Water filtration

[Jeepfanatic]

Anyone in here running a DIY whole home filtration system? I'm tired of the mineral buildup in the water and just the overall bad tasting city water. I have looked at some systems and it seems you can spend as much or as little as you want. The question is how much difference is there truly between a $100 carbon block dual stage system and a $2,500 three stage carbon setup?

I have been looking at the 10" Omni Filter system due to the low cost and the variety of filters that will fit the system.

 

[Tactically Fat]

You're going to have a hard time removing dissolved minerals with activated carbon.

 

[JeepHammer]

Probably going to get myself in trouble yet again...

Some research into the different types of filters and what they do might explain things.

Carbon is good for *Some* smells (usually dead biologicals decomposing) and *Some* chemicals.

Depending on particle size & compression of those carbon particles, it can block *Some* solids.

Since charcoal decomposes in water, there is often a screen to block the carbon from getting into the utility end of the water supply.

ALL filters have a life span, they simply plug up over time, either with solids or biologicals growing on them.
Grid utility water treats water at the source, and much of the treatment chemicals are removed before the 'Cleaned' water hits 'City' lines.
Over time, there will be growing biologicals that will survive in the lines, and they can grow in filters.
(This is why you see city water services 'Flushing' water lines when biologicals & rust/solids build up in mains).

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It would take a HUGE & expensive 'Filter' to stop all biologicals, alive or dead, and by the time porosity of the filter was small enough to stop small viruses, it would plug up quickly on the general crud in the water systems,and need to be very large to allow enough filtered water through for an entire household at 'Average' consumption rates in the US. (Collective 'We', waste water like crazy)

Biologicals, what gets through is usually dead, and what's alive is usually harmless. Even dead carcasses stink.
We are talking taste/smell issues, not trying to stop/kill something like Cryptosporidium which is chlorine resistant (and in the news again).

Chemicals. Chemicals are a crap shoot, different ones used in different parts of the country for different reasons (some attack existing pipes, some kill different biologicals, etc).
Ultra Violet (UV) will break some down, carbon will trap others, ion exchange (like water softeners) will stop others.

Dissolved solids and/or decomposition tastes/smells are liquid, so unless you have a filter that specifically reacts with those gasses/liquids, they are hard to stop...
Aeration requires a pump and vented tank, but it will remove gasses, and it gives *Some* dissolved solids a chance to solidify so they can be removed.
VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) will vent off in an aeration filter.

Many Dissolved solids left after a water softener are bound to salt, and *Most* of the salt/dissolved solids can be removed with a Reverse Osmosis membrane filter.
This will remove somewhere in the range of 95%-99% of the crap included in your water.

This is why a 5 stage filter works,
First, water softener for everything, then string filter for solids, then carbon for *Some* of the biologicals/chemicals, then carbon removal, then RO to get the last of the salts, bound to dissolved solids, out of the supply.

The issue is 'Whole House'....
While string filters are cheap & easy, water softeners cost you salt.
Chemical/VOC take charcoal filters, and charcoal removal filters.

RO membranes have to flush to remove what they block, so often they discharge (waste) water, and they don't live all that long.
Many have to be pre-soaked to activate, so it's not a 5 minute filter change.

UV systems will kill EVERY biological, but they take power to operate, and medical grade UV tubes aren't cheap when they need replaced.
The systems are usually medical grade stainless, so install costs aren't cheap either.

We won't even cover ozonation on a household scale, you as an individual can't get the necessary chemicals to do it efficiently (thanks to Homeland security), and electrical ozonation is energy cost & equipment cost prohibitive.
(I can hear the 'Google Experts' ripping keyboards apart right now...)

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What *I* considered/did when I had to deal with public utility water (from a 150 year old water system) was a larger 5 stage home sized filter SYSTEM.
Honeywell made it, cost about $200 and supplied the sinks in kitchen & bathroom sink (and I plumbed in the ice maker) with seriously filtered water.
The filtered water comes up in a little curved 'Tap' next to the regular hot & cold water faucet.
Install & plumbing required.

The $200 system came with a 3 gallon bladder type pressure tank, which is enough for 99% of drinking/cooking/ice chores.
It's installed AFTER the 5 stage filter to hold your filtered water pressurized.
When I had to replace it, I went with 5 gallon version simply because it was more common/less expensive.

When you get under 10 micron filters, the water pressure will SERIOUSLY decrease trying to push through the tight filters, the filters being an obstruction/resistance in the water line.
The tank AFTER the filters let's the water line pressure do the work, then a check valve holds your filtered water under pressure without restriction for use.
Without a tank, your filtered water will just dribble out as it can get through the filters.

I added two large string particle filters for entire house, then ran drinking/cooking/ice through the carbon/RO filters.
The two large whole house filters took solids out BEFORE they hit my 5 stage filter, again reducing how often I had to pay for, and change filters.

A HUGE difference without plugging up the carbon/RO filters with toilet, shower, cloths washer/dish washer, garden hose water.
Saved a TON on those NOT CHEAP RO filters.

Since I'm a tight wad, I even plumbed the RO flush water into the washing machine so it wasn't wasted.
The washer partly filled every time the RO flushed itself.
No electric service needed for this system either...

Unless you have a wet basement with drains, I suggest you look into catch pans with drains, and position your filters over it.
Any sheet metal shop can knock you out a custom drain pan, HVAC contractors make them all the time.
You can't drain the filter housings in most of the common systems, so there WILL be spillage when filters get changed, and a catch pan with drain under them makes life SO MUCH EASIER.
You just let filters drop and drain before disposal.

 

[NKBJ]

Have you considered a gravity filter for drinking water?
Used one for many years and we were well pleased.

Oh, I think I made a pun.