What Are the Pros and Cons of Home Water Filtration Systems?

To filter or not to filter? Is a home water filtration system worth the investment? These are some of the many questions homeowners ask themselves when it comes to drinking water.

Read More Home Improvement Articles

Explore the pros and cons of a home water filter system to decide if you want to install one.

A whole-house water filter system removes contaminants from water as it comes into your home. The water filtration system attaches to the main water line shortly after it enters your home. Because of its location, it filters all water before it reaches any of the appliances or faucets in your plumbing system. 

Different types of home water filter systems use different filtering methods, including ultraviolet, sediment and carbon filters. Many systems include multiple stages, so the water runs through more than one filter. For instance, the water might go through a sediment filter to remove larger particles first before going through a carbon filter to remove chemicals and other contaminants. Some water filter systems also include a finishing filter to catch a few more particles that made it through the previous stages. From there, the filtered water travels through your pipes like normal.

More Related Articles:

• How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost?
• 4 Tips for Hiring a General Contractor for Your Next Remodeling Project
• Should You Hire a Contractor or a Handyman?
• 5 Things to Look For When You're Hiring an Electrician
• What to Look for When Hiring an Exterminator

What Are the Pros and Cons of Installing Whole Home Water Filtration Systems?

Should you install a whole-house water filter system? Looking at the pros and cons of filtering your water can help you decide. 

Pros of Installing a Whole Home Water Filter

You know you get cleaner water with a filtration system, but what does that mean on a practical level? A whole-house water filter:

• Removes contaminants. You can feel more confident drinking water or cooking with water directly from the tap with fewer contaminants in it. The water contains fewer chemicals and sediment to make it potentially healthier and fresher.
• Improves the taste. Chemicals used to sanitize the water can also change the taste of it. Some areas have water that tastes strange. By installing a water filtration system, you can improve how your water tastes for a more pleasant experience.
• Reduces odors. Along the same lines, water in some areas smells unpleasant. It might simply have an odd odor or smell strongly of chemicals. The odors might not hurt anything, but they can make water less appealing to drink.  
• Is easy to use. Whole-house water filter systems simplify the process of removing contaminants from your water. They work automatically at the source. You don't have to refill water pitchers constantly or mess with individual filters on faucets. You know you're getting filtered water whenever you use any water source. 
• Has fewer parts to replace. With only one filtering system, you don't have to worry about as many items going bad. If you have filters on individual faucets plus filtering pitchers, you have more items that might need to be replaced.
• Increases home value. For some people, finding a home that has a water filter system installed is a major plus. This could increase your property value when you sell. 

Cons of Installing a Whole-House Water Filter

It's also helpful to look at the cons of a water filtration system before you invest in one. Consider these potential drawbacks:

• Hefty initial investment. A home water filter system costs a lot to install up front. The cost of a whole-house system ranges from $850 to $5,400 (CAD 1,154 to CAD 7,330), according to HomeGuide.
• All-or-nothing functionality. When you install a water filter, all the water that enters your home gets filtered. You don't have the option to only filter the water to certain fixtures. 
• Varying filtering capabilities. The available water filtration systems can vary significantly in how much they filter. A multi-stage system offers the best filtering capabilities, but it also might cost more to install. Research various systems to ensure they filter everything you want to remove.
• Routine maintenance. A whole-house water filter requires some maintenance, even if you don't have to refill pitchers or change filters quite as often as some filtering options. You'll still need to change the filters occasionally. You might have additional maintenance based on the type of filter you have, such as checking for clogs or sanitizing the system.

Comparing the pros and cons of having a whole-house water filter installed can help you decide if you should invest in one.

All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.