Whole House Water Treatment - Expect More, Pay Less
Published: 03/29/2010 by Derek Reeve
There is one company that claims to "imbue" your supply with health-giving qualities. They claim to accomplish this by including rare Japanese stones that are supposed to have antibacterial and anti fungal properties.
While some minerals do have antibacterial and anti fungal properties, there is no scientific data to suggest that the Japanese stones contain those minerals. In addition, the dissolved minerals that are naturally found in freshwater have been absorbed over the course of many years.
Simply running your water over a rock does not cause it to absorb minerals from it. It's simply illogical. If you forget about the rare stones, then you can also forget about paying $6000 for whole house water treatment equipment.
When it comes to costs, you have to consider the cost of installation, the cost of operation and the cost of maintenance. Systems that require back-flushing also require the installation of a separate drain for waste water disposal. That's an additional expense that surprises many homeowners. There are effective systems on the market that do not require back-flushing.
Whole house water treatment equipment that includes a reverse osmosis step is expensive to purchase, install, operate and maintain. They all require back-flushing, as they all create waste water.
They require electricity to operate, which increases your utility bills. The membranes tear easily, so maintenance is costly. It would almost be less expensive to buy bottled.
The most affordable, effective and efficient products require no electricity and no back-flushing. Installation can be performed by any certified plumber and only takes about an hour. Operation costs add up to about $17.75 per month. If you are currently drinking bottled, you will save about a thousand dollars per year.
Interestingly enough, a thousand dollars is exactly what the best whole house water treatment equipment on the market costs. They don't make crazy claims about improving the health giving qualities of your water, but they do.
They don't add anything. They selectively filter. If there are naturally occurring minerals in your supply, they will still be present. If there are contaminants in your supply, they will be removed. It is contaminant removal that imbues healthfulness.
Depending on the quality of your source, you may need additional filtration devices on your kitchen sink. If you are unsure about the quality, have testing done first, to determine the necessary steps.
In publicly treated supplies, traces of chemicals are the major threats. Reverse osmosis is ineffective against chemicals. Granular carbon is the most effective step for chemical removal and it's a simple step to include.
Remember that rare Japanese stones are unnecessary, as is reverse osmosis and you should be able to find affordable, effective whole house water treatment equipment. You are making the right choice for your family's present and future health. You'll drink more water, just because it tastes better.
