How Does a Whole House Water Filter Work?

A whole house water filter is also known as a point-of-entry system because it is installed at the point where the water supply enters your property. It therefore filters all the water as it comes into your house so that every drop of water you use, for whatever purpose and from every source within the house, has been filtered and purified. This means that you know that all the water is safe to use.

Whole-house systems contrast with point-of-use systems that are typically installed under the kitchen sink or on a countertop. These devices only filter water at a single source, generally a kitchen faucet, and are usually intended to ensure the water used for drinking and cooking is pure and safe. Any water used for bathing and laundry, for example, will not be filtered and so may continue to cause problems.

Multiple Stage Filtration Process

A whole-house water filter provides an extremely comprehensive method of purifying your water wherever you use it. The process generally comprises several steps:

• Pre-filtration that uses filters with relatively large pore sizes. These are designed to remove sediment, silt, rust, and other large particles from the water so that later filters with smaller pore sizes do not become clogged.
• Main filtration which often uses activated carbon or copper-zinc filters to remove various contaminants. Copper-zinc reduces chlorine that is added by municipal water companies to treat water but can leave a residual smell and taste. This type of filter also inhibits algae and bacteria growing in the tank. Activated carbon is the most popular form of filtration and is made of high-carbon materials that are porous and attract impurities. It is very effective at removing impurities from the water supply.
• Post-filtration is optional and uses layered mesh screens to remove any remaining sediment and organic particles.

Customizing your Whole House System

The big advantage of a whole house filter is that it treats all your water, so you are fully protected. Not only that, but the multi-layer process means you can customize your system to deal specifically with the contaminants you have.

The first step is to test your water to see what it contains. Then you can specify a system that incorporates:

• a water softener if your water is hard and causes limescale problems due to the presence of magnesium and calcium ions
• ultraviolet purification to disinfect bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi
• a sediment filter to get rid of sediment and rust
• a carbon filter to remove chlorine, pesticides, and herbicides, and to get rid of bad tastes and smells
• acid neutralizers to rectify acidity that is particularly prevalent in well water.

Don’t worry if this seems more than a little overwhelming. At Aqua Pro Water Systems, we can organize your water testing, interpret the results, and put together a whole house system that will ensure your water is as pure and fresh as it can be. It’s important that you protect your family’s health so don’t take a risk with your water supply.