Ditto. I can't figure it out either.

You have to have your water tested first to know what it contains that needs to be filtered out or altered. In many cases there is zero need to filter water only at the sink, and it's a "status" thing to go with filtered water. If there are minerals suspended in the water or coliform bacteria, then a filtered faucet at the sink is a bandaid on a severed artery. The whole house filtration system is what is usually needed if the water is actually bad enough to need filtration.

In other words, if you have a problem with your water, it's not confined to just the kitchen sink.

We put in a GE whole house filter from Lowes. The water tastes fine (used to have a clorine taste) and I'm hoping its better for the appliances and our skin.

I agonized over it, too. Decided that I didn't want to do RO (no 'need'). A rep I talked with at Ferguson's recommended this one as "closest" to RO (theirs is branded slightly differently and doesn't include the faucet) and I generally trust that Costco does some value analysis in deciding what to offer for sale. I bought two, to put at both sinks, because we drink a lot of water and my new KA fridge only makes ice (I put an inline filter from Costco on the supply line).

Here is a link that might be useful: Premier 3 stage

Analyze your reasons for wanting a filter first. For many, it's not needed at all. If it's just for "taste" for drinking water, you might think about the filtered water than most refrigerators provide these days and why you need a duplicate function.

As Green says, if you have serious water quality issues, they will affect more than just your kitchen sink. Your pipes will get internal buildup, and your baths will have deposits as well. That shows the need for a whole home system, not just an under sink filter. For that, you need to call in a pro.

Thank you!!!

I'll get a testing kit tonight.

The water is clear and is not "hard" or "soft". However, a "toilet ring" always forms in less than a week.

The fridge doesn't have a water dispenser (and I have never wanted one).

The water is drinkable but doesn't taste good. I always boil it before drinking in hopes to get rid of chlorine but it improves the taste only marginally.

But even if the water isn't *bad*, what about nitrates, fluoride, pharmaceuticals and all that stuff? Don't they need to be filtered out?

Interestingly, I have never seen a "no need for filtration" discussion. Perhaps, I had a perception bias and missed it. Everything I saw was always about "what kind", so I thought a filter was a must have.

We are on well water and are looking into filtration now. Our water tastes and looks great, but we are getting red staining on all the white laundry and my husbands toenails are turning orange. :) I am learning that soluble iron is a beast and every professional is recommending something different, Argh!

One important thing for us was availability of replacement filters. We moved into this house a year ago and it already had a filter system (Culligan) under the kitchen sink. Well, Culligan no longer caries replacement filters for it and they were hard to find online. So, we replaced it with the GE dual stage filter that we had in our old house. The filter system and replacement filters are readily available at Home Depot.

Also, during our remodel, we piped the filtered water to our refrigerator, as well as to a faucet at the sink. Now we don't need to purchase replacement filters for the refrigerator.

I feel your pain! Our water is sanitized with chloramine, and most filters mention removing "chlorine taste". That's rather...non-specific. I wish the details were more readily available. We don't have water in the fridge either, but are also planning on tee-ing off to the icemaker.

We have had a Multipure filter system in the kitchen for more than 15 years. Our fridge/icemaker connects to it via a copper line under the floor. We also have the Evercold Chiller under the sink. When we remodeled we considered changing to the Everpure, but were told that what we had was excellent and processed more water between filter changes. I'm content, but thinking of installing something similar in our bathroom sinks now too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Multipure System

A few years ago NYC did a big push trying to get their citizens drinking the tap water again. One of the big news stories behind their campaign was how we all came to start drinking bottled water and then filtered water to begin with. Evidently it started with the soda companies who were not happy about the new health crazed americans. They started marketing to us about how we needed fresh, clean, filtered water to drink and now we stupidly pay $1.50 a bottle for something they are not even adding a flavor and bubbles to. We are also.. by the way... killing the environment with this craze by making them drive this stuff all over the country in trucks to stores.

Besides that we are now filtering our home water and getting rid of every bit of heathly bacteria and mineral that we should have in our body. Between that and over sanitizing absolutely everything we then sit around and wonder why our children are allergic to everything.

Yes, there are cases, especially on well water, when you NEED to filter sometimes, somethings. And if you are on well water, have your water tested very regularly. But don't feel the need to filter EVERYTHING out of your water. There are plenty of good things in your water that make you healthier.

I am posting an update to thank everyone for help and also for those who may find this post when searching the forum in the future.

I have decided to go with Everpure H-300.

After much consideration, I called their tech support (because I knew from my experience with many-many other companies that sales or CS would be clueless and send me to tech support anyway). I got to talk to someone incredible knowledgeable and helpful. Seriously, I have not had such great experience in a long-long time. Anyone who has been involved in a lengthy remodel would kwim. :-)

He spent a lot of time with me, looked at my water report, explained all the nuts and bolts, and told me what to ask my water company. It turns out that my assumption of "the more the better" was incorrect. For example, we don't have a problem with Chloramine or MTBE, so we don't need a Cadillac of filters. :-) And we don't need a whole-house filtration either.

Also, if I understood it correctly, the fear of filtering out the minerals by RO is unjustified because (as some GW-ers mentioned before), we don't really get the needed minerals by drinking water. However, RO is expensive and not necessary for what I want to do.

My remodel is one step closer to the finish line!

Now, if only I could make up my mind about the lighting, the backsplash, the room color, and the trim style but that is another story...

So, please stay tuned for more cries for help, LOL

Hi Eleena,

Just seeing this conversation - did you end up buying your H-300 directly from the Everpure site? How have you liked it? We're in the process of remodeling, and I'm looking to add a separate drinking faucet with filtration.

Thanks!

This thread reminded me that we need to pick a water filtration system as we complete our kitchen remodel. We live outside of Chicago and get our water from Lake Michigan. I think it tastes pretty ok, but the idea that I'm supposed to drink something treated with chemicals and that's traveled miles via pipes concerns me. I know that the water meets or exceeds state and federal contaminant limits (as it leaves the water treatment plant), but that doesn't give me great comfort either.

I did a quick Google search and some of the folks who sell bottled water will come to your house and test your water for free. I know you can buy water quality testing kits, but I'm guessing their equipment is better. And given that it's the bottled water company's job to convince me my tap water is bad, I'm curious to hear their take.

Just another option for folks who'd like to test their water.

Not sure why you wouldn't want RO. We put a RO system in our basement and ran water line to sink dispenser and fridge. Definitely will do the same in our new home. Loved it 1000% for coffee, tea, cooking, drinking.

Kinetico was our system along with water softener, top quality.