A whole house water filter system is connected to the main water line in your home and will provide clean, filtered water throughout your entire house. The systems generally consist of a main tank that contains the filtration media (usually activated carbon and or KDF55) and a pre-filter to filter large particles and sediment out of the water. It is becoming increasingly important to filter all the water in your home for several reasons.

First, chlorine (or chloramines, depending on how your water is disinfected at the treatment center), is dangerous both to drink and to bathe or shower in. There is a growing body of evidence that links increased chlorine consumption and exposure in heated chlorine in showers to various forms of cancer such as breast, bladder and kidney cancers.

Second, while it is generally accepted in the U.S. that all water meets or exceeds EPA standards, that is unfortunately not always the case. And much of the water in the U.S. can contain heavy metals such as lead, copper, or mercury. Consumption of heavy metals can lead to impaired mental and central nervous function, decreased energy levels, and damage to vital organs such as lungs, kidneys and livers.

Last, and for purely aesthetic reasons, people are turning to whole house water filtration systems. Your hair will feel better, look better, rinse easier and be more manageable when the chemicals are filtered from your water. Your skin will be smoother and it will help reduce skin problems.

What should you look for when buying a home water filter?

1. Determine whether your treatment plant uses chlorine or chloramines. Not all filters will remove chloramines, so you need to be sure the one you purchase will take care of it. The easiest way to find out is to call your water provider or check their web site. Nearly every municipal water provider now provides easy-to-access reports online.

2. Make sure the system you are considering will remove heavy metals. Do not compromise on this! The system must utilize KDF-55 to remove heavy and inhibit bacterial growth. KDF-55 is an internationally recognized and NSF-certified filtration media for removing heavy metals. It is very safe and used widely in many applications.

3. Find a system that does not require a backwash. Backwashing wastes water and electricity unnecessarily. KDF-55 used in combination with an up-flow design does not require backwashing.

4. How long will the media last and what is the regularly prescribed maintenance? You want it to last at least 5 years. The only maintenance requirement beyond changing the media every 5 years should be changing the pre-filter. It catches all the large particles in the water before it flows to the main tank. Changing this cartridge every 3-6 months on average will extend the life of the media inside the tank.

5. If your water is hard (yellow stains, scale build-up on pipes and fixtures, etc.) you will need to address that separately. A filter will do nothing to address the hardness of the water unless you buy a combo unit that softens/conditions as well as filters.

6. Look for a sufficient warranty and satisfaction guarantee. The tank should be warranted for 10 years. A sixty-day money-back satisfaction guarantee should also be included. You should also verify that the warranty and guarantees will be kept in-tact if you choose to install it yourself. Of course, if you are not familiar with plumbing, it's probably not wise to attempt it.

7. Keep in mind the size of your home, number of bathrooms and your water flow rate. Buy a system accordingly. Never under-size a filtration system or you will be dissatisfied with your resulting flow rates.

Now you're armed with the key factors to consider when researching a whole house water filter. You can be assured that the system you buy will provide your family clean and healthy water for years to come.