Think of a whole house water filter system as the gateway to your property. The filter is positioned to treat the water at the point the mains supply enters your home – ensuring that wherever the water flows after that point, the vast majority of its contaminants are properly filtered. 

This will extend to every tap or showerhead, as well as your washing machine, dishwasher or other household appliances. A whole house water system guarantees that you’ll get high quality filtered water, 24/7. 

What do whole house filtration systems remove from water?

Whole house filtration systems remove various contaminants from water. They can also treat different water quality issues. Whilst there are different types of filter on the market, broadly speaking carbon filters and sediment filters are the ones that we focus on, since they tend to be the best equipped to deal with the contaminants in this part of the south of England. You won’t go far wrong with either of these.  

Meanwhile, a home water testing kit is a really cost-effective way of checking out exactly what nasties are lurking in your water. This can help you decide which filtering system is the most appropriate for your home.     

Carbon filters

Carbon filters remove:

  • Chlorine
  • Chloramines* (If using catalytic carbon)
  • Pesticides and herbicides
  • Trihalomethanes
  • Bad tastes and odours

The main function of a carbon filter is removing chlorine from water, including the smell and taste of chlorine. Chlorine isn’t unsafe, but it can be quite unpleasant to drink, either straight from the tap or even in teas or coffee. And if you’ve ever accidentally experienced a mouthful of chlorinated water from your local swimming baths, you’ll know all about it!   

So why is it present in the mains water in the first place? Well, the major water suppliers use chlorine to kill off bacteria in their pipework, so it does serve a purpose. 

The carbon filters we use won’t just improve the taste of your water by removing the chlorine, they will also make the water a lot safer too. This is because these filters help to remove any other chemicals, like pesticides, that may be present in your water supply.  

How does a carbon filter work?

A carbon filter is full of pores along its surface and infrastructure and, when water comes into contact with the carbon, it is activated. Any chemicals or organics within the water are captured and cleansed or removed by a process called adsorption. Once the water has passed through the filter, you have properly filtered water, which is great to drink and cook with.

Sediment filters

Sediment filters remove:

  • Dirt, sand and clay
  • Rust particles from ageing pipes
  • Cloudiness 

Sediment filters are different from carbon filters but are equally effective at ensuring you have a de-contaminated and constantly refreshing water supply. They work by trapping and removing lots of different pollutants and toxins in the water. This will extend to clay, sand, dirt and even the rust particles coming off ageing pipework. 

If you’ve seen tap water that’s cloudy in appearance, it’s probably because it contains one or more of these contaminants. It’s not just unpleasant to use but it can also downgrade your household appliances, clog up pipes and even affect your overall water pressure. Plumbers love sediment, as it means they earn money from carrying out repairs! That’s why having a one-off cost of a whole house water filter can make economic sense. 

How do sediment filters work?

They do their stuff through what’s called mechanical filtration, which may sound complicated!  The simple explanation is that sediment filters block unwanted accumulation getting into your water supply. They contain tiny pores which stop any of these particulates passing through, allowing the purified water to flow freely. They make a great first line of defence against contaminated water.  

What are the advantages of whole house water filtration systems?

  • Remove numerous contaminants from water
  • Improve water taste and smell 
  • Extend the lives of appliances and prevent pipework damage
  • Provide peace of mind, creating water you can drink, cook with, clean and bathe in
  • Disinfect water from living organisms 
  • Eliminate reliance on single-use plastic water bottles
  • Can be customised to your specific requirements 

What are disadvantages of whole house water filtration systems?

  • Larger initial financial outlay 
  • May decrease water pressure when showering or doing the laundry, as your water supply runs through the filter at a slightly reduced speed. 
  • If you just want more pure drinking water, an under-sink filter may be preferable

What is the difference between whole house filters and an under-the-sink or countertop filters?

A whole house water filter system is installed at the point your mains water enters your home, which means every drop of water that comes into your property is filtered – regardless of how many floors or rooms you have, or whatever you are using the water for. 

On the other hand, an under-the-sink or countertop filter specifically filters water from a single fixture, usually the kitchen tap, which would primarily be used as filtered drinking water or for cooking. In addition, many people also opt to have the filter running to the ice maker in the fridge. This makes sense. Why have lovely filtered water if it’s being cooled with ice that’s still got chlorine and other chemicals in it!  Also, who would want to taint their lovely G&T with the bouquet of chlorine!

Is there a cost difference between a whole house water filter and an under-the-sink filter? 

Under sink and countertop filters are less expensive than whole house filtration systems, but they only provide one source of filtered water in your home.

Whilst whole house filters will vary in price, they will be more expensive. This is because they offer a more complete water filtering solution. 

At Scott Jenkins Water Softeners, our mission is to provide you with the best quality water throughout your home for a healthy lifestyle. That’s why we specialise in installing water softeners and water filters – to give you complete coverage. Water softeners for your washing, cleaning and to take care of your skin and hair; and water filtration systems (either whole house or single use filters) for high quality water for drinking and cooking. 

We have satisfied customers across the south of England, with a particular focus on the counties of West and East Sussex, Hampshire and Surrey. We look forward to being of service.  Tel 01243 607494 or email: scott@sjbs.info  To get an instant quote click here https://www.sjwatersofteners.co.uk/which-water-softener-is-right-for-you/