Choosing the Right Water Filter For Home
Water filters remove chlorine, sediments and chemicals to improve the taste and safety of your drinking water. However, choosing the right one can be confusing.
Ultimately, it depends on your specific water needs and budget. Start by getting a chemical report or testing kit to determine which contaminants are in your water supply.
Pre-Filter
A pre-filter eliminates large suspended particles, like sand, rust, and silt from your water before it passes through the primary filtration system. It also helps extend the life of your whole house filter by preventing damage and clogs.
Unlike bottled water, tap water often contains pollutants that affect the taste and texture. Many of these contaminants can also cause negative effects on your health and the quality of household appliances, like washing machines, dishwashers, and dryers.
The best home water filters remove contaminants like chlorine and heavy metals to ensure safe drinking water. Whether your water is sourced from the public water system or a private well, a water filtration system can help improve the flavor, appearance, and smell of your water. No water filter eliminates all impurities, so determining which one is right for you depends on your specific needs. If you’re ready to invest in a water filtration system for your home, contact the experts at North Carolina Water Consultants. We sell and service water filtration systems in Charlotte, NC and throughout the Carolinas.
Activated Carbon
Activated carbon is a filter that removes or reduces many chemicals and unpleasant odors from water. It does so through a process of chemical adsorption, where harmful contaminants bind to the surface of the carbon particles. This enables the carbon to remove or reduce contaminants without altering the chemical composition of the water.
In addition to adsorption, activated carbon can also undergo chemical reactions with certain contaminants. For example, it can chemically react with chlorine in water to reduce its taste and odor. It can also reduce water filter for home chlorine by reducing its chloramines, and it can remove other contaminants from water, such as mercury and radioactive iodine-131(131I).
Activated carbon can be purchased in granular or block form. It must be prepped before it can be used for water filtration, which involves rinsing and soaking it in clean water to remove any impurities or residue that might interfere with its ability to perform its functions. Typically, it is soaked in water for several hours, although the preparation method may vary depending on the type of activated carbon you are using.
Post-Filter
Water goes through a long journey before it arrives at your faucet. During that trip, it can pick up dirt and other pollutants. These contaminants can make your water hard, smell bad or taste unpleasant.
Most city water is treated to ensure it’s free of bacteria, viruses and common contaminants. However, well water isn’t treated and may contain toxins like iron or sulfur. A whole-house water filter will ensure you’re getting clean, great-tasting drinking water throughout your home.
Whole house filtration systems include a water softener and post-filter to reduce scale buildup in your pipes, a submicron post-filter to remove remaining sediment and organic particles, and some will add UV (Ultra Violet) filtration to eliminate the risk of bacteria and germs during a boil warning.
This is an excellent option if you want to keep your family healthy and extend the life of your appliances and fixtures. This is also the best choice if you’re concerned about endocrine disruptors and VOCs that aren’t removed by countertop filters. It’s important to have your water tested first before selecting a system to understand what is in your water.
Water Softener
Water softeners are great for preventing costly damage to pipes and appliances, reducing the dingy buildup on dishes and clothing, and improving skin and hair health. They can also reduce the amount of soap, detergent, and electricity needed to clean your home.
The main function of a water softener is to remove the minerals that cause hardness in your water supply, namely calcium and magnesium. When hard water enters the tank, it moves through a bed of resin beads where it undergoes an ion exchange process. This means that calcium and magnesium ions are swapped for sodium ions, resulting in soft water.
This resin must be “regenerated” water filter for home factory periodically with a brine solution, which is normally done with table salt or block salt (see below). A smart water softener will monitor usage and send alerts when it’s time for a refill, or if there’s a problem with the system.
A good quality water softener will have an environmentally friendly system for discharging the brine solution, such as a closed loop or an eco-friendly recirculation system.
UV System
UV systems are designed to kill bacteria and other microorganisms in water, such as viruses and Giardia cysts. They are used to disinfect municipal water supplies and well water. They are effective against chlorine resistant microorganisms, which have been linked to thousands of documented cases of water-borne illness each year.
Like a GAC/carbon block or KDF filter, a UV system can be installed at the point-of-entry (POE), and it doesn’t restrict water flow, so it will not affect your household water pressure. As water passes through the UV chamber, the germicidal radiation damages the genetic material of the pathogens. This destroys them, making the water safe to drink without chemicals.
A UV system can be combined with other water treatment systems, such as a pre filter or a carbon block, to remove minerals and sediments from your water. It should also be combined with a water softener to reduce salt and calcium buildup in the pipes and fixtures.
A good quality UV water treatment system should be rated class A, have a light intensity and saturation rating of at least 40,000 usec/cm2, and a flow meter to monitor the actual rate of disinfection. The lamp should be replaced annually, and the quartz sleeve should be cleaned several times per year.
