Contaminants like bacteria, chemicals, and heavy metals are often present in our home water, polluting it. If you’re concerned about your water quality and need easy ways to improve it, you have come to the right place.
This article will take you on a ride through practical steps you can take to improve your water quality on your own.
What You Can Do to Improve Your Water Quality at Home
Improving your water can be confusing if you don’t know what to do. But don’t worry, these simple steps will take you one step closer to your goal:
Get a Water Test Done
The first step to improving your water quality is to it for contaminants. You can do this by sending a sample of your water to the nearest state-certified laboratory or by using a water test kit. The test results will let you know the exact contaminants that are present in your water, as well as their respective quantities. It becomes easier for you to choose the best method to remove contaminants from your water with that knowledge.
Change Old Pipes
Homes with old pipes often have poor water quality. Some old pipes are made of lead and supply home owners with lead-contaminated water. To improve water quality in your home, replace old, rusting pipes with new ones. But if it’s not possible to replace the pipes, you should turn to the next option—water filters.
Use Home Water Filters
Water filters are indispensable for providing quality water at home. If you don’t have a water filter, make plans to get one. There are different water filter types, and you may get confused trying to make the best pick. Let’s talk about how you can choose the right water filter.
How to Choose Water Filters
Learning how different water filters work and the contaminants they remove best will help you make a good choice. The types of water filters include:
Reverse osmosis (RO) Systems
RO water filters push water under high pressure through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane prevents the passage of contaminants, so they are stuck on the filter, and only clean water flows out.
Reverse osmosis systems effectively remove pollutants like arsenic, lead, pesticides, bacteria, viruses, and even VOCs. Now, that’s a point to help you with your choice of water filters. If your water test reveals the presence of chemical contaminants or microorganisms, RO systems are a great choice.
Ion Exchange Systems
Ion exchange systems contain resin beads that replace contaminants like calcium and iron with harmless sodium. Ion exchange units are great at removing hardness-causing contaminants like calcium and magnesium, so if you have a hard water problem, getting them is a good idea.
Activated Carbon Filters
Activated carbon filters have an adsorbing surface that traps contaminants like chlorine and organic compounds. There are also some carbon filters specially designed to remove lead and certain other heavy metals.
Carbon filters are helpful, but they are not the best choice for removing salts (like fluoride) and microorganisms from water.
You can opt for any of these water filters, depending on your water test results. However, water filters are not the only way to get good water in your home. There are other helpful options like UV disinfection systems. You can learn all you need to know about these on Water Masterz.
How to Install Water Filters
Now that you know the major types of water filters and can determine which is best for you, let’s take you through how you can install your selected water filter.
You can install water filters as:
- Countertop systems
- Under-sink systems
- Whole-house systems
Under-sink and countertop water filters are both point-of-use filters because they are installed at the point where water is used, like kitchen sinks and faucets. On the other hand, whole-house water filters are point-of-entry systems because they are installed at the main water entrance in your home, and they filter water before distributing it around the house.
Reverse osmosis systems and carbon filter systems often come as under-sink filters. Carbon filters may also be installed as countertop filters.
If you’d like a countertop filter, here’s how you can install it:
- Remove the aerator at the mouth of your existing faucet
- Replace it with the ready-made countertop filter
- Pull the knob and let it run for a while.
Unlike under-sink and countertop filters, whole-house filters are not easy to install, and it’s best to get professional help for this.
As long as you follow the tips listed in this article and you choose the best filter type for your home supply, you’re guaranteed to have clean, safe water in your home.
