The Need for a Permanent Solution: Installing a Whole House Filter System

A couple of years ago, when we moved into our home, we immediately noticed that the water had a funky taste and smell to it. We solved this problem by installing a water filter, which has been working okay but doesn't address the rest of the house. The filter is also a bit bulky, making it hard to watch, and takes a few minutes for the filtration system to start working.

We are now looking for a more permanent solution to our water problems. We decided to try out some different options and see if we can figure out what's causing the issue with the taste and smell of the water. I'll give you a taste, is this the filtered or unfiltered water? See if you can tell which one it is.

After trying out a few different types of water, I think I have a solution. Let's go take a look at your basement and see where the main water feed comes in. We don't want to touch that old shutter valve, so we'll install a nice new ball valve instead. Your water meter is right here, and now the water comes through this pipe and goes out to the whole house.

To address our problem with the taste and smell of the water, I propose cutting into the main water line and dividing it into two parts. We'll start by adding a prefilter that will pick off any particles in the water, such as dirt and rust. The spun woven cylinder inside this filter will trap any impurities, allowing clean water to pass through.

Next, we'll add a second filter filled with granulated activated carbon. This is what was installed upstairs, but it's been replaced by this larger canister. Inside this canister, the black substance is actually the granulated carbon that will clean up the taste and odor of the water. We'll attach a piece of plywood to the brick wall using concrete screws to mount the bracket for the prefilter.

Before we start piping everything together, it's essential to clean the pipe thoroughly. If the pipe isn't clean before soldering, the metal solder may not fill the joint properly. To avoid any issues, we'll use adapter fittings to transition the piping from the plastic filter housings to copper. We don't want the filters to melt due to the temperature difference between the two materials.

The rest of the project will involve a lot of dry fitting and plenty of soldering. Once everything is in place, we'll test out our new filter system by tasting the water. I've added a shut-off valve at each stage of the filtration process to allow for easy maintenance and replacement.

After completing the installation, it's essential to understand how the filter works and what can be done when it needs to be serviced. With regular maintenance, these filters should last for about 5 years before they clog up or become less effective. If this happens, there are two options: either break down the unions and replace the entire unit with a new one, which is quite expensive, or simply disassemble the filter, clean it out, and recharge it with new carbon.

The Importance of Regular Maintenance

While installing a whole house filter system can solve many water problems, regular maintenance is crucial to keep it functioning properly. The manufacturer recommends checking the filter every 6 months to ensure it's working efficiently and not clogging up prematurely. If you notice any changes in the taste or smell of your water, it may be time to service the filter.

In addition to regular checks, it's also essential to understand how to clean and maintain the filter properly. This will help extend its lifespan and prevent costly repairs down the line. By taking good care of our water filter system, we can enjoy clean and healthy drinking water for years to come.

The Cost and Benefits of Installing a Whole House Filter System

Installing a whole house filter system may seem like an expensive solution at first, but it offers numerous benefits in the long run. Not only will you be enjoying cleaner, healthier drinking water, but you'll also reduce your risk of waterborne illnesses and improve the overall taste and smell of your tap water.

In addition to these health benefits, installing a whole house filter system can also save you money on bottled water and other cleaning products. By having clean and fresh water at your fingertips, you'll no longer need to rely on expensive bottled water or chemical-based cleaning agents. Overall, the cost of installing a whole house filter system is well worth it for the peace of mind that comes with knowing your drinking water is safe and healthy.

Conclusion

Installing a whole house filter system can be a game-changer for homeowners who struggle with poor-tasting tap water. By understanding how these systems work and taking good care of them, you can enjoy clean and healthy drinking water for years to come. Whether you're looking to address specific issues like taste or smell, or simply want to improve the overall quality of your tap water, a whole house filter system is definitely worth considering.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso a couple years ago when we moved in we immediately noticed that the water had kind of a funky taste and smell to it so we put on this water filter and that's been doing okay here but it doesn't address the rest of the house okay um it's also a little bit bulky makes it hard to watch yeah it doesn't look that great and it also takes a few minutes before the filtration system starts to work so we're looking for a more permanent solution so what are you doing I'm going to give you a taste is this the filtered or unfiltered see if you can figure it out can I trust you I mean that's not bad okay try this one kind of low tidy that's a good description for it I think I have a solution come on let's go great all right down your basement here's the main water feed that comes into your house right here there's an old shutter valve looks like right here we don't want to touch that there's a nice new ball valve I'm glad you have that did you know that this was here I did every home owner should know just in case yeah all right your water meter is right here and now the water comes through this pipe right here and goes out to the whole house what I want to do is cut into this and do it in two parts we're going to start with a prefilter the water's going to come through here and inside this is a spun woven cylinder and that's going to pick off any particles say they work on the water man out in the street or any dirt and rust it'll actually come through this spun woven fiber and get trapped here it's going to exit this pre filter but at this point we haven't done anything for your tast and not we've only protected this second filter now inside this this big canister here it's actually filled with granulated activated carbon which is really no different what you had upstairs what what it looks like is this you can see this the black is actually the granulated carbon and that'll actually as the water passes through it it'll clean up taste and Nota and really sweeten the water so now all I have to do is pipe it all in I'll attach a piece of plywood to the brick wall using a masonry bit and concrete screws that'll serve as a nice base to mount the bracket for the pre filter it's important to clean the pipe before making any connection if the pipe is not clean before soldering the metal solder may not fill the joint proper this house doesn't have a drawer off down in the basement so we'll do it the oldfashioned way by cutting into the pipe and draining the excess water into a bucket I'll use adapter fittings to transition the piping from the plastic filter housings to The Copper I have to s start them away from the filters to avoid melting the plastic rest of the project is a lot of dry fitting and plenty of soldering there we go all right time to say hello to your new filter system all right cut the teas in right here on the main water line comes down through right here on its way to the pre-filter I put a shut off valve and that's a ball valve you can tell by the handle the direction of flow of the water is passing through it okay goes through comes down goes through the granulated activated carbon uh Reservoir right here leaves here now it's sweet water clean right through here again another shut off valve and then it goes out to the house now here's your shut off that it should always be in the open position but you notice this one I added right here it's always closed the reason for that is someday these filters should clog if it's collecting impurity sooner or later it would clog a need service so I've added this bypass to allow you or anybody to shut these off and open this up so that just during the period you got to service it water still goes to the house okay but in normal position close open open time to turn the water on all right your new whole housee filter's in the water's back on I've taken off the old filter off the spout and now you have not only filtered water here but every faucet in the house it is is time for your test excellent give that a shot see how we did that's really good Perfecto thanks Rich all right bye you going to give her glass back or I'll have you drop it back so in that situation you are just fixing a taste and an odor issue you're not really addressing a safety issue right Municipal Water Supplies have an obligation a safety standard they have to live by it but not really Cosmetics you know the taste and change a little bit so what is the maintenance on these things because I guess if they're doing their job they will get dirty depends depends on the water quality meaning at this first place uh if the water's got a lot of impurities or particulate it's going to stick here and over time it just gets more and more condensed now you'll see it you'll see it showing up as a drop in water pressure upstairs because there's more pressure drop as it tries to squeeze through all that uh foreign matter so with this device unscrew it take the turn it off come in with the handle get it rid of it new that's about 20 bucks that's a little more complicated how long is this going to last us before it either clogs up or is no longer effective and when it does what do you do again that depends on the water quality manufacturer says about 5 years you should look at it because there's a fair amount of mass in here of all that particulate so it'll take a while to clog if you have to change it there's two choices one is to break these unions put a whole new unit in but and that's pretty expensive cuz you're buying actually this thing that's right the stainless steel and all of it so now you can also just take this apart clean out all all the goop all the old carbon dump it and then recharge it with a new load and and you're back in business cool all right well good information and uh good that it's no longer low tidy did taste like that\n"