It’s not easy to choose the right home water filter. Carbon, microns, turbidity, and many other ambiguous words describe its performance. Here are a few tips to buy the right filter system for how you use water.
Start by deciding the tap arrangement you want
There are 2 ways to install a home water filter to a tap.
- The first is plumbed to a separate filtered water tap. You will commonly see this style in hardware stores. The reason they require a separate tap is because the water passes through the filter slowly due to its design. This system is appropriate if you use filtered water just for drinking and you don’t mind drilling a hole in your sink or bench-top for a small tap to be installed.
- The second is connecting a high-flow water filter inline into your mixer tap cold water hose. This is the style we recommend. These high-flow filters deliver up to 9 litres per minute and give you filtered water for drinking, cooking and filling appliances like kettles and coffee machines. The major advantage of this style is that you will not need to drill any holes in your nice sink or bench top to install a second small (and often flimsy) tap. The high flow filter is discrete under your sink.
How a high-flow home water filter is installed
It’s really easy to install. Just disconnect the flexi-hose from your cold water valve, attach it to the outlet (right side) of the filter head, and then purchase a second flexi-hose to reconnect to your cold water valve. Use Brass adapters (3/8″ to 1/2″) to attach the flexi-hoses to the filter head. Be sure you have the available height under the sink. You will need approx 60cm in height in total. (43cm for the filter and head assembly + 7cm underneath to insert the filter + 10cm on the top to attach the hoses).
Selecting the right filter cartridge to suit how you use water at home
That last step is to insert a filter cartridge into the head; (review our Drinking Water section to select the right filter). Insert the cartridge up into the head, twist to lock, and then flush out the air from the filter and lines by running water through. Once the spitting and white water stops, you will be the proud owner of fresh, crystal clear water.
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*Note: Essential Services recommends the use of a plumber to install all water filtration systems.