Understanding the Benefits of a Whole House Water Filtration System
Homeowners express a variety water quality concerns ranging from aesthetics to contamination fears. It’s unfortunate that many people, out of frustration or ignorance, never find a suitable solution to their water worries. There is no reason to let “bad water” ruin your healthy lifestyle or damage your largest single investment-your home! Take a look at these common water-quality issues homeowners face every day:
- Tap water that tastes and smells like a swimming pool, due to chlorine disinfectants
- Discolored well water from tannins
- Rotten egg odors from hydrogen sulfide
- Premature water heater failure
- Red stains in the sink, tub and toilet due to iron
- Blue-green copper stains in the toilet and shower
- Crusty hard-water mineral build-up on faucets and shower heads
- Grit-clogged faucet aerators, dish washers and washing machines
- Nitrate contamination in well water
- Bad-tasting drinking water
- Chemicals in the water supply
- Soap scum build-up in showers and tubs
- Laundry that won’t come clean
- Dry, brittle hair
- Itchy skin
- Spots on dishes, silverware and glassware
These are a just a few of the water quality issues that can reduce your quality of life and cause real damage in your home. Water quality affects every aspect of your life including cooking, cleaning, drinking and bathing. Even pets can be impacted by the water you give them to drink!
Well and Municipal Water
Some folks think well water, unlike municipal water, is always fresh and contaminant free. Others know private wells can suffer from contamination and believe treated water supplies to be “as good as it gets.” Neither of these views are completely true. Even wells far away from industrial areas can be contaminated with microbes, nitrate and suffer from taste and odor problems. Likewise, water from a treatment facility that is disinfected and safe can leave hair dry and brittle, cause itchy flaky skin and cause your water heater to fail and leak water throughout the home. Water quality experts know that no two well or municipal water sources are the same. Every situation needs to be evaluated based on the symptoms and water needs of the home. In many cases a water analysis is required to correctly diagnose the problem and correctly design the water filtration system. A water analysis saves time and money by revealing the chemical make-up of your water so the proper treatment process can used. Guessing about water chemistry is a sure path to disappointment and wasted money. One of the most common water tests is an analysis of water hardness. Water hardness is the measure of calcium and magnesium in the water. Hard water (high in minerals) is responsible for white spotting on glassware, mineral crusts and early water heater failure. It is important to know the water hardness level to proper size a water softener. If the water softener is too small it won’t properly soften the water. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains an online-list if certified water testing laboratories. WECO technical support can also assist you with finding a certified water testing laboratory.
Benefits of Whole House Water Filtration Systems
All homes use water for a multitude of tasks at numerous water outlets. These include the kitchen sink, dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, bathroom sinks, toilets, showers and bath tubs. Water is used for an almost limitless list of reasons:
- Drinking water
- Cooking
- Ice and chilled water
- Preparing foods
- Pet water
- Brushing teeth
- Bathing
- Hair care
- Pet washing
- Dish washing
- Cleaning the home
- Clothes washing
- Washing the car
It only makes sense to use a whole house filtration system so every source of water in the home is properly filtered and conditioned. Wouldn’t it be great to have fresh-tasting water at every faucet? Whole house filters are the only way to protect your entire home from contaminants like iron, sediment, hard water and other water-borne substances that create health and aesthetic problems along with damage to water heaters, clothes washers, ice makers, faucets, showers and other water-using appliances. WECO specializes in whole house filtration systems that are effective, simple to operate and properly filter all the water used for cooking, drinking, cleaning and bathing. WECO Big Blue systems use commercial-grade components and replaceable filter cartridges. For higher capacity or specialized water treatment needs, WECO backwashing filters are available with a variety of problem-solving filter media. Here are just a few of the WECO whole house filtration systems that will protect your household and provide great-tasting purified water throughout your home.
WECO Big Blue Water Filter System for Sediment Filtration
Well and municipal water systems often contain suspended particles of sand, rust, mineral flakes and even insect fragments. These sediments clog faucet aerators, shower heads, ice makers, dish washers, washing machines and even counter-top coffee makers. The WECO Big Blue Sediment Filter installs on your incoming water line. The canister contains a replaceable spiral-wound polypropylene filter cartridge that removes particles down to 5 microns. The Big Blue Sediment Filter can be used alone but is often used in conjunction with an activated carbon filter for improved taste and odor.
WECO Big Blue Water Filter System for Taste and Odor Treatment
The WECO Big Blue Taste and Odor Filtration System uses the same high-quality Big Blue filter housing but contains a compressed block of porous activated carbon for taste and odor control. The 5-micron porous network captures and removes chlorine disinfectants, musty odors caused by organic matter, pesticides, solvents and more.
WECO BB-203SKDFC Whole House Big Blue Water Filter
The WECO BB-203SKDFC is a three-stage point-of-entry water purification system. The filter uses three Big Blue filter housings, each with a high-capacity 20-inch filter cartridge. This system has three stages of water purification. Water passes through a 5-micron sediment filter, a mixed-media blend of catalytic KDF and granular activated carbon for removal of chlorine and chloramine and a final solid-block activated carbon polishing filter cartridge that removes pharmaceuticals, pesticides, tastes, orders and other contaminants.
WECO Backwashing Filter with Katalox Light® for Iron, Manganese & Hydrogen Sulfide Reduction
If you’ve got iron, manganese or rotten egg odors, a WECO backwashing filter loaded with Katalox Light® is the ideal problem-solver. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is responsible for noxious “rotten egg” odors in bath water, showers and drinking water. Hydrogen sulfide is corrosive to metals such as iron, steel, copper and brass. Katalox Light® oxidizes and precipitates soluble iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide, which are flushed away in the automatic backwash operation. This filter also removes lead, copper, radium, uranium as well as other heavy metals and radionuclides.
WECO AAL-1252 Backwashing Filter with Activated Alumina for Fluoride and Arsenic Removal
If you’re concerned with arsenic or fluoride in your drinking water, a WECO Backwashing Filter with Activated Alumina is right for you. With increasing health concerns for these substances, WECO has designed the AAL-1252 to address these contaminants. This automatic backwashing system will strip out fluoride and arsenic, protecting you, your family and pets.
For more information about WECO filtration systems or if you would like to discuss your water quality issues, please contact one of our Certified Water Specialists.