Whole House Water Systems vs. Traditional Filters

Which is More Cost-Effective for Homes?

All households deserve clean safe filtered water. For many families, a common questions is what type of water filtration system is best for their particular needs. We will review the benefits of a whole house vs a traditional water filtration system. Whether you are renting or owning a home, having access to clean and safe drinking water should always be a priority for your family. 

Overview of Whole House Water Systems

A whole house water system filters all water entering a house. When installed a main water line, whole house water filtration systems provide clean filtered water to every tap, shower, and water based appliance.

How It Works:
Whole house systems typically use multiple filtration stages, including:

• Sediment filters: to remove sand, rust, and large particles.

• Carbon filters: to reduce chlorine, chloramines, odors, and chemicals.

• Specialty media filters: for specific contaminants like iron, lead, or hard water minerals.

Depending on your home's water quality and specific need, you are able to customize your whole house water filtration focus. 

Benefits in Homes:

• Uniform Water Quality: Every home's room receives the same clean, filtered water.

• Appliance Protection: Reduces scale buildup and corrosion in shared plumbing systems and water heaters.

• Lower Maintenance at Scale: Instead of managing dozens of small filters, only one central whole house system is maintained.

• Enhanced Property Value: A whole house filtration setup can serve as a long-term investment..

In essence, a centralized water filtration system can offer clean filtered water to a whole house.

Overview of Traditional Filters

Traditional filters, often referred to as point-of-use (POU) systems, include devices such as:

• Faucet-mounted filters

• Pitcher filters

• Under-sink RO (reverse osmosis) systems

• Countertop filters

These systems treat water at specific outlets rather than across the entire home. They’re more common in individual areas where residents have control over their own filtration preferences.

Advantages:

• Low Upfront Cost: Individual units can purchase a basic filter system.

• Personalized Filtration: Different systems that match their taste preferences or specific concerns.

• Ease of Installation: Most require no professional plumbing to setup.

In summary, a whole house water system maybe a higher upfront cost of a house, but provides a more centralized water filtration for homes. 

Traditional RO systems offer customized water filtration per family, but requires more individual maintenance than a centralized water filtration system. 

Effectiveness and Water Quality

Whole House Systems:

• Filter all incoming water, not just drinking taps.

• Remove sediment, chlorine, and in some models, heavy metals or scale.

• Improve the longevity of plumbing systems.

• Provide filtered water for bathing, laundry, and cleaning—beneficial for skin and appliances.

Traditional Filters:

• Provide excellent drinking water quality when maintained.

• Do not treat water used in showers, dishwashers, or washing machines.

• Can’t prevent sediment buildup in pipes or water heaters.

• Generally cheaper and easier to install than a whole house unit and maybe more suited for families renting their home.

In terms of overall protection, whole house systems deliver a broader scope of filtration and more consistent water quality throughout the property.

Below are some videos of Express Water Whole House and RO systems: