Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
vandit_gw

Best whole home water filter

Vandit
11 years ago

What is everyone's experience with these and what is the best brand to get? I have an ice machine upstairs and downstairs and want great tasting ice as well as a fridge with ice/water and a plumbed in Miele coffee machine. Please help me find the right system! Any recommendations?

Comments (6)

  • AliceHasLeftTheBuilding
    11 years ago

    The answer depends entirely upon what you find objectionable about your water. There are numerous different things that can make water taste bad. So - what sort of taste does your water have that you don't like? Have you had any testing done to determine what is in your water and in what amounts?

    It sounds like you are only concerned with water you drink and not showers/sink. Is this correct?

  • Vandit
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Only concerned with taste mainly. I also don't want the flows to slow down, so need a adequate unit. I will have 4 full baths and 2 powder 1/2 baths. Mainly for taste of ice,water etc.., but also may help with deposits on appliances too

  • asolo
    11 years ago

    Without knowing more, I can pretty much assure you there are filters and other devices to do to your water whatever is needed. I can also assure you that you can pay a LOT of money for devices to do things that you don't need done. You can also pay LOT of money for devices that do NOT do what you need done.

    I would certainly recommend a water test before before going further. Really not that big a deal. However, if you want a quick indication without specific knowledge, some people get one of those pure-water pitchers that let the water trickle through an activated charcoal stack. Then they compare the taste of that water with their tap water. Sometimes they live with it for a week or two to be certain of their opinions or those of their friends. If you choose to do that and that taste is OK with you, your taste problem can be solved by a suitable-volume activated charcoal stack, probably under the sink with an extension over to the frig. ice-maker. They certainly do make whole-house versions if you want. Pretty much the same idea but bigger and more expensive. And the activated charcoal stack in either will have to be changed out from time-to-time. Some say they're "maintenance free".....but they're not. You'll have to pay attention.

    These units will NOT help with deposits on appliances. That's different. You're talking mineral residue there...probably from just hard water. Charcoal stacks do not soften water. Different issue entirely....and covered ad nauseam in previous threads. Use the search function.

  • Vandit
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    thx. I know softened water will help with appliance build up scum,but was unsure of the filtered water, as people on various websites say they thought it helped. REgardless, this is mainly for the taste of water. Not " build up". I have an ice maker/fridge (24 inch U-line undercounter) upstairs, a Miele CVA-4066 plumbed in coffe machine down, a Hoshizaki cubelet maker down, and a sub-zero Bi-42 down with ice and water dispenser on door. I want the ice to taste good and be able to get great tasting water from the faucets. I don't mind paying $1000 for a filter for the house. I want it to filter all of the chlorine out so it tastes good, as well as not slow down my water pressure/flows. I was looking at the FLeck version, as you don't have to change carbon filters as it goes through a maintenance backwash I believe. Any experience or advice on this model?

  • asolo
    11 years ago

    Due respect to Fleck or anyone else, "backwashing" can flush impurities from media surfaces thereby exposing more perhaps-unexposed area, but CANNOT re-activate the carbon. You WILL have to change it out from time-to-time. How often depends on usage volume and inbound water quality. People that tell you otherwise are either ignorant or deceptive. Activated charcoal/carbon has a finite capacity. If they're using some other media that they say has infinite capacity if backwashed, strongly suggest having them describe what that material is. I learn new stuff all the time. Would be happy to learn that activated charcoal has been superseded.....but right now I doubt it.

    I have long personal experience with softening and RO but I'm light on what you're talking about so I need to back off here and let somebody with more specific experience recommend particular units that will solve your problem at full flow.

    Reiterate suggestion for independent water test so you know what's in there. In particular, since you mentioned "deposits on appliances", I would be interested in learning your hardness number. If you say you don't care about that and good taste is all you're after, please disregard.

  • AliceHasLeftTheBuilding
    11 years ago

    If chlorine is your primary concern, then GAC (granular activated charcoal) will suit your purpose. A backwashing GAC filter will, as asolo indicated, required periodic change-out of the GAC media. How often depends on the amount of chlorine in your water, but ranges typically from 3 - 10 years. It's a broad range and depends on the composition of your water and the amount of GAC in your filter. You need a water test to estimate the amount of time you will get from a given amount of GAC. I realize we sound like a broken record here, but - you need to get your water tested. No one can size any type of water treatment without knowing what is in your water. At a minimum, you need to know: chlorine, chloramines, nitrates, VOC's (volatile organic compounds), sulfides. Knowing those numbers will allow a filter to be sized correctly.