Taking the Guesswork Out of Home Water Filtration
As the United States continues to experience a crisis with aging water distribution systems, you’ve probably spent some time wondering what’s in your own home’s water supply. The thought that your water might be contaminated in any way can be alarming, especially when you’ve grown up believing that having access to clean, pure water is as simple as turning on the tap. The first solution that comes to mind when you consider water quality issues is probably to use a water filter. However, not all filtration systems are created equal. To begin with, each water filtration system will have varying levels of effectiveness depending on how it’s installed and how it’s constructed. While many people simply buy a water filter that has good reviews, then assume or hope that it’s doing some good for the quality of their water, that’s a mistake. The best water filtration system should meet the specific needs of your water supply, and should be able to guarantee that it can remove the type of contaminants you may need to worry about.
What Does a Water Filtration System Actually Do?
Water treatment systems come in a wide variety of forms. Businesses and healthcare settings usually make use of technologies like ultraviolet treatment systems, which use ultraviolet light to disinfect water. Distillation systems are common for businesses that need to treat water that’s seriously contaminated with industrial waste, such as heavy metals and chemicals, or by high levels of microorganism growth that are uncommon for household water supplies. Reverse osmosis systems yield similar results, but, in contrast to distillation systems, they rely on microscopic membranes instead of boiling to treat the water. Most households are best served by the use of a standard, multi-medium filtration system that removes contaminants by trapping them in microscopic filters. Depending on how fine the filters are — and whether or not they use high quality material sourcing and construction methods — they can remove everything from large particle contaminants to the smallest bacteria, virus, protozoa and other microscopic lifeforms. The best filtration systems — such as WAVE Home’s water filtration solutions — are able to remove heavy metals including mercury and lead, along with other chemical contaminants such as chlorine and THMS (trihalomethane, an environmental pollutant), as well as microscopic cysts and other microorganism contaminants. To be most effective, standard water filtration systems need to be tailored to fit the specific quality of the water in your home. Your chosen system should also make use of a multi-stage design that includes a variety of filters, each calibrated to remove a different type of contaminant. A best in class water filtration solution like WAVE Home’s CityMaxx system for city water or the O2Hydro for well water removes harmful chemicals and particulates.
How Can You Find Out What's in Your Water?
In some cases, certain types of contaminants can be revealed with telltale signs like stains, smells or various unusual tastes. For example, water that contains significant mold or mildew contamination is often noticeably smelly because of it. Similarly, water with heavy levels of iron contamination can sometimes taste “rusty,” and may even change color, especially when boiled or heated for cooking. However, most contaminants can’t be detected using your own senses. Notably, lead — a top concern given recent national headlines — is very tricky to detect, since you can’t smell it, taste it or see it in your water. Home testing kits are available to test for lead and other contaminants, but for the greatest peace of mind, it’s usually best to contact a company like WAVE Home that can arrange for you to send a sample of your home’s water directly. The water will then be tested using the best methods to ensure accurate results, giving you a full accounting of what contaminants are present in your water and should be filtered out.
What’s the Best Option for Clean, Pure Water in Your Home?
The “best” water filtration option is different for each household. Determining factors include the source of your water — whether it comes from a well on your own property or a municipal water source — as well as what contaminants are in your water, how many sinks you have in your home, and other variables. The rule of thumb is that a whole home water filtration system is typically the superior option when compared to single-faucet or pitcher-type filters. Well water filtration and other whole home systems are able to make use of stronger filtration methods than smaller options, and are also able to ensure that your water is purified in every faucet throughout your home. Whole home systems are also easier to maintain when compared to single-faucet or pitcher-types. HydroCare water filtration systems require you to change the filter much less often than single-faucet and pitcher-type filters, so we suggest homeowners mark their calendars to keep it in mind. Your family deserves the purest water available. Contact WAVE Home solutions today to find out how we can keep your water clean with our easy maintenance, whole-home, multi-stage water filtration systems.