Assessing your home’s and family’s water quality needs to choose the right whole-home or under-sink water filtration system.
Whether there is known water contamination in your area or you want to ensure your family has the cleanest and safest drinking water possible, you may have decided it is time to get a water filtration system.
Water filtration can improve the taste and quality of water and reduce contaminants that could damage your family’s health. However, there are many options out there. So how do you know which water filtration is the right one for your home?
3 Questions To Assess Your Home’s Water Quality Needs
Determining the right water filtration system for your home and family is a difficult decision. Significant considerations will need to be made regarding the system’s affordability and its benefits to your water quality. Therefore, our home water quality experts at Aqualite US have created a list of three questions you should ask yourself before choosing the right water purification system.
Question 1: What Is In My Water?
Potential pollutants or contaminants are the greatest unknown of your family’s water quality. Understanding what common contaminants are in your home’s water will determine which water filtration or water softener system will need to be installed. Therefore, your first step to purchasing a whole-home water filtration system should always be getting a professional water test completed. Aqualite US offers all customers free in-home water testing, allowing our experts to provide the best water quality solution customized for your home’s needs. Some of the common contaminants that are found in residential drinking water include:
- Ammonia is commonly found in municipal drinking water and is a byproduct of chloramine use. Long-term ingestion of 1 mg/l (ppm) in drinking water may cause potential health problems.
- Arsenic naturally occurs within the ground and is a byproduct of coal-burning, entering groundwater from existing deposits and pollution.
- Microorganisms include coliform bacteria, legionella, giardia, norovirus, shigella, and salmonella, all harmful to your health.
- Nitrates naturally occur in surface and groundwater at lower levels. However, high nitrate levels in well water often result from improper well construction, overuse of chemical fertilizers, & disposal of bio-waste.
- PFAs, PFOAs & PFOS consist of many chemicals used in industrial and consumer products for heat and fluid resistance since the 1950s. Unfortunately, these chemicals have many adverse human health effects, including cancer and thyroid problems.
Question 2: Does My Home Use Municipal City Water Or Well Water?
The United States, amongst all countries, has long been recognized for providing safe drinking water to homes and residents. However, municipal and groundwater can be impacted by natural and manufactured water contamination from time to time. A 2020 study conducted by Purdue University found that home water quality can variate significantly from the initial source and tests performed at water treatment facilities to water coming out of your home’s faucet. There may be numerous contaminants not regulated or regularly tested by local governments for homeowners who have well water.
Question 3: How Much Water Does My Family Use?
Every year U.S homes, on average, consume over 9,500 gallons of water. Homeowners, in every way, are seeking ways to reduce their water consumption to reduce their impact on the environment and lower monthly water bills. For families, your water usage often depends on the number of members in the household and how often water-consuming appliances are used. Understanding your home water consumption will help determine the right water filtration system for your home, as these systems vary in their gallon per minute (GPM) water flow ratings. For an average home with 1 to 3 bathrooms, installing water softeners with an average 9 to 13 GPM rating is recommended.
| Usage/Appliance | Daily Consumption | Percent of Total Consumption |
|---|---|---|
| Toilet | 33 Gallons | 24% |
| Shower | 27 Gallons | 20% |
| Faucet | 27 Gallons | 20% |
| Washing Machine | 22 Gallons | 16% |
| Leaks | 18 Gallons | 13% |
| Bath | 4 Gallons | 3% |
| Dishwasher | 2 Gallons | 2% |
| Other | 4 Gallons | 3% |
| Total | 138 Gallons | 100% (101% With Rounding) |
Types of Water Filtration Systems
Under-Sink Reverse Osmosis Systems
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the most effective technology for removing the largest number of contaminants. As a result, they are a popular option for pure, clean water. Our Puronics® RO systems are mounted under your kitchen sink and use a membrane under pressure to separate dissolved salts from the water. We offer easy-to-use Puronics® under-sink RO systems, including the MicroMax™ 7000, MicroMax™ 6500, and MicroMax™ 6000 that bring clean drinking water directly to your faucet.
The pros: for an under-sink RO system are that it is compact, filters large quantities of water, and does not take up much room.
The cons: is that it filters water only at your faucet and does not treat the water used anywhere else in your home.
A Puronics® under-sink reverse osmosis system includes:
- A mechanical 5-micron graded density water filter protects the system from dirt, rust, and sediment as small as 2/10,000 of an inch.
- Activated carbon absorption passes water through a high-capacity, porous carbon filter, ensuring maximum dichlorination.
- Ultra-filtration (UF) uses an ultra-fine filter to act as a barrier to waterborne cysts, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
- A FilmTec® TFC membrane to reduce dissolved solids.
These under-sink systems have several filtration stages to reduce fine particles and common water contaminants, including chlorine, chloride, lead, sodium, sulfate, calcium, mercury, arsenic, and fluoride, in addition to parasites and many viruses. Reverse osmosis alone will not reduce volatile organic compounds. However, a Puronics® under-sink system also includes carbon absorption to address VOCs.
Whole-House Systems
Aqualite also offers whole-house water filtration, treatment, and softener systems that are placed where the water enters the home to provide clean, contaminant- and mineral-free water to your water heater, shower, washer-dryer, and sinks. Available Puronics® whole-home filtration systems include:
- The BrightClear™ series optimizes municipal water filtration and reduces chloramine and chlorine.
- The IronMax™ series uses “green” technology that makes it ideal for treating water for iron, magnesium, chlorine, chloramine, sulfur, and Haloacetic acids (HAAs). BrightClear well water. Air injection maximizes the removal of iron, manganese, and sulfide removal without using chemicals.
- The FA™ series is customizable to resolve specific water issues, including iron, chlorine removal, acid neutralization, and sediment filtration.
- The Clarius™ IGEN® series is an affordable “green” water system that does not require salt, potassium, or additional treatment. It reduces levels of chloramine and chloride, disinfectants used in municipal water treatment.
The pro: of a whole-house system is that it filters and softens all the water that enters your home.
The cons: are that it costs more than an under-sink system and may require some home plumbing modifications.
If your water problems are caused by a combination of microorganisms, heavy metals, PFAs, and other contaminants, you may need a water softener, treatment, and purification system. We offer many different Puronics® models that can meet the specific needs of your home, family, and budget. Contact us today!
