice. This will make the life of the heater longer.
The service life will also increase for all your household appliances that run on hot water. You no longer have to deal with lime and anything else that can contaminate your water supply.
If you have a private well, you need to install a whole house water filters after the pressure tank.
Indoor and outdoor installation whole house water
It is best if all home filters are installed inside the building. If possible, it is best to avoid installing the unit outside. Installing the filter outside is possible if you don’t have enough space inside the house to install the system on the main power source.
Consider installing a water supply system in your garage or basement.
But if you decide to install the filter outdoors, you should be aware that water supplies must be protected by special weather-resistant casings, to keep their plastic fittings and components from being damaged by frost or sunlight. Or create your own protective cover to make the filter work at its best.
Remember that the warranty does not cover damage caused by the weather!
Why install a new unit for the whole house before or after the softener?
- Protect the ion exchange medium from chlorine and eliminate potential pressure problems.
- For supplying wells, some experts say that after the softener it is necessary to ensure full flow during the backwash. Also, if you don’t chlorinate the well, there will be no chlorine in your water that needs to be removed.
What order are the water filters in?
Everything comes from the type of your system.
Basically, the order of water filters is as follows:
- Sediment filter.
- Activated carbon filter.
- Additional filters such as GAC, zinc or KDF.
In tank-based systems, the sediment filter comes first and the tank follows.
House water filter installation Precautions
- Review the operating parameters table, make sure the inlet water quality, inlet water flow rate, inlet water pressure, water temperature, etc. meet the requirements.
- If the pressure of the water filter at home is about 1kg, put a booster pump in front of the filter, if the water pressure is more than 3kg, place a pressure reducing valve in front of the water filter.
- The position of the whole house water filter must be lower than the position of the water heater so that steam does not enter the house water filter and interfere with the operation of the filter element.
- All swamp parts, such as pipes, gaskets, faucets, etc. of the whole house water filter, are required to meet national hygiene standards.
- Do not install the filter outdoors in places with cold weather, and avoid direct sunlight.
- Do not overtighten the threaded connections during installation.
Conclusions:
A whole house water filter is a good option for those who want to enjoy the power of filtered water from every faucet in your home. Be sure to read reviews and compare product specifications so you know which filter media is being used.
Installing a water filtration system is a bit of a challenge, and it is better to entrust it to an experienced plumber.
But if you choose to install the filter yourself, be sure to turn off your home’s water supply before you begin. If you forget to do this, you will get an unpleasant pressurized water surprise.
If you wish your shower and dishwashing water were clean, a whole house filtration system may be the perfect choice for you.