Whole-Home Water Filtration Systems

What Can a Whole House Water Filter Help With?

Different water filtration media are designed to address different water quality concerns. Depending on the system selected, whole house filtration can help reduce:

• Chlorine taste and odor
• Chloramines
• Unpleasant tastes and smells
• Sediment and suspended particles
• Cloudiness or turbidity
• Mineral-related scale buildup
• Residue around faucets and fixtures
• Certain organic compounds and other water contaminants

A filtration system can also help reduce the amount of sediment and scale reaching water heaters, faucets, showerheads, and other plumbing fixtures.

The right system depends on your water supply and what you want to improve. We will help determine what type of filtration and conditioning makes sense rather than simply installing the same equipment in every home.

How Multi-Stage Whole House Water Filtration Works

Many of the systems we install use several types of filtration media in a single whole house unit. Each layer performs a different job as water passes through the system.

Stage 1: Granular Activated Carbon Filtration

Granular activated carbon, commonly called GAC, is used to help reduce chlorine, chloramines and compounds that can contribute to unwanted tastes and odors.

Depending on the specific media used, activated carbon filtration can also target certain disinfectant byproducts, pesticides, gases, organic compounds and other water quality concerns.

Stage 2: Catalytic Carbon Filtration

Catalytic carbon provides another level of treatment for chlorine and similar compounds. It is especially useful for improving the taste and smell of incoming water before it moves through the remaining filtration stages.

This additional carbon stage helps “polish” the water as part of the overall treatment process.

Stage 3: Fine Particle Filtration

A high-surface-area filtration media helps capture suspended material traveling through the water supply.

Systems using this type of filtration can reduce particles down to approximately 5 microns or less, helping reduce sediment and water turbidity before the water reaches your home’s plumbing.

Stage 4: High-Density Granular Filtration

A high-density garnet media provides another physical filtration layer while also serving as a support bed for the other filtration media.

This material can help filter particles in approximately the 10 to 20 micron range and contributes to the multi-stage filtration process inside the system.

Stage 5: Water Conditioning and Scale Control

The final stage can include a non-salt water conditioning process designed to reduce the tendency of naturally occurring calcium and magnesium minerals to attach to plumbing surfaces as scale.

Rather than adding chemicals to the water, this type of conditioning is designed to help minerals remain suspended as they travel through the plumbing system. This can help reduce scale accumulation in pipes, fixtures and appliances.

It is important to understand that a water conditioner is not necessarily the same thing as a traditional ion-exchange water softener. A conditioner is primarily intended to control scale, while a traditional softener actually removes hardness minerals from the water.

Benefits of Whole House Water Filtration

Because treatment happens near the point where water enters the home, you are not limited to filtered water from one faucet.

A properly selected whole house system can provide benefits throughout the property, including:

• Better-tasting drinking water
• Reduced chlorine taste and odor
• Cleaner-feeling water for bathing and showering
• Less sediment reaching faucets and fixtures
• Reduced scale accumulation
• Better water for cooking and beverages
• Additional protection for water-using appliances
• Filtration at multiple sinks, showers and fixtures without individual filters

Some systems are also designed to operate without the frequent cartridge changes, bags of salt or chemical additions associated with other types of water treatment equipment. Maintenance requirements vary by the specific system installed.

Installation

Installing a whole house filtration system involves more than purchasing the equipment and connecting it to a pipe. The system needs to be properly sized and installed based on the home’s plumbing configuration and water demand.

Our installation process typically includes:

1. Evaluate Your Water Concerns
   We start by discussing what you are noticing, whether that is chlorine odor, sediment, scale, poor taste or another water quality issue.
2. Review Your Plumbing
   We determine where the incoming water supply enters the property and evaluate the space available for installation.
3. Recommend the Appropriate System
   Filtration requirements vary from one property to another. We recommend equipment based on your water concerns, household needs and plumbing setup.
4. Professionally Install the System
   Our plumbers connect the filtration equipment to the home’s incoming water supply and make sure water is flowing properly through the system.
5. Review Your New Equipment
   Once installation is complete, we will explain how the system operates and any maintenance requirements associated with the equipment selected.

If the selected system requires an electrical receptacle or other supporting work, those requirements can be identified before installation.

Water Filtration vs. Water Softening

Homeowners often use the terms water filtration and water softening interchangeably, but they solve different problems.

Water filtration is primarily used to reduce substances such as chlorine, chloramines, sediment, odors and certain contaminants.

Water conditioning is designed to help control mineral scale without necessarily removing calcium and magnesium from the water.

Traditional water softening uses ion exchange to remove much of the calcium and magnesium responsible for water hardness.

Depending on your water and what you want to accomplish, you may need filtration, conditioning, softening, or a combination of treatment methods. Our team can help you understand the difference before you choose a system.

Schedule an Estimate

If your tired of chlorine odors, unpleasant-tasting water, sediment, or scale buildup around your home, a whole house filtration system may provide a more complete solution than individual faucet filters. Reach out and get a consultation scheduled. We have multiple office locations around Charlotte and service the entire metro area, including Fort Mill, Indian Trail, Gastonia & Huntersville.