Water filters for the home
When furnishing or building a new home, it is necessary to determine what kind of water source you will have. You also need to decide what kind of water filters you will use to ensure that the water you use is suitable for consumption, does not damage household appliances, and does not cause discomfort when used. One of the biggest mistakes that occurs when installing water filters is that water treatment specialists are consulted too late, at the last stage, or even worse, when the home is already occupied and water consumption has already begun. As a result, there is no provision for electrical installation, sewage, or drainage, and no space is left for the necessary water filters, which complicates the selection of filters and solutions. In many cases, this problem can be solved with the help of qualified professionals, but sometimes it is difficult to install the necessary water filters so that they purify the water properly. Before building a house, we always recommend consulting about the necessary water filters and the space required for them before deciding on the engineering networks.
We would like to discuss in more detail the prevailing water quality problems in Lithuania and what water filters to plan to install. Before deciding what water filters to install, you need to know what the water supply source will be. Depending on whether it is a borehole, a well, or centrally supplied water, the technologies for solving the problem will differ.
Basic water filters for the home
Water softening filters
The main function of water softening filters is to soften water. If you are tired of fighting limescale in your home, this is an effective solution that will save you not only time but also money on various household chemicals. Automatic water softening filters are installed as an additional measure to improve water quality and are usually installed after automatic water deironing, mechanical or carbon filters. It is very important to protect the water softening filter from oxidized iron or other mechanical impurities. If you use a centralized water source or a well with minimal iron content, it is sufficient to install a cartridge or backwash mechanical filter before the automatic softening filter. The water softening filter can be modified to additionally remove substances such as nitrates, nitrites, iron, manganese, and organic compounds from the water.
Water deironing filters
When planning to build a house and if you plan to have your own well, we strongly recommend that you decide on the location for the water deironing filter in advance. The installation site will require sewerage or a drain and electrical installation. A water iron removal filter will remove substances such as iron, arsenic, ammonium, manganese, or the smell of rotten eggs. Of course, it is necessary to have water tests done before installing water filters, as the amounts of dissolved substances can vary greatly in each case. Water deironing filters operate automatically and use only water for regeneration, so they require virtually no additional maintenance.
Mechanical water filters
These filters are ideal for well water sources, centralized water supply, or boreholes. The main function of an automatic mechanical filter is to collect mechanical impurities from the water and remove them into the sewer system. This is an excellent solution if a deironing filter is not required, but minimal filtration of mechanical impurities from the water is necessary. The operation of such a filter is fully automatic, and quartz sand of different grades and water are used for filtration.
Charcoal water filters
One of the functions of automatic charcoal water filters, like automatic mechanical water filters, is to remove mechanical impurities from the water supply system. Carbon is a material with absorbent properties, which means that it can trap various chemical compounds on its surface. Automatic carbon water filters are an excellent way to improve the color, smell, and taste of water. This filter can also retain limited amounts of arsenic. We recommend having both an automatic mechanical water filter and a carbon water filter in every home as a primary water treatment system.
Cartridge water filters
A set of cartridge water filters is ideal for a house in the countryside or other premises where the installation of automatic filters is problematic. It is also suitable if the premises lack electricity or sewage systems. Replaceable filter elements can be selected and assembled individually. Available options include mechanical, mechanical antibacterial, carbon, carbon + KDF, softening, and iron removal filter elements. The elements should be replaced periodically, preferably every 6 months. There are pressure gauges before and after the system to monitor the pressure in the system.
Water quality according to the available water source
Well water
In Lithuania, we have the unique opportunity to use groundwater, which is much safer to consume than surface water. However, groundwater often has its own problems:
- Iron-rich water – when installing your own well, there is often a higher probability of iron-rich water.
- Hard water – water hardness is not regulated by hygiene standards. Hard water does not affect consumption, but it can have a significant impact on washing and household appliances.
- Smelly water – this is a common problem with wells. Such water is very unpleasant to use. Arsenic, ammonium, manganese, and other heavy metals can be found in water. These substances can be very harmful to your health, so it is necessary to filter them.
Well water
With the increase in environmental pollution in recent years, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a well that is suitable for use. Of course, there are still many areas where well water is of particularly high quality. However, in our practice, we are increasingly noticing that more and more wells require filtration. The main problems with well water:
- Nitrates and nitrites are one of the main problems with well water. These substances are particularly dangerous and can only be detected by testing the water. For this reason, we recommend testing well water every 6 months.
- Hard water – both groundwater and surface water are hard.
- Organic compounds – water may contain organic compounds, which can cause it to have a greenish color.
- Mechanical contamination – this refers to various impurities from the environment that can damage household appliances.
Water supply
The quality of centrally supplied water has improved significantly in recent years, but there are still some regions where water quality problems are encountered. Centrally supplied water is obtained from wells, deironed, and supplied to residents. The main problem is hard water. In many cases, tap water will be hard, so you will encounter limescale in your household, and your skin may dry out when washing. We hear from the press that there are isolated cases where substances such as arsenic or even mercury are found in the water.
To learn more about water quality and the substances dissolved in it, we recommend reading here: water quality.
Which water filters are the best?
The best water filters are those that are selected to address specific water quality issues. For example, iron, sediment, limescale, unpleasant water odor. Some of the most reliable manufacturers are Clack, Waterboss, and Pentair.
Which water filters should you choose?
Water filters should be chosen according to specific water quality parameters. If the water contains high levels of iron, manganese, or ammonium, or has an unpleasant smell, then iron removal filters are the most suitable solution. If there is a noticeable amount of limescale deposits, then it is best to choose water softening filters. If there are nitrates in the water, the best solution for removing them is a reverse osmosis system.