Whole House Filter Finder

Do I Need a Whole House Filter?

Whole home filters are not always necessary but they do provide a wide range of benefits. Installing a whole house filter to your water main before it flows to your appliances and faucets helps extend appliance life and efficiency. Even large micron sediment filters can significantly reduce the amount of sediment that could accumulate in your water heater or plumbing. Since that filtered water is running through your entire home, with just one filter you can pretreat all the water running to each point of use (faucet, showerhead, and appliance) location. This will in turn also improve the ability of any other filters you may have installed, including fridge filters, undersink filters, reverse osmosis systems, water softeners, and more!

Filter Sizes, Which is Right for My Home?

When selecting a filter size, the decision is dependent on the water needs of your home. Larger filters will generally require higher flow rates to keep up with water demand. Micron rating and media will also play into this eqaution. Finer filtration is commonly accompanied by a lower flow rate, so if you dont want to compromise on micron rating but expect that your home may require more than the achievable flow rate, then a larger filter of the same media and micron rating may be necessary.

Universal Filter Housing Reference Sizes:

The filter housings shown below represent the most common whole house filter housing options. Note: sizing may differ slightly between housing options and by brand, but should be relatively similar. Below each sizing chart is the filter size that should be used with that corresponding housing. If you are currently using a filter housing not listed below please reach out to our support team at 1-888-801-7873, we will gladly assist you with finding the right filter for your system.

Filter Size: 10 x 2.5 inches

Filter Size 10 x 4.5 inches

Filter Size 20 x 2.5 inches

Filter Size 20 x 4.5 inches

Flow Rate Restriction Example:

Question: I have a whole house filter at the point of entry for our house. We are on a well. I have a 20 GPM filter. I'd like to replace it with a 3 GPM filter. Will I be compromising our flow rate into our house with the lower GPM filter? Stated another way, will the flow rate at the point of use be reduced to a trickle?
Answer: Point of entry systems filter water for your shower, hot water heater, dishwasher, etc. The flow rate for your filter should meet the water demand of each of these appliances measured in gallons per minute. Some typical ratings are listed below.

Shower: 2.5 - 5 GPM
Dishwasher: 3 GPM

Larger homes require higher flow rates and a filter with a flow rate less than 10 GPM may cause pressure loss during peak use.

The take away is that the filter size and media you select will depend on the demands of your home. If you would like help making this decision please reach out to our dedicated support team at 1-888-801-7873 or email us at support@discountfilterstore.com. We would be happy to assist you.

How Do I Replace My Whole House Filter?

Systems can be cleaned and replaced in different ways we would recommend the following steps for replacing your filter:

Turn off the water supply/water feed to the unit.
Press the pressure relief button (if present) and run water faucets to reduce pressure in the line.
Unscrew the housing and remove o-ring (whipe clean and set aside).
Discard used filter cartridge.
Wash the housing with dish soap and warm water using a nonabrasive sponge or cloth. Then rinse thoroughly.
Lubricate o-ring with clean silicone grease. Change the o-ring if any damage, cuts, or degradation are present. Then insert the o-ring in groove of the housing. Make certain the o-ring is seated level in the groove. NOTE: This step is important to ensure a proper housing seal.
Insert new filter cartridge.
Screw housing onto the cap and hand tighten. While installing make sure the cap standpipe slips into the cartridge. Do not overtighten.
Turn on water supply and check for leaks before leaving installation.

What Type of Filter Do I Need?

For the sake of organizing, whole home filters can be classified into three groups: Sediment filters, Carbon filters, and Specialty filters. These groupings are separated by the type of media each filter uses. We will go into detail of what these filters specialize in below. It is important to understand what your water issue is before you select a filter type. While any filter is better than nothing, you may not be treating the right issue if you arent careful. You will also want to know what filter size will be best for your home. Sizing information can also be found below.

Sediment Filters

Sediment filters are typically made from polypropylene or cellulose and can commonly come in string wound, bonded, meltblown, or pleated varieties. Polypropylene is a naturally bacteria resistant material and thus makes a great choice for a sediment filter with water that is of unknown quality, like a well water system. Cellulose is a paper like material that is effective at retaining contaminants but is not recommended for most well water applications. These filters are all offered in varying levels of filtration, depending on what micron rating you select. If you would like to learn more about these filters and contaminants please visit our Water Filters Overview page or give our specialists a call at 1-888-801-7873. Shop Sediment Filters

Carbon Filters

Carbon filters use carbon as the primary media but can come in a variety of media options as well. Theis grouping includes carbon block, activated carbon block, catalytic carbon, granular activated carbon, and a range of carbon wrapped or carbon impregnated materials. Carbon as a media option is very efficient because it is extremely porous. Contaminants are trapped within the carbon media while water is allowed to pass through. Similar to sediment filters, carbon filters are available in a range of micron ratings, with some that filtering contaminants down to 0.5 microns. Carbon filters are effective at reducing chlorine taste and smell but typically have more restrictive flow rates. Ensure that you understand the water demands of your home before selecting your filter. If you would like to learn more about these filters and contaminants please visit our Water Filters Overview page or give our specialists a call at 1-888-801-7873.

Specialty Filters

Specialty filters make up the final bucket of filter medias and contain the widest spread of medias options, some being reserved for specific contaminant reduction. This grouping contains filter media such as ceramic with kdf, calcite, anion resin, phosphate crystal, sintered ceramic, and more! If you are looking for a more unique filter media this is the option that should be searched above. If you are looking for more standard whole house filtration of chlorine taste and odor or sediment and debris please use the sediment or carbon filter options. If you would like to learn more about these filters and contaminants please visit our Water Filters Overview page or give our specialists a call at 1-888-801-7873.