Whole House Water Filter

We knew years ago before we started building, that once we put in the well we would need to invest in a whole house water filtration system. Our neighbors on both sides have outrageous levels of iron in their water. Not only does it taste bad, but it turns everything orange. White clothes are white no-longer. The white tub and sink would need to be scrub twice as often.

Since we moved in in such a whirlwind, we didn't have time to get the water tested and get an estimate on a filter system. Showering was fine, except my shampoo didn't lather as well as before. Cooking was also fine, because high levels of iron don't pose a danger unless you've been drinking it for 30 years. But washing white clothes (sheets and towels), and drinking water was OUT! Although, not dangerous, the water left a metallic after taste like blood (not that I drink blood on a regular basis, but we've all put our own cut in our mouth to try to stop the bleeding, right?)

We got jugs of water from down the street at the in-laws house. Their water is fine without a filter. That's how underground water sources go. Two next-door neighbors could actually be on different water supplies. They basically "tap" the ground, drilling until they hit water and it doesn't necessarily come from the same underground aquifer or "river" as your neighbor's. We also washed our whites at the in-laws house.


Meanwhile, Matt got estimates from two companies. Both were nearly $4,000. Both identified high levels of iron and mild acidity. We would need an iron filter AND a neutralizer to bring the acidity down.



If you remember from school, 7 is neutral. Our water was 6.5. So, that's BARELY acidic, but not ideal.

For $4,000 they company would come and install everything. We were kinda in sticker-shock and couldn't really see paying that much. Matt started researching and we decided that we would buy the filter system and install it ourselves. There are legit online companies that are the water filter supplier that homeowners can order from.

After about a month of research into all the different types of filter systems there are (which I won't try to go into, because I don't know enough about it), Matt ordered ours for around $1,200.

Matt kept checking the UPS tracking and also warned me that it would arrive in ELEVEN boxes!





The other thing we had to decide was where to put it. We could put it next to the well tank and enclose it in the well house he was planning on building (to insulate it). We could put it under the stair landing where the water heater is (accessible through garage bathroom). Both of those option would have require him to order shorter units, but the taller ones were more efficient (I think). Just more betterer...or something...I dunno. It made sense when he explained it to me. Basically, it would have messed up our plan for the wishing well house he was going to build around the well pump.

So, Matt decided to build a room for the filters.





It's SOOO attractive, right!

But it's behind the house, so I guess I don't care. We'd like to rock all the cinder-block and plywood one day anyway, so it will look much better then.

And inside, since we're basically concrete experts now, Matt made a slab floor for the system to sit on.



Then, it was ready to install! I wasn't really there to see this process. The good part about researching and installing the system himself, is now Matt has intimate knowledge of how it works and how to maintain it.

An explanation is needed for the following photo: The blanket and light are to keep the room above freezing until he can insulate the walls, seal the decking above, and wire a light. I couldn't hold up the blanket AND take a picture, so this is as good as it gets. Sorry.



These fancy black boxes with digital read outs are attached to the top of each filter. They have blue lights on the displays (like an alarm clock). Every few days (which we programed to happen at 3 am), the system automatically "back-washes" to flush out the particles into the yard through that blue hose thing. We still haven't buried that yet.

I know it seems like a lot to build a room for the filter, but it's kinda necessary for it to be above freezing and bonus*, we have warm, dry storage for other things now.

It was installed around the beginning of February and it's working GREAT! The tap water tastes better than the city water we were on.