Life is all about enjoying the little things: putting the collar on your dog before a long walk; fresh linens on the bed before you sleep; the smell of sunscreen before your day at the beach. But notice that you can’t enjoy those moments without ensuring a little added protection before they happen. The same goes for enjoying clean, healthy water.
Before you determine whether or not a whole house filter is right for you and your family (or which whole house filter, for that matter), you’ll need to learn the basics about how it works.
First things first: a whole house water filter provides clean, filtered water for the entire home — not just your kitchen faucet. This includes when you shower or bathe, when you brush your teeth in the morning, when you wash your vegetables before cooking or when you refresh your guests’ glasses after dinner. In essence, the water filter becomes the point of entry for the water. These systems work to prevent contaminated water from entering the home for all of the uses we mentioned above, and more.
That being said, how it actually works is fairly simple. A whole house water filter cleans your water via a three-step process.
Step 1 – The Pre-Filter Process
Water entering the home is put through a pre-filter to remove larger particulates, impurities, and contaminants in your tap water. This step traps anything that is about five microns in size — like sediment and silt. By stopping sediment from entering your pipes, your pre-filter will also prevent long-term damage to your plumbing and appliances and will help keep your water clear.
As we’ve mentioned in previous articles, your pre-filter cartridge should be replaced every two months depending on your water quality and sediment levels. Sediment levels vary from location to location, so when you install your pre-filter, notice it will start out white; when you see a change in the filter color or you notice that your flow rate slows down, it’s time to change your filter.
Step 2 – Rhino Filtration
Municipal water companies use chlorine/chloramines to treat your water before they send it to your home. Unfortunately, once they’re in your home, chlorine and volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) can evaporate in shower steam, contaminating the air you breathe. Chlorine and chloramines also have long shelf lives and can still leave contaminants like chlorine-resistant cysts and pharmaceuticals untreated.
So, it’s at this stage that those chlorine and chloramines get filtered out of your water. How much, you ask?
The Aquasana 600,000 Gallon Rhino, for example, is NSF Certified to remove 97% of chlorine taste and odor. This instantly improves your indoor air quality by filtering the water throughout your home, reducing your body’s exposure to harsh contaminants, and improving the taste and smell of your drinking water.
Next, is the Activated Carbon stage. While this may sound like a new age method to take your juice cleanse to the next level, its roots are actually based in science, carefully crafted by our team of engineers.
Activated carbon is also the most popular water filtration media on the market.
It’s essentially made up of organic material with high carbon content (like wood, coal, or coconut shells). When it’s heated up (in such a way that it doesn’t burn), it results in char. That char is then treated to create a porous material that binds to certain contaminants, pulling them out of the water.
Activated carbon media has also been recorded to reduce the rest of the impurities that were missed through the first two steps, like herbicides, copper, and certain pesticides.
Moreover, the Activated carbon method comes recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to give you that extra layer of protection from a wide variety of contaminants that might still be present in your water supply.
Step 3 – Your Post-Filter Finishes the Filtration Process
While your post-filter is the smallest part of the process, it’s mighty. It essentially acts as a polishing agent, catching any remaining sediment and organic particles that might still be in your water. Just be sure to replace your post-filter every six months — that will keep your system unclogged so you don’t experience pressure drop.
Additionally, if you pair your whole house system with an ultraviolet (UV) light, you can safeguard your family by reducing 99.9% of bacteria and viruses.
The benefits of whole house filtration are endless. You can customize your whole house system to match your needs, purchase one that lasts for 6 years or 10 years, and experience the benefits from every tap across your entire home. The best thing you can do for your family is to protect them from contaminants before they enter your home, so you can drink and bathe with peace of mind. What more could you ask for?
