So you’ve decided you want a water filter for your home? That’s great! A water filter can do wonders for the quality of your water supply. But, should you get a whole-home water filter or just one for your kitchen?
What’s a Whole-Home Water Filter?
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A whole-home water filter purifies the water supply of your entire house. Everything from your kitchen to the bathrooms will receive filtered water with all impurities removed.
In contrast, a point-of-use (POU) water filter only purifies the water supply from a single connection, usually your kitchen. POU water filters do nothing for contaminants outside the faucet they’re installed on.
Both types of water filters have their own pros and cons that you should be aware of before making your purchase.
Pros of Whole-Home Water Filters
Better Overall Water Supply
Some of the most common contaminants in US water supplies include lead, chlorine, iron, and bacteria. Installing a whole-home water filter ensures that these contaminants are removed from every water source in your house, not just your kitchen.
Improved Hair and Skin
Many contaminants are not only dangerous for people when consumed in the water they drink. They can also cause a lot of damage to your skin and hair if you bathe with water that contains them. A POU water filter will ensure that you aren’t exposed to said contaminants through drinking water, but a whole-home system ensures no damage to your skin or hair either.
Improved Overall Water Taste and Smell
Water should be tasteless and odorless. If the water in your home has any taste or smell, contaminants are most likely present. A whole-home filter has the benefit of improving the taste and odor of your water effectively. According to experts, this simple purification also makes the water much safer. See: https://www.best-osmosis-systems.com/whole-house-water-filter-benefits-pros-cons/
Longer-Lasting Appliances
Impurities in your water supply can cause damage to the internals of your kitchen appliances, reducing their lifespan. Installing a whole-home water filter will prevent these impurities from ever reaching your dishwasher and washing machine. A water filter could prolong the life of your kitchen appliances by a considerable amount.
Improved Pipes and Plumbing
Like kitchen appliances, impurities in water also damage house pipes and plumbing, often causing etching. Installing a whole-home water filter could drastically improve the health of your plumbing and prevent unnecessary plumbing-related problems.
Cons of Whole-Home Water Filters
Cost
Since whole-home water filters purify your entire home’s water supply, they tend to cost much more than POU water filters.
But, if you factor in the savings you receive from improved plumbing and longer-lasting kitchen appliances, the cost can be justified long-term.
Space
A whole-home filter occupies more space than a simple POU water filter. This can be a big problem if space management is a big concern for you.
Possible Decrease in Water Pressure
After you’ve installed a water filter, you may notice a decrease in water pressure in your house. This is because filtering water properly can be a lengthy process requiring a lot of time.
In addition, if your filter clogs, this could result in a further temporary decrease in water pressure.
However, this issue can be corrected by making sure your water filter has the appropriate capacity for your individual water needs.
Excessive Filtration
While unfiltered water may contain contaminants, it will also have some nutrients and minerals that are beneficial for humans when consumed in small quantities. Some water filters, whole-home or not, may remove these minerals along with the contaminants.
In the end, what type of water filter you should purchase depends entirely on your individual needs.
Point-of-use water filters certainly have their right of existence. They are affordable and usually offer meticulous filtration if the filter process is up to standards. But the problem is that they are limited to providing filtered water to a single outlet only.
This is where whole-home water filters come into play. These systems are much larger in size and therefore can supply an entire house with clean water – also for bathing and showering. Their main disadvantage is high upfront cost.
