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Choosing a water filtration system for your home is a little more complicated than choosing a water filtering pitcher that you can throw in your fridge. Whether you’re on community water or you have a well that supplies your home, there are a number of considerations and water-related concerns that may have you looking at implementing a water filtration system in your home. A little bit of research and careful consideration can help you make the decision of which type of filtration system is right for your home.

There are two main types of filtration systems for homes in Fort Worth, TX: the point of use system and the point of entry system. A point of use or POU system is installed at the point of use, such as a kitchen or bathroom sink. It will only filter the water that goes out of that fixture or faucet and doesn’t handle all the water in the whole house. A point of entry or POE system is placed where your water comes into your home and treats or filters all the water that comes into your house and out of all your faucets. These two systems can come with a variety of different options as well such as UV disinfection for water that tends to have a lot of bacteria or reverse-osmosis systems.

Reverse-osmosis systems are ideal of point of use water filtration. A reverse osmosis system uses a series of filters and provides very clean and pure drinking water. If installed as part of a point of use system you can chose a water filtration system that has a switch that allows you to flip it on and off. This saves on the filters and reduces how often you have to change them out and replace them. When you want fresh, clean water you turn it on and when you’re washing the dishes you just flip it back off again.

Do you use community water, such as city water, for your water needs? Chances are you can get away with a good point of use reverse osmosis system. This will, in many cases, keep your water clean and easy to use even if there is a boil water alert in your community.

Are you using a well? You may want to consider a point of entry system. Approximately 40% of private water supplies such as wells are contain dangerous bacteria such as E. coli. If you are going to tackle a problem like that you want a UV filtration system that handles all the water coming into your house so you don’t have to worry that you’re showering or washing dishes in dirty water. However, don’t just assume that you’re out of danger if you’re using community water. Be sure to check the Fort Worth, TX Consumer Confidence Report on the EPA website. Since the EPA requires all community water suppliers to deliver an annual water quality report you can easily see what sorts of contaminants are in your water and that will help you determine which water filtration system may be best for you.

When shopping for a water filtration system you want to work with a company that has experience countering all the different contaminants that could be present in your water. No one wants to pay for a system that doesn’t tackle the issues they have or a system that provides more protection than they need. A good water filtration system handles the contaminants present in your water no matter what your community.

The most common contaminants that a water filtration system in Fort Worth, TX may have to deal with are sediment, chemicals and iron. Sediment includes particles like dirt, rust and sand. Some of these may also be tackled by a water softening system but not all of them. Chlorine is the most common chemical found in community water supplies, while iron is found in two forms either as dissolved iron or as rust which can turn your water red.

The final consideration for your water filtration system is how much water it will be filtering. This is most often determined by how many people are in your home and how many bathrooms are in your home. This can give your water filtration system professional an idea of how many gallows of water are used in your home on a daily basis. A filtration system professional will also help you make the right decision based on your average flow rate, the best filter size and filter life for your lifestyle, and the right port size for the plumbing in your home. Working with a professional help to ensure that your new filtration system doesn’t cause any disruption in your home life and that the system integrates seamlessly so that you only think about filtering your water when it’s time to replace your water filter.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing will also be able to help you chose a filtration system that works in harmony with a water softening system if you already have on installed in your home. If you’ve invested the money in a system to soften your water you don’t want a water filtration system that works against it or makes it obsolete!

Whether you decide to invest in a whole house point of entry system, a sink by sink point of use system, or to stick with your water filtration pitcher that you refill and keep cold in the fridge, you want to be sure you know what’s in your water. Understanding what contaminants are in your water is an important part of making sure that no matter what type of water filtration system you choose that you and your family are drinking the cleanest, safest water possible.