A Consumers Guide to Whole House Water Filters

Whole house water filters are not something that you think about until you want fresh, clean water. This may be because when you drink filtered water for the first time, you may realize that the water in your house tastes or smells strange. If you start reading about filtration and start talking to other people, you may find out some shocking information about the water you are drinking. Following, is some information that you may find useful if you are in a situation where you feel like the water you consume is not safe, including some recommended products to remedy this situation and some quotes from leading authorities

"Cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is as much as 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine." U.S. Council of Environmental Quality

Pure Water Express D-12 Pelican™ PC600 Cuzn WH-200B Pure Earth WH-EXL-CC Wellness MG-III Rating Retail Price $1,084.00 $1,079.00 $1,395.00 $1,499.00 $5,950.00 Internet Price $1,084.00 $699.00 $1,395.00 $899.00 $5,950.00 Estimated Life 5 years 5 years 5 years 4 years 7-10 years Replacement Cost $175.00 $156.00 $360.00 $400.00 $2,000.00 Whats Replaced Media Media Media Media Media Media GAC Coconut Carbon / Catalytic Carbon KDF 55 KDF 55/ Centaur Carbon KDF 85/Centaur Carbon GAC High Gauss Magnets/Quartz Filtration Media Test None Sabre 1230C - NSF Standard 42 KDF 55 - NSF Standard 53 KDF 55 - NSF Standard 53 Centaur Carbon - NSF Standard 61 KDF 85 - NSF Standard 61 Centaur Carbon - NSF Standard 61 GAC - NSF Standard 53 GPM 12-14 10 8 10 10 Warranty 1 year 10 yr Tank/ 5 yr Media 10 year Tanks(only) 30 Days 5 years Pre Filter 15 Micron 5 Micron NO 1 Micron NO Gallon Capacity 400,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 700,000 Well/City? City/Well City/Well City City/Well City Only Chlorine Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Electricity Required Yes No Yes Yes Yes Backwash Required Yes No Yes Yes Yes Performance Guarantee No Yes (5 Year) No No Yes (3 Year) Lic. Plumber needed for warranty No No No No Yes

*Disclaimer

The Primary Purpose of a Whole House Water Filter

With over 2100 known carcinogens in our water supply, its no wonder the water filter industry is growing at over 3 billion dollars in sales a year worldwide. If you do not have a water filter of some kind, you may want to consider buying one soon. A whole house water filter is a great place to start. It will filter contaminants like chlorine, Voc's, THM's and a host of other contaminants that can cause cancer and a whole host of other diseases. This is especially important for our young children and our elderly. Chlorine removal for people who rely on municipal water systems should be the first to purchase a whole house water filter. 

The EPA says drinking and showering in chlorinated water increases your risk of cancer by a whopping 93 %. 70 years ago, before we had this multitude of chemical compounds in our environment, 1 in 50 people could expect to get cancer in their lifetime. Today, 1 in 3 Americans, including 1 in 2 males, will become cancer statistics! Cancer is a man made disease, and almost completely preventable. The purity of our water is one of the most important factors in the prevention of degenerative diseases.

No whole house water filter will do it all, so it is always a good idea to have a quality point-of-use water filter on your kitchen sink that will also tie into your refrigerator to remove lead and other contaminants that seep into your water through your home’s plumbing.

Although chlorine is the primary disinfectant used today, chlorimines are coming on strong because they are cheaper than chlorine. This is why many municipalities are switching to them, and they are doing so in great numbers. However, this has its own set of problems. In your decision making process you may want to consider a whole water filter that address chloramines as well as chlorine. 

House Water Filter Purchasing Considerations 

When considering the purchase of a whole house water filter there are several key points to look for:

   1. Initial cost, including shipping and installation
   2. Life of the filter
   3. Warranty on the filter: can they prorate it?
   4. Return policy: do they offer a satisfaction guarantee?
   5. Shipping cost: who pays for shipping on any warranty?
   6. Customer service: how do you reach the company?
   7. What contaminants does the filter remove?
   8. Do they offer a performance guarantee: what happens if it does not perform to manufacturer claims?
   9. When do you replace the filter or the media and what is the cost?
   10. Does the filter require backwashing? If so, how long is the warranty on the electric head and valve?
   11. Gallons per minute of flow (one shower will use 2.5 gpm)
   12. Well water should always be tested before purchasing a whole house filter
   13. How we rate each system