A whole home water filtration system is installed at your main water line to filter all water entering your home. If you're wondering what is a whole house water filtration system, it’s a solution designed to improve water quality at every tap.
- Installed at the main water line (point of entry water filter)
- Filters all water entering your home
- Protects plumbing and improves water quality
A whole house system treats water as it enters the home, improving water quality throughout your home. This type of whole home water filtration system is designed to remove contaminants in water while protecting plumbing and appliances.
- Improves taste, odor, and appearance
- Removes unwanted chemicals like chlorine
- Protects appliances and the plumbing system
- With proper equipment can eliminate hardwater scale
Understanding how whole house water filters work helps you choose the right system:
- Water enters your home through the main water line
- It passes through a sediment filter to remove dirt and debris
- It flows through a carbon filter or specialty filtration stage
- Optional systems like UV purification or a water softener treat additional concerns
- Clean water is distributed throughout your home
1. Sediment Filters (First Line of Defense)
A sediment filter removes dirt, sand, and rust before water reaches other stages.
- Protects the plumbing system, fixtures, toilet valves and shower heads
- Protects water using appliances
- Protects water treatment equipment down stream
Learn More: What is Hard Water?
2. Carbon Filters (Taste & Chemical Removal)
A carbon filter reduces chlorine and chemical contaminants in water.
- Improves taste and odor throughout the home
Learn more: What is a UV Water Purifier and How Does It Work?
3. Acid Neutralizers (pH Correction)
Neutralizers adjust acidic water to prevent corrosion.
- Helps protect plumbing and fixtures
Learn More: What is a Sediment Filter and How Does It Work?
4. Water Softeners (Hard Water Treatment)
A water softener removes hardness minerals like calcium and magnesium.
- Prevents Scale buildup in plumbing and appliances
- Extends the life of water using appliances like the heater, dishwasher, and washing machine
Learn More: Activated Carbon Filters 101
5. UV Purification
UV purification kills bacteria and viruses in water.
- Works best when paired with pre-filtration
Learn More: What is Acidic Water and How Do You Treat It?
What Contaminants Do Whole House Filters Remove?
A whole home water filtration system removes a wide range of contaminants in water depending on configuration:
- Sediment filter: dirt, rust, and turbidity
- Carbon filter: chlorine, chloramine, chemicals, and odors
- Neutralizers: acidity and corrosion-causing elements
- Water softener: hardness minerals
- UV purification: bacteria and viruses
Whole House (Point of Entry Water Filter)
- Filters all water entering your home
- Protects plumbing and water using appliances
- Higher cost but broader coverage
Point-of-Use (Under Sink Filters)
- Filters water at a single faucet
- Lower cost and easier installation
- Best for drinking water only
The cost of a whole home water filtration system varies based on setup:
- System: $300–$3,000+
- Installation: varies depending on plumbing
- Maintenance: ongoing filter replacement
Learn more: Are Whole House Water Filters Worth Is? (4 Alternatives)
Pros and Cons of Whole House Water FiltrationPros
- Full-home filtration with a point of entry water filter
- Improves water quality throughout the home
- Protects plumbing and appliances
- Reduces contaminants in water
Cons
- Higher upfront cost
- Requires maintenance
- Installation complexity
- Space requirements
You may need a whole home water filtration system if:
- You use well water
- You have hard water
- You have high levels of contaminants in water
- You want to improve water quality at home across your entire house
You may not need one if:
- You only want filtered drinking water
- You have limited water quality issues
- Budget is a concern
Choosing the right whole house filtration system depends on understanding the issues that need to be solved and the proper equipment to meet your goals.
Choosing the right setup ensures you understand what is a whole house water filtration system and how to apply it correctly
- Test your water using water testing kits to obtain a water quality report from the municipally
- Match the treatment equipment to the issues to be solved
- Consider peak flow rate and demand to properly size equipment
- Plan for the space needed to install the equipment
- Some treatment solutions will combine filtration steps, like a sediment filter, a carbon filter, a water softener and a UV system.
Explore water filtration systems to find the right solution.
What is a whole house water filtration system?
A whole house water filtration system is a point of entry water filter that treats all water entering your home.
How do whole house water filters work?
They filter water through stages like sediment filter, carbon filter, and optional UV purification before distributing it throughout your home.
What contaminants do whole house filters remove?
Whole house filters can be designed to address almost any contaminant of concern. Common systems address sediment, chlorine, hardness scale, and bacteria.
Do whole house water filters remove chlorine?
Yes, systems with carbon filter stages are effective at removing chlorine.
Do you need a water softener with a whole house filter?
A water softener is recommended if you have hard water issues.
How long do whole house water filters last?
Lifespan depends on usage and system type, but filter cartridges or media will require periodic replacement
Is a whole house filter better than under-sink filtration?
A whole home water filtration system treats all water, while under-sink filters focus on drinking water only.
The best home water filtration system is dependent on the issues you are dealing with. Certain issues are better handled at the point-of-entry with a whole house filtration system. Sediment, chlorine and harness issues are examples of this. Other water issues such as lead are best handled with point-of-use treatment processes such as reverse-osmosis for the water you drink and cook with. It is not uncommon to utilize both for the best and complete whole home water filtration system.
Explore water filtration systems to get started.
Our goal is for you to have a clean, trustworthy water supply that is kind to you, to your appliances, and to your home. If you have any further questions regarding whole house water filtration or how to choose the best filter for your home, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Comments
I found it helpful when you said that a whole house water filtration system could remove a multitude of contaminants from water and improve the smell and taste of water. With this in mind, I will convince my husband to hire a professional that could install a reliable water filtration system for us within the week. We want to ensure that our children will only consume clean and safe water that is free from any type of contaminants that could o-put their health at risk.
I recently got whole house filtration system. However, the seller promptly went out of business. I have no technical or service support. I have no instructions or warranty. What do you recommend I do?
We have a well – it’s about 30 years old. We do not have a softener as we don’t like how the water feels or tastes when it’s softened. Over the past couple of years, the water taste has changed. When we fill up the little sitting pool in the summer – the water will turn brown after it goes thru the filter, so we know we have iron. Before getting any kind of whole-house filtration system, I assume we need to have the water tested? What do you recommend for that. Thank you.
Interested in a whole house water system and installation.
Thank you
Yvonne
And the filter I see is quite dark gray.
Thanks for the explanation.
Hello Allison,
There are whole house filtration systems that are rated for lead reduction. You can check the manufacturer’s spec sheets to see what contaminants individual whole house filters have been tested to remove.
However, if there is lead in your water, you might also consider installing an under-sink system like reverse osmosis or the Neo-Pure TL3. Lead is a very nasty contaminant with serious health implications, so remain vigilant about testing your water to make sure the lead content is being removed. An under-sink system will further ensure that no traces of the metal are making its way into your drinking water.
Without a water analysis of the well, it is difficult to provide any recommendations for best ways to improve the water’s quality. I am thinking what you describe is a water softener, a tall tank (should have a smaller tank close by that holds the large white pellets) Inside the tall tank is softening resin. Depending on how long it has been unused, it is possible that the resin is shot and will no longer function properly to remove hardness causing minerals. A local water treatment professional should be able to come check it out for you. Just flushing water through it may not help. A water softener when functioning properly, will only remove the hardness minerals. Things causing odor and stains might be something a softener cannot address and will need additional steps to obtain the quality of water you desire.
I would recommend you have a water analysis done to understand the composition of the well water. It is possible that your landlord may have to have it analyzed periodically and can share the results with you. If not, here is a test kit that is a box of empty bottles that you fill up with the water you want to test and send it to the lab: https://www.freshwatersystems.com/products/watercheck-w-pesticide-test-kit In about two weeks you will get the results on 75 parameters which typically gives us all we need to know to make your water better. We would be happy to look over the report with you and provide our recommendations.
I wish you well on your cancer fight and so glad to hear you are doing well. Let us know how we can help.
John.
Any thoughts?