Whole House Water Filters
For people that are looking for a comprehensive solution to their water filtering needs, whole house water filters provide every faucet and shower with clean water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. Whole house water filters are typically installed right where the water enters the home so that multiple water filters are not required. As the water enters the home from the source, it is passed through a series of different filtering methods to ensure that the whole house is protected from chemical and biological contaminants.
Every manufacturer builds their whole house water filters a bit differently but the most effective systems consist of different filters designed to remove specific water contaminants. These filters are:
Mesh Filters
Granulated Activated Carbon Filters
Ultraviolet Filters
Reverse Osmosis Filters
Mesh filters mechanically remove particulates like dirt, rust, and sand from your drinking water by passing the water through a fine mesh. The mesh filters are periodically flushed with water to prevent clogging and if built properly, will never need to be replaced.
Granulated activated carbon filters remove volatile organic chemicals, pesticides and herbicides, and many other man-made water contaminants. These filters remove odor and any odd tastes by absorption and catalytic reduction. The carbon absorbs and removes the taste and odor, and the catalytic reduction removes disinfectants like chlorine and chloramines by attracting these chemicals to the carbon. Over time, the carbon will gradually lose its capacity for absorption and will have to be rinsed or replaced depending on the volume of water that it has filtered.
UV filters use very high frequency wavelengths of light to irradiate water and kill pathogens like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. They also are very effective at killing viruses, molds, algae, and yeasts from drinking water. UV filtering does not introduce any chemicals or other byproducts into the water and does not alter the taste or pH level. These filters do not harm your plumbing or septic systems and are very easy to maintain and replace without any special tools or training.
Reverse osmosis water filters work by passing water through membranes with extremely small pores. These pores are sized to allow water molecules to pass through the membrane but are small enough to trap most water contaminants. These filters use pressure to force the water through the membranes and tend to work very slowly. The filtered water is then stored in a reservoir to offset the slow speed and provide the amount of water that you need without delay.
This brief overview of the different stages of whole house water filters will give you a general idea of how these comprehensive filtering systems work. The rising popularity of water filters with consumers drives emerging technologies that increase the options and applications for people living all over the world. Whether you draw your water from a private well or municipal water system, a whole house water filter is the most cost-effective way to protect your family from chemicals and waterborne illnesses.