Whole house filter is something that is one of the basic requirements if you want clean and fresh water. For those who do not know what it is, it is the type of filter that tests the water before it enters the house. It means that you do not have to install separate filters for every purpose like in the kitchen, bathroom, toilets, dispensers etc. The water that is entering in the house, will be cleaned and purified. These systems are becoming quite popular because of the quality of water and effectiveness. The best part is that these are ecofriendly, means that other filtration systems can cause harm to our environment.
Buying a filter is something that you do on daily basis, so there are some things that you should know before choosing the best whole house water filter.
1. Deciding the type of filter
There are various types of filters i.e; alkaline filter system available in the market, but the type that is required by your homes varies according to the water type. The depends on the kind of contamination the water contains. You cannot make the guess on your own, so a professional is required to do the laboratory tests and find out the contaminations. Normally the common chemicals found in municipal service are chlorine and minerals. But again, as the contamination varies from water to water according to the source. So, if you have a private line, you need to get it tested. Most commonly the water is detected to be hard water, iron, and sediment. Sometimes, these detected chemicals are in such a small amount that it is safe to use it, but sometimes, if it is present in large amount it can be hazardous.
2. Flow rate
Flow rate is the second most important thing to keep in mind. Basically, the flow rate is the amount of water that runs through the house at a time. It means that a specific amount of water can flow to all the water resources i.e. dishwashers, showers, hot water heaters, and toilet. It is measured in gallons per minute. Every filter has a different demand for flow rate, make sure that the type of filter that you are buying satisfies the need. Commonly, the flow rate is of 2.5 to 5 gallons per minute. You cannot make the accurate calculations on your own, so it is better to consult a professional for this purpose. The number of water gallons required according to the flow rate also depends on the family members. A professional can help you in calculating the right flow rate that your filter should have.
3. Life of filter
It is also an important factor to keep in mind. Buying and installing a filter is not something that a person wants to do every month. The life of the filter should be long enough that it can clean a considerable amount of water before you have got to replace it again. You can check the life of the filter by checking the amount of water it can clean in total. This is something that people can easily become ignorant about and forget to check their filters, as a result, the pressure of water is reduced, and this is when they realize that they have waited way too long. It is recommended to check the calendar and mark the date on which you have got to replace the filters. You can also set reminders on your phone, which is a more feasible approach.