In-Home Water Purification Systems

• Get a water test, either from a service provider or a state lab. We offer this service to our customers for free. You can’t improve your water quality if you aren’t sure what your water quality is.

• Consult a professional on the minerals and bacteria in your water, and get quotes on treatment systems. Once you have a water test done and are able to better understand the conditions of your water, municipal or well, you’ll be able to get accurate recommendations.

• Choose a brand and service provider who are able to install the system best suited to your water conditions.

Projected lifespan of water filters for most systems varies pretty significantly, but the average expected lifetime for the actual filter is roughly a year, so replacing filters yearly is a safe decision. It is worth doing a bit of research on your system and the filter it uses to be more precise, some filters are recommended to be changed every 6 months, while some systems have filters that only need to be replaced every 2-4 years.

General water filters are certainly the most commonly used system in most residential settings, These systems come in all shapes and sizes and utilize everything from air filtration to sediment layers and carbon filters, all designed for different water conditions and treatment methods.

R.O. systems are also incredibly common and popular in residential homes, particularly for drinking water. R.O. systems have a membrane that purifies water as it passes through. These systems are often hooked up to a single faucet for drinking water.

UV systems have also increased in popularity in recent years, often paired with carbon filters and other systems for extensive purification. UV light is capable of eliminating an overwhelming majority of most microorganisms and bacteria without the addition of any chemicals being added in the treatment process.   

The “best” filtration method will always depend on your water conditions to a varying degree, but when it comes to getting the best drinking water, Reverse Osmosis systems are generally touted as the best option. These can be installed into specific faucets in your home so you’re only using it on the water you drink. The R.O. process is very extensive and involves multiple stages of filtration, which supplies the best possible drinking water.

Issues your water supply may face will vary depending on whether you get your water from a municipal supply or a private well. Municipal water conditions are generally maintained to a certain standard, while private wells are not. The region in which you live will also play a prominent role, since waterways and aquifers share much of the same water. 

In New York, and the whole of the North East, there are a handful of common water issues to lookout for including: arsenic, iron, high acidity, salt, lead and chlorine. On top of those issues, you should be on the lookout for possible contaminant factors near your home with a potential for runoff, particularly for well water. 

An example being, if you live close to a dump or a chemical factory of some sort, you might have cause for concern because of the potential for waste to find its way into the shared water aquifer. Flooding can also stir up waste and other chemicals and distribute them over long distances into water supplies, which does happen from time to time in Upstate New York. 

The frequency at which you will need to add salt to your softener is directly correlated to how much water you use, so a home with 6 people will be consuming a lot more salt than a home with 2 people. Generally you can expect to be adding salt monthly on the “high use” end and around 10 weeks on the “low use” end.

If you feel as though the rate at which you are consuming salt is too high it may be because of the quality of the salt or an issue with the water softener regeneration process. You may need to alter the frequency at which your system regenerates if you believe you’re having issues with salt consumption.

Keep in mind that some systems require potassium for maximum performance, although that is not generally the case.

Regular regenerations are strongly recommended and should be done every few days in order for your water softener to work correctly, the need for regeneration also correlates to the amount of water you use, but generally you will want to recharge your unit every 2-4 days. This process is necessary for the resin bed to be refreshed, and is also what consumes salt over time.

If you do not allow your softener to regenerate or add salt to your tank it will begin to allow hard water to pass through the system, at which point it will no longer soften the water. This process will not necessarily damage your water softener, it will just cease to function properly. It is not recommended that you stop your softener from regenerating or let it run out of salt.

The average lifespan of a water softener is roughly 10-15 years. Near the end of its life you will probably notice a water softener becoming less efficient (using more salt) and performing worse as well. It may slowly reach the point where your water is hard again and you're noticing build up in your faucets along with other hard water indicators. At that point, your water softener will need to be replaced.

UV is often considered to be the most effective method of killing waterborne microbes and bacteria. Most statistics point to a nearly 100% rate of effectiveness (99.99%) for eliminating bacteria. This water purification process requires no additional chemicals and uses very little energy.