Human beings have been born naturally with the water as their major body constituent. In their divine creation, water has played a significant role. Every organ of the body contains a huge portion of this charismatic liquid. Its presence in the human body is not useless in fact it performs abundant functions more than any other body material. Purity and cleanliness of water is directly linked to the greater immunity and proper functioning of our body. Human practices have put our earth more vulnerable to pollution. Pollution has not left even water behind and it needs at least some basic filtration before consumption.
Whole house water filters have been devised to provide a shield to your whole family from a large number of contaminants. This whole house water filter filters out water of your whole house and you get filtered water supply from every tap you turn on. They are designed to enhance the water quality reaching to you and your household appliances that utilize water such as washing machines, dishwashers, shower taps etc. A whole house water filter is usually bigger in size due to its increased capacity in comparison to a drinking water filter. It is connected at the pointy of entry and then every water outlet is supplied with the filtered water. It enhances the experience of bathing by supplying clean water. The life of dishwasher, washing machine and household water pipelines increases due to protection against lime scale and blockages.
Difference between whole house and drinking water filters
Before going into further detail and discussion, a vivid line needs to be drawn between whole house filters and drinking water filters. The ultimate difference between a whole house water filter and a drinking water filter is of purpose though both perform the purification techniques on water. Drinking water filters are targeted to provide pure water only for drinking purpose whereas a whole house water filter provides treated water supply to every outlet. There are 3 primary differences between a whole house water filter and a drinking water filter.
- Filtration Media
- Output capacity
- Tank based vs Cartridge based.
Filtration Media
Generally, drinking water systems work on the principle of reverse osmosis purification method. But not all drinking water filters are RO based some people are fine to go with the GAC/UDF based systems. In other words, these home water purifiers use carbon as a filtration media. In areas where water is pretty clean GAC filters are recommended for drinking purpose as well but they do not ensure that water is perfectly pure and clean. Whole house water filters are only carbon based. Reverse osmosis membrane remove everything from water to purify it. Its filtration capacity is .0001 microns while on the other hand the filtration capacity of a granular activated carbon is .3 microns so you can see the difference.
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Output capacity
Another difference between a drinking water system and a whole house water filter is of water supply in the form of output. Under the sink drinking water filters usually have an output capacity of 75 gallons per day which is enough for a single family on the basis of average consumption of a family daily. Commercial ROs have a capacity of 200 to 400 gallons per day. In comparison to a drinking filter a whole house water filter has a capacity of 100, 000 gallons per day. A whole house water filter is not meant to fulfill the need only for drinking water but it has to make sure an uninterrupted output supply for bathing, dishwashing, cleaning, washing and cooking as well.
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Tank based vs Cartridge based.
Reverse osmosis systems that are mainly recommended for drinking water need a separate storage tank where pure water is stored as it takes some time for the water to get filtered through reverse osmosis membrane and then it is remineralised. Usually this filtration is done in a number of stages ranging from 6 to 8. Water is not instantly available for drinking as the system is turned on. It performs the backwash as well so water also gets wasted. The storage requirement as well as water wastage become a drawback in case of a whole house filters. These are the reason that a whole house water filter doesn’t use reverse osmosis membrane. Whole house water filters are normally cartridge based. No separate tank is required for the installation of a whole house water purifier. Water is readily available from all water outlets without any waiting time.
Whenever you want to make a decision regarding the installation of a whole house filter you need to be careful while arriving at a final choice. A whole house water filter offers safe water for whole house so it needs more investment at the same time. Another factor is that its installation also requires certain changes and adjustments to the point of entry. For some time, the villa water supply is cut down during installation. The important factors that you can consider while purchasing a mainline water purifier are as under
- The budget available to you.
- The type of impurities you wish to remove
- Approval from landlord/community in some cases
- Working of a whole house water filter
Comparison of Whole House Water Filters
- Whole house triple water filter
- Whole house water filter with a softener
- Whole house water filter with a UV
Whole house triple water filter
A whole house triple water filter usually performs filtration in 3 stages. It has three in house cartridges namely polypropylene, granular activated carbon and carbon block. The treated water tastes better with no odour. So this means that your dishes and beverages will taste better. It eliminates the need for a separate shower filter in each bathroom. There are less skin allergies and skin issues with no flaky or itchy skin. You can enjoy a more enhanced shower experience.
Key Benefits
In the Kitchen
- Bad odour is reduced from your sink faucets.
- Your silverware and glassware are cleaner and shinier.
- Kitchen sink fixtures, your dishwasher, coffee maker, icemaker and all other water using appliances are protected from sediment and sand blockage.
- Cleaning of kitchen surfaces require less effort
- Cost of cleaning products reduces.
In the Bath
- Less need for a replaceable cartridge shower head filter.
- Restores rich lathering of soaps and shampoos.
In the Laundry
- Reduced amount of soap needed to clean your laundry.
- Fabrics are also cleaner and smooth.
- Protects your washing machine from suspended particles damage.
For Washing
- Less scratches on the car surface while washing
- Tiles maintain their lust and shine
Drawbacks
- Not recommended for drinking purpose as it does not remove micro-organisms and certain toxins.
- There is no mineralization tube.
- Hard minerals are not fully removed.
- Installation takes time and once whole house water supply is cut for some hours.
Whole house water filter with a water softener
Whole house triple water filter is installed along with a water softener in order to increase its efficiency. Water softener plus whole house three stage filter together make your premises’s water pure, healthy, and softer. Water Softener reduces the content of unwanted minerals and salt content from the water adding an upgrade to the key benefits offered by a whole house filter.
Key Benefits
In the Kitchen
- Bad odour removal from your faucets.
- Your silverware and glassware are cleaner and shinier with a softener.
- Kitchen sink fixtures, your dishwasher, coffee maker, icemaker and all other water using appliances do not turn white due to hard minerals deposit.
- A water heater protected by a water softening system will also reduce the yearly energy cost of that appliance by 22% to 29%.
- Cleaning of kitchen surfaces require even more less effort with softener.
- Cost of cleaning items is reduced.
In the Bath
- No need for a replaceable cartridge shower head filter.
- Restores rich lathering of soaps and shampoos, thus together reducing their usage and costs of these products by 75%.
- Less hard water residue on your skin and hair. Your hair and skin feel softer, cleaner and smoother.
In the Laundry
- More lather and less soap needed to clean your laundry.
- Fabrics are also cleaner and smooth. Fabrics last longer and stay white without the dingy gray caused by impure water.
- Protects your washing machine from suspended particles as well as damage from salts deposit.
For Washing
- No white deposits on the car surface after washing.
- Tiles do not turn white due to lime scale deposits.
- Protects your washing machine from hard water damage.
Drawbacks
- Not recommended for drinking purpose as it does not remove micro-organisms and certain toxins.
- The whole package becomes quite expensive and need a huge investment.
- Salts need to be replaced periodically for softener for regeneration.
- More space is needed to install both softener and whole house water filter.
- It is time consuming as well and trained professionals are required to do the task.
Whole house water filter with a UV
UV integration with a whole house triple water filter safeguard your facility from impure water from the point the water enters your location. After the whole house water filter removes dirt, rust, sediments, chlorine, VOCs, pesticides and heavy metals UV light emitting lamp attack microorganisms and render it safe for drinking purpose as well. Addition of a UV sterilizer to a whole house filtration system further prepares it to act as a defense shield to all disease-causing germs.
Key Benefits:
In the Kitchen
- Bad odor is reduced from your sink faucets along with disinfection.
- Your silverware and glassware are cleaner and shinier.
- Limit bacterial growth on kitchen surfaces.
- Kitchen sink fixtures, your dishwasher, coffee maker, icemaker and all other water using appliances are protected from sediment and sand blockage.
- Cleaning of kitchen surfaces require less effort.
- No separate drinking water system is required.
In the Bath
- Less need for a replaceable cartridge shower head filter.
- Restores rich lathering of soaps and shampoos.
- Germs free water making safe for kids bathing as kids sometimes may drink it.
In the Laundry
- Reduced amount of soap needed to clean your laundry.
- Fabrics are also cleaner and smooth.
- Disinfect your laundry by inhibiting bacterial growth.
For Washing
- Bacterial free water for wash services.
- Less scratches on the car surface while washing.
- Tiles maintain their lust and shine.
Drawbacks
- Need a lot of money to be invested.
- UV lamp replacement after every six months is necessary.
- UV lamp is quite expensive.
- UV lamp needs electricity to operate. With power cut off no safety against germs can be ensured.
- Many complaints come in the system along with an added UV.
- Installation is time consuming as well and trained professionals are required to do the task.
Whole house water filter has got lots of benefits but they come on a cost. Different options discussed above can help you decide which whole house filter is more suitable to your needs depending upon your budget.