A whole house water filter often becomes a necessity since the quality of water supplied to people is drastically dropping all over the world. However, that doesn’t mean every house needs such a water filter.
But then again, how can you determine if yours does? In this guide, we discuss the red flags that tell you it’s time to invest in a reliable whole house water filter.
How To Tell If Your House Needs A Water Filtration System?
Unclean water is not merely a hazard for your health but also poses a nuisance for other water-involving activities, such as cooking, cleaning and washing. Here are some signs that your home is in dire need of a filtration system providing your entire home.
1. Your House Is Old
If your house was built before the 1980s, it’s likely that it needs a filtration system. Although lead pipes were banned in 1986, they were commonly used in infrastructure before that. Therefore, if your house was constructed a few decades ago, it may have lead-based water pipes. Over time, lead leaks from the pipes and enters your water supply.
Besides giving the water a foul taste, lead also has health concerns, especially in children. Specialized whole house water filters can effectively remove lead, arsenic and other heavy metals from a water system. You can learn more about them in this guide here.
2. Plumbing Repairs Are Frequent
If you find yourself spending money on plumbing repairs every other month, then unclean water could be at fault. Instead, if you simply install a water filtration system, it will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Unfiltered water contains hazardous chemicals and heavy metals that harm the pipes and the plumbing system as a whole. Moreover, chemicals can also impact other systems, such as your washer, garbage disposal and refrigerator. So, you’ll find yourself paying for repairs frequently. A whole house filter can bring your maintenance bills down by a notch.
3. Water Tastes Bad
Everyone knows how the water in their house tastes. If you notice a foul taste in your water, it’s probably due to contamination and impurities. Many water contaminants, such as chlorine, have a noticeable smell and taste. Moreover, heavy metals, such as iron, mercury and arsenic, also leave a metallic taste in water.
Since a whole house water filter can remove most of these impurities, it will significantly improve the taste of drinking water in your home.
4. Clothes Come Out Dirty
Before you blame your washing machine for doing a poor job at cleaning, maybe consider suspecting the unfiltered water. Chemicals in unclean water tend to leave stains on clothes, making them look dull or dirty. Since these chemicals stay on the clothes, they can also lead to allergies and may cause rashes in children. Over time, soap scum will build on your garments due to these chemicals.
For instance, water rich in iron gives your light-colored clothes a rusty hue. On the other hand, hard water rich in minerals grays your clothes and darkens their appearance. Since this water comes from the main supply, an under-sink filter will not be helpful in this regard. Rather, you’ll need a whole house filtration system. It will ensure that your clothes are properly cleaned and don’t lose their newness over time.
5. Water Has Floaties
Pour a glass of water and look for any signs of floating particles. Plus, check if the water is oddly colored. Does it have a tint of yellow, brown or red? If yes, that means the water is not pure or clean.
Clean water should not have any colored particles in it. However, as water sources are getting contaminated, the impurities are passed on to the water supplies into the domestic sector.
6. Limescale Buildup
Limescale instantly gives away the hardness of your water. If you notice limescale buildup on your faucets, tubs, sinks and plumbing fixtures, it’s a sign of mineral abundance in your water.
In that case, you should invest in a water softening system. Meanwhile, a water filter also does the job and offers even more benefits than just a softener.
7. Skin and Hair Dryness
Does your skin feel flaky every time you get out of the shower? Does your hair still feel dirty even after you’ve given it a good rinse? This is possibly due to the high concentration of minerals and other chemicals in your shower water.
Sometimes, the dryness is purely natural. However, in many cases, water is the culprit behind the ineffectiveness of your skincare routine.
8. Dirty Dishes
Whether you use a dishwasher or hand-wash the dishes, hard water may leave ‘flaky spots’ behind. That’s why your dishes are never fully clean. On top of that, you might notice mineral buildup on your kitchen sink.
A water filter will solve this problem by ensuring a flow of clean water in your kitchen faucet.
Reach Out To A Professional
If your water supply comes from the city, you’ll get a water report annually. The levels of common contaminants are specified in this report. If they’re high, you better get a whole house water filter since contaminated water is problematic on many levels.
As for selecting the right filtration system, consult with a professional and they’ll suggest something according to your home’s water usage, plumbing system and budget.
