Thursday, May 29, 2008

Why Install Whole House Water Filters?

Concerned about the water quality from your water? Maybe you live in the country and have to use a well supply, or you're not so sure about your municipal supply, or you just have very hard water. In any of these situations, you may want to install a whole house water filter. These systems install at your main water intake and remove a wide range of contaminants before water even touches your pipes.

Whole house water filters do several excellent things for your home. For instance, did you realize that overly-chlorinated water can release chloroform into your air when you shower in it, contaminating your air and putting family members with lung diseases at risk? A whole house water filter removes chlorine from your water before it can endanger you or your loved ones. If you have a problem with hard water, they can be combined with water softeners; purified and softened water ensures that your expensive soaps and shampoos work properly so you can use less of them. And residue is eliminated from any cleaning tasks, making you, your shower walls, and your dishes cleaner.

Your drinking water with a whole house water filter will be improved in every water source. A really good water filtration system ensures you have bottle-quality water from every tap, from your kitchen to your bathroom.

Whole house water filters are not for the amateur to install. They take up about half the space of a water heater, and they need to be installed by a licensed plumber, preferably one who has installed these sorts of filters before. You will also need to change out the filter once or twice a year, which is not cheap. Still, when you compare the cost of a whole house water filter to your savings in bottled water and in better-functioning soap, it's easily offset in most households.

There are several different varieties of whole house water filters; most work on a three-stage system. First, the water coming into your house is allowed to settle in a sediment tank, any large pieces removed at that point. Next, the settled water is forced through a carbon or ceramic filter to eliminate chemical and biological contaminants. Finally, a redox potential high filter, like certain metallic filters, is used to remove the chlorine from your water before it circulates further in the system. With this three-tiered system, nearly all the contaminants are removed from your water, but the beneficial minerals like fluoride and calcium are still dissolved in the water, giving it a better taste as well as contributing to your health.

Before you buy a whole house water filter, make sure you do your homework. Find out precisely which contaminants your filter removes, and choose your filter based on whether it removes all the contaminants you're concerned about. If you're not sure, call your water company and ask for a test of your water. Be ready to spend a little more than you anticipated; this is a major purchase, and you only want to do it once! Finally, make sure you are very clear on how to change out filters and when to change them, so you don't ever miss a filter change and risk contaminated water once more getting into your home water supply.

Trent Barrett is a consultant who writes for Home water purifiers You can visit their homepage to learn more about home water purification systems

No comments:

Discount Garden Items