Whether you live in a rural home with a well or in a metropolis with municipal water, a water filtration system can help enhance your home’s water quality. These essential systems help reduce harmful bacteria, heavy metals, sediment, and chemicals that shouldn’t be in your drinking water. They can also make your water taste crisper and fresher, which makes staying hydrated easier.
Water filters range from whole-home filtration systems to a pitcher filter in your refrigerator. Read on to discover how water filtration systems can become a valuable part of your home.
In this article:
- What is a Water Filtration System?
- Benefits of Installing a Water Filtration System
- Water Filtration System Cost Factors
- Is a Water Filtration System Necessary for Your Home?
- Comparing Water Filtration Systems vs Other Options
- Is a Water Filtration System Worth It?
What is a Water Filtration System?
How Do Water Filtration Systems Work?
Every water filtration system works a little bit differently. Some, like reverse osmosis filters, neutralize nearly 100% of contaminants and impurities, including fluoride, by separating water molecules from non-water molecules. On the other hand, an activated carbon filter absorbs impurities like chlorine and removes them from the water.
Water filtration systems vary in effectiveness, but they all can help water become safer and more enjoyable to drink.
Types of Water Filtration Systems
In addition to the common types of water treatments, such as a catalytic carbon, ion exchange, ultraviolet (UV), or reverse osmosis system, you’ll need to determine how you want the system to function. When considering function, you have two options: point-of-use systems and whole-home systems.
- Point-of-use systems: These filters are installed at the point of use, such as directly to a faucet or underneath a sink. Each unit must be installed separately at desired water access points.
- Whole-home systems: A whole-home water filter is attached to the home’s water supply, ensuring all the water accessed anywhere in the house is filtered from the point of entry.
Benefits of Installing a Water Filtration System
- Reduces harmful contaminants or pollutants, including lead, chlorine, mercury, microorganisms, pesticides, chloramine, heavy metals and bacteria. This gives you easier access to cleaner water.
- Helps improve taste by reducing impurities.
- Since filtered water tastes better, homeowners rely less on single-use plastic water bottles for hydration, reducing costs and environmental impact.
- Appliances run more efficiently and have a longer lifespan by preventing sediment and mineral buildup. Hard water also affects appliances, which is why water softeners (a type of water treatment) help extend their lives.
- Reduces skin and hair irritation by helping remove harsh impurities from shower water.
- Enhances the effectiveness of detergents by helping decrease reactions with water contaminants.
Water Filtration System Cost Factors
How much you pay for a water filtration system largely depends on the type of system you select. For instance, a point-of-use system will cost significantly less upfront than a whole-house system. But you also have to consider operating costs, maintenance frequency, and overall suitability for your home. Home size, contaminant issues, and water hardness can all play a role in which water filtration system is right for you.
Beyond installation, ongoing maintenance is required. Both point-of-use and whole-house filtration systems need new filters, inspections, and repairs throughout their lifetimes.
Is a Water Filtration System Necessary for Your Home?
The truth is most homes can improve their water quality with a filtration system. Even if your local water meets safety standards, filtration can help provide additional protection and benefits. However, there are circumstances that make a filtration system more critically important.
For example, installing a water filtration system is highly recommended if you get your water from a well. Why? Because well water is significantly more likely to be contaminated. In fact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, at least 20% of private wells in the United States are contaminated. City water is much less likely to be contaminated because the municipality treats it, though contamination is still possible.
You should also strongly consider a water filtration system if you have older plumbing with lead pipes. Or, if your local area has elevated levels of contaminants like PFAS, arsenic, or nitrates, which pose health risks.
When deciding whether to install a water filtration system, you’ll also want to consider your household’s needs. Household size, water usage, and budget help determine the best system size and type for your home.
Comparing Water Filtration Systems vs Other Options
Bottled Water vs Filtration System
According to the University of New England, bottled water is about 2,000 times more expensive than tap water. Purchasing filtered or purified bottled water is significantly more expensive, and the environmental impact is substantial. Beyond the cost of the water itself, producing bottled water requires significant energy and resources for manufacturing, transportation, and recycling.
A filtration system requires an initial investment. However, it can help save money over time by helping eliminate the need for bottled water. Not to mention that single-use plastic bottles contain an average of 240,000 microplastic particles per liter, according to research by the National Institutes of Health.
Pitcher Filters vs Full Water Filtration Systems
If you’re living in a condominium or an apartment, installing a whole-home filtration system is likely not possible, since you don’t have access to or control over the entire building. In this instance, point-of-use filtration, such as a reverse osmosis system, can be an effective solution. While water pitcher filters can also be helpful in this case, they may not be as effective as a point-of-use filtration system.
Is a Water Filtration System Worth It?
Water filtration systems are an excellent investment for any home whether point-of-use or whole-house systems. However, whole-house systems offer the most value and convenience in the long run. By delivering consistently filtered water throughout your home, they help protect appliance lifespan, improve hair and skin health, and enhance both drinking and cooking water quality. This leads to cost savings on appliance maintenance and access to cleaner, safer water.
If you’re ready to switch to healthier water, get in touch with our water experts at Leaf Home. We’re able to run an extensive water test on your home water to identify exactly what’s in it before recommending a water filtration system that will help suit your unique needs.
