As a business that provides residential and commercial plumbing services, water quality is a popular topic that tends to be discussed frequently throughout the year. For instance, we often reference hard water here on our blog. While it is safe to drink and wash with, it’s worth noting Kansas City is an area that experiences above average levels of hard water. Hence, it’s not hard to see why water softener systems have continued to become more and more common amongst Kansas City residents. However, on this week’s blog, we’ll be taking a closer look at another plumbing tool that can undoubtedly improve your water’s quality and that is a filtration system. Over the years, our plumbing technicians have worked with a number of different brands and types of filters. Whether that be a product we personally recommend to our clients or one that homeowners have purchased on their own, we’re always happy to help with the installation!
Before hopping into water filtration though, we always like to say hello and give a welcome to anyone new to our plumbing blog. Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a one-stop shop for all things plumbing in Kansas City. Based out of North Kansas City, our team enjoys helping homeowners and local businesses with any plumbing projects they may have. Drain cleaning, faucet installation, repiping, you name it! That all being said, it’s now time to discuss the benefits of filtration systems.
Purpose of Water Filters
To kickstart this blog, I wanted to take a quick minute to talk about the primary purpose of water filtration systems. After that, we can talk about the different types of filters to consider and ultimately if it makes sense for you to have one installed in your home. While Kansas City does a terrific job at delivering clean and safe water to residents, people often opt to have a water filter installed to take it one step further. The primary purpose of a water filter is to remove unwanted contaminants from your drinking water. Contaminants could include bacteria, sediment, iron and various other unwanted items. A quality filtration system should deliver clean and safe drinking water for your home’s occupants. It’s as simple as that! In some instances, this also results in water that has both a better taste and smell. So if your tap water doesn’t taste or smell the best, a filter might be just what you need.
Understanding the Types of Water Filtration Systems
Depending on your budget for the project, water filters come in a few different types. As is the case with several plumbing components, you’ll also quickly notice that there are no shortage of brands out there either. With this being said, we always recommend reaching out to your local plumbing professional first if you need any advice. They’ll be able to steer you in the right direction of a system that aligns with your needs and budget. So…what types of water filtration system might you consider?
Whole-House Filter – First on our list are the whole-house filtration systems. These systems do exactly what they sound like they would: provide clean water throughout the entire home by treating the water right from the main water supply line coming into your home. There are a few different factors you’ll want to consider when purchasing a whole-house filter, as they’re available at a wide range of price points and sizes. Price and size will inevitably factor into your purchasing decision, but you’ll also want to consider which contaminants you’re looking to remove. This is where you may have to do your homework on both the actual filtration systems and the water quality for your geographic location.
Individual Filters – There’s a number of different names you can use to describe them, but there are several individual filters that you may want to think about too! These will likely come at a cheaper price tag than a whole-house filtration system. Plus, they’ll probably be something that you won’t need outside help on either. For those looking for a quick and simple solution, you may want to check out the pitchers with a filter included. Brita is one of the more well-known names in this category and they sell quite a few options at affordable prices. To check them out, click HERE to view their website. Another option are the filters built into refrigerators. These are extremely popular and offer a convenient way to have filtered water instantly. The one key caveat with these is you’ll want to avoid forgetting to swap out the filters from time-to-time. Filters aren’t built to last forever, so make sure to remember to eventually change it out! Lastly, before we continue on, another option to consider are specific fixture filters. Whether it be a faucet or showerhead, these filters can attach directly onto the fixture and filter the water out before it’s dispersed. This doesn’t include every possible individual filter, but is a list of a few of the more common options.
Softener + Filter – If you rewind back to the opening paragraph, we briefly discussed why water softeners tend to be quite popular. Even though there’s nothing inherently wrong with consuming hard water, it has several annoying side effects, including drying out your skin and hair. And as we’ve referenced thus far in this blog post, without the use of some type of filter inside your home, the water quality can suffer from unwanted contaminants as well. One potential way to solve both of these problems at once is with a softener and filter dual system, like THIS ONE from NuvoH2O. Over the past few years, our team has installed quite a few NuvoH2O systems and the one linked in the previous sentence includes their citrus-based softening technology, in addition to a filter. Thus, in the end, it truly does provide homeowners with the best of both worlds.
Is It Worth Buying a Filtration System?
When it comes to various plumbing upgrades around the house, one question many homeowners ask themselves is whether or not it’s worth the additional investment. From a plumber’s perspective, we have to say that you can’t go wrong with incorporating a filtration system into your home. Whether that be in the form of something as simple as a pitcher with a filter (which you can buy on Amazon for $20-$30) or a more extensive whole-house filtration system that delivers filtered water throughout the entire house, there’s definitely benefits to this investment. Furthermore, as we just discussed with the softener and filter system from NuvoH2O, there are more expansive systems out there that can also take care of some of the frustrating effects of hard water too. Not to mention, to wrap everything up, having the ability to evaluate filtration systems at varying price levels ensures everyone can find something that meets their individual needs.
Water Filtration System Installation in Kansas City
As you can tell, water filtration systems come in all shapes and sizes. Some of them you can buy and put to use right away, while others might require you to call a plumbing professional to complete the installation. Furthermore, they’re going to come at different price points, and also deliver varying levels of clean and safe water. If you’re unsure of which system makes the most sense for your individual needs, we would be more than happy to provide some advice. Our team has years of experience with different systems and is always here to help with the installation process as well. To request a free estimate or speak with a member of our team, feel free to give us a call at (816) 348-3481 or fill out the form HERE.