I am sure you won’t like to be among the millions who bathe, cook, and even drink unsafe water. Nobody likes that, and so getting the best whole house water filter can dramatically improve the safety and quality of the water in your house.
The whole house water filter is actually the one-stop-shop solution you need for all your water purification perils to end. And you are going to have potable water in every aspect of your home. The good thing about this system is that it works independently, thus saving you a lot of time and effort.
Once you set it up, it kicks into action. From then on, your only core duty is to replace filters when necessary.
The purpose of this article is to guide you through the process of selecting a suitable home water filtration system. For this, I have reviewed the top ten products and prepared a buying guide to make things a lot easier for you.
Top Rated Whole House Water Filter 2023
Image | Name | Rating | Systems | Price |
 | APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Water Filter System | 5-Stage | ||
 | Home Master Three Stage Water Filtration System | 3-Stage | ||
 | Express Water 3 Stage Water Filter | 3-Stage | ||
 | iSpring 3-Stage Water System | 3-Stage | ||
 | APEC 3-Stage Water Filter System | 3-Stage |
10 Best Whole House Water Filter System: Reviews & Guide
Highlighted below are the best rated water filters. So, make sure to study each filter carefully to find a suitable one for your home.
1. APEC Top Tier 5-Stage Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System
Long lasting filter
Superb Taste & Water Purity
Remove up to 99% of contaminants
If you are looking to get a reliable whole house water filter, whether you want to install it for the first time or as a replacement for an old unit, this reverse osmosis system by APEC will make a great choice.
Reverse osmosis is highly recommended when you’re not sure of the suitability of your municipal supply for cooking and consumption. For this purpose, the APEC Top Tier is one of the best water filters for home currently available.
Manufactured in the US, this filtration system comes along with a lot of valuable features.
This includes a highly effective water filtration technology that removes up to 99 percent of the pathogens affecting your drinking water. In addition, the filter is also capable of correcting the mineral imbalance.
We all know that most of the municipal water supplies to our homes have a mineral imbalance and contain dissolved solids. So, with a system like this, your family is assured of safe drinking water.
Again, this system does not make noise as with a lot of other house water systems, so you don’t have to worry about any disturbance. It’s also designed to last, and you won’t experience issues like frequent breakdowns.
You will also be glad to know that this system is FDA certified, so there’s no such thing as lead contamination.
In addition, installing this system doesn’t involve much hassle, and it’s a process you can complete in a few hours, depending on how well acquainted you are with DIY stuff. And if you need to change filters subsequently, you can do it yourself, without needing an expert.
2. Home Master Whole House Three Stage Water Filtration System
Great for well water
Excellent purification
Removes up to 95% of iron
This three-stage water system definitely deserves a place among the best rated water filters. As with many other conventional filter systems, the Home Master employs three filtration steps.
The first stage has coconut shells and activated carbon filters to handle the sediments in your water. This system filters sediments down to microns – making it one of the most effective options out there to get rid of sediments in the water.
In the second stage, the filter takes care of irons, filtering out over 95 percent of it and some other chemicals.
The third stage contains the cartridge and deals with the finest things in your water, including chemicals like chlorine. It also stamps out bad taste and odor from municipal water.
You will also be glad to know that the large filter housings are equipped with 1-inch ports that deliver up to 15 gallons per minute, which is quite impressive.
In addition, the filters are oversized, and so it has a nice flow rate and won’t need maintenance often. Installation is also relatively easy, depending on your experience with DIY projects. The unit comes with virtually everything you need – wrench, bolts, and even brackets.
3. Aquasana Whole House Water Filter System
Clean and great tasting
Cost efficient & long lasting
Removes 99. 9% of bacteria and viruses
Aquasana is another filter system you should consider to solve your home water needs permanently.
The unit boasts of producing up to 100,000 gallons of water, which is quite impressive for its size and price. It has a large volume and doesn’t require a draining system, which makes it suitable for long-term use. When properly maintained, the unit should last for more than ten years.
Besides the large volume of water it produces, this system also does its filtration job really well. So, you can expect to get clean and good tasting water. The unit filters out 97% of chlorine together with other chemicals like mercury, herbicides, and pesticides.
It also stamps out 99.9% of germs from your water, including viruses, bacteria, and fungi. So, your water won’t have any odor or color.
To be more specific, the filter system includes a carbon and KDF filter combined with a scale control media and UV purifier to retain the healthy minerals in your water while dealing with unhealthy substances.
Like the previous models I reviewed, this one also requires very little maintenance. You don’t need to drain or backflush, but you will need to change the filters every three months to ensure it continues performing optimally.
Overall, the Aquasana Whole House Filter is a good choice if you want clean water to run in every part of your home. For its price, it offers a lot of value.
4. Express Water 3 Stage Heavy Metal Whole House Water Filter
Easy to install
Efficient design
Excellent for water filter for iron removal
Another whole house filter that has been making a lot of waves since it came on the scene is this one by Express Water. So, if you are willing to shell out some good bucks for a reliable filter system to solve your home’s pure water needs, then the Express Water Filter might just be what you need.
The unit adopts a 3-stage filtration system that provides your family with clean drinking water free from heavy metals. It also has something you will hardly find in most filters, and that’s the pressure dial.
The pressure dial tells you the real-time pressure of your water, and with it, you can also monitor the health of your system.
As you would expect, the first cartridge removes all sediments, filtering down to 5 microns. It is made of pure polypropylene.
The second cartridge clears out the odor and foul taste of chlorine in the water, thus changing the look of your water. At this point, the water is fit for both cooking and drinking. Also, the cartridge features catalytic carbon, which helps to prevent the growth of algae and fungi.
Finally, the third and last filter stage is the CTO, which contains coconut shell that helps to further remove chlorine as well as chemicals like herbicides and pesticides. Maintaining this unit is not hard as filter change is designed to be seamless.
Overall, this is a great filter to have – one that will definitely give you a good bang for your bucks.
5. iSpring WGB32BM 3-Stage Whole House Water Filtration System
Top-notch quality
Removes up to 95% of iron
Multi-layer water filtration system
Next on our list of the best is the iSpring WGB32BM.
Like the Express Water Filter, the unit features a three-stage filtration with two identical cartridges that work to improve the quality of your water.
As you probably know, the first stage will remove the sediments from your supply. This includes sand, dirt, and all the large particles.
The next two cartridges are responsible for the real filtration, removing chemicals such as chlorine, VOCs, and pesticides.
In case you don’t know, the filter is specifically built for under-sink use, which makes it a convenient option. You can install the unit yourself, as it comes with everything you need for the installation. The internal metal fittings are devoid of lead, and so you don’t have to worry about any lead poisoning.
You will be glad to know that this system provides up to 100,000 gallons of water, which is adequate to satisfy most families. Also, the system doesn’t reduce the total dissolved solids in your water, thus ensuring some healthy minerals are preserved.
So, if you want a system that deals with dissolved solids, you may want to consider the reverse osmosis variant of this system.
6. Home Master HMF2SmgCC Two Stage Water Filtration
Excellent dirt-holding capacity
Ensure strongest water pressure
Bacterial and chemical resistance
This water filter will positively impact your family. And it will also enable you to carry out all the water activities in your home with safe and secure drinking water.
The 95,000 gallons of water this system offers means that your family won’t be involved in any water hassles for at least a year. Its oversized filters increase flow rates. And its 1inch port provides excellent pressure.
It also features a two-stage process to filter water. The first stage handles all the sediments, including rusts, viruses, and bacteria. This makes sure your water is as fine as it can get. More so, this first stage has four layers of filtration that filter 25, 10, 5, and 1-micron – ensuring nothing stays back in your water.
The second stage employs a catalytic carbon filter with 3lbs of KDF 85 to deal with heavy metals like copper, mercury, and lead. It also takes care of chemicals like chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, and other contaminants.
Depending on the quality of water this system filters, you may need to change your filters after a year. But six months is recommended to ensure the system continues performing optimally. To change the filters, just twist the old one off and replace it with the new one.
7. Culligan WH-HD200-C Water Filtration
Certified by WQA
Excellent water pressure range
Best choice for residential homes
This system may look small, but it will give you every bit of value for what you spend. Its dimensions are 7.5 X 8.3 X 16.3 inches. So, the pipes will enter your house, and you shouldn’t have any issues with installation.
Reinforced with stainless steel, this device is perfect for residential homes and offices. It features a bypass shut-off valve, a battery-operated timer for a filter change, and has a sleek design. These altogether make it easy to handle during installation and ensures it doesn’t take up much space.
The system also works with Culligan filter cartridges. And is capable of stamping out rusts, sediment, scale, dirt, sand (both coarse and fine) silt, bad odor, bad taste, and so on.
You will find that the pack may lack certain consumables, and you may need to pause the installation process. So, you will need to get them, or better still employ the services of a professional plumber.
This device has also been proven to be lead-free, so you have no worries of harm from lead poisoning.
8. APEC 3-Stage Whole House Water Filter System
Durable and heavy duty
Easy to setup and installation
Provides unlimited filtered water
The APEC is a reputable US brand that has the respect of so many people. There are other 3-stage water filters in this review. However, many homeowners will prefer this solely because it’s an APEC filter as the brand has consolidated its place amongst the best-rated water filters over the years.
As always, the first segment handles the sediments and filters them down to microns. However, this cartridge is pleated and washable. So, you don’t have to replace it. In contrast to this, the second and third cartridges, which are the iron and carbon filters will need replacement as time goes on.
The iSpring 3-stage is actually cheaper than this filter. So, you may want to closely compare the two and know which one fits your specifications.
More so, this filter system will clear out all; chlorine, rusts, dirt, sand, odors, colors, and many more. Thus, delivering standard water to your home for all your domestic works, including cooking and drinking.
The second stage filtration is responsible for stamping out chemicals, including chlorine, pesticides, and others. Moving forward, the carbon block at the third stage clears out all foul taste and odor.
More so, this system has already been pre-assembled, so you won’t have to bother yourself with hiring a professional or fiddling with tools to assemble. It also filters at least 100,000 gallons of water before you can consider changing the cartridges.
9. iSpring WGB21B 2-Stage Water Filtration
Two stages of filtration
Ensures sound pressure
Removes up to 95% of chlorine
This system performs well all-round. It will filter out sediments and other contaminants without any trouble. However, it does not remove total dissolved solids. It features a charcoal filter that clears out all bad odors and tastes from your water.
In places where you need drinking water such as kitchens and bedrooms, this system works better with a POU system located under the sinks. More so, with the unit, you will be getting a hefty 15 gallons of water per minute, which ensures sound pressure and good water output.
The design of this filter system ensures you can add more filters depending on what you want to achieve. You may decide to add UV filters into this system that will handle viruses and bacteria. Even if it’s a sediment filter that has your attention, whatever filter you want, you can add according to your needs.
Moreover, the filters themselves are also easy to change. And each one is capable of filtering up to 50,000 gallons, which adds up to 6 to 8 months of wholesome uninterrupted potable water supply.
10. 3M Aqua-Pure Whole House Water Filter System
Reduce sediment
Removes up to 85% chlorine
Improves water quality and taste
This product of quality is neither cheap and nor expensive as you will get value for every penny you have to spend on it. The 3M Aqua-Pure may appear simple, but it takes its place firmly in this review.
The cartridge is unusual, and it will cost more. It’s made of carbon filter and is typically longer than 10-inch. It’s also fixed into a steelhead. This head is sturdy, giving it mighty durability as opposed to the plastic ones, which doesn’t cost as much and won’t last as long.
Unfixing this cartridge isn’t hard; all you need to do is untwist it from the head.
This filter system can serve your family for a whole year, without any interruption. It can filter up to 100,000 gallons of water, which is a lot for many households. However, the filter will need changing once a year.
The downside is that there’s no indicator that informs you about the life of the filters; no dial, no red lights, no nothing. So, you are going to figure out when to change your filter yourself.
Now, the way the water flows may help you in this. If the flow depletes, and the pressure reduces, then it’s a pointer that your filter may need changing.
The unit’s steelhead is strong, and it’s made of corrosion-resistant materials capable of lasting for a lifetime.
Overall, this is an efficient filter for its price. It can be the best whole house filter for your home, depending on your needs.
What to Look out for in a Whole House Water Filter?
Different households have different water needs, and so in getting a goodwater filter, it’s important to know what desires your household has. Here, we have outlined the important ones. Let’s get to it.
Filter Size:
Most conventional whole house water filters you will see have a filter size of 10units, which is the standard option.
However, some brand’s filter sizes may be longer, and if that’s what you want, then it’s still a good deal. But we don’t recommend going lower than 10 units.
Filter Life Span:
Many people won’t like to be found fiddling with water filters every now and then. And so, you need to contemplate the life of the filter system you are getting.
The sturdier water filter systems tend to have a longer life than the smaller ones. And the quality of water you want to filter may also influence this decision. If you are going to be filtering hard water, getting a filter with a very long life span is necessary.
Strength of Water Flow:
Depending on your domestic needs and the number of water outlets you want in your home, the strength of water flow is very important. So, you have to know which pressure will serve you best since filtration usually reduces the flow of water.
If you want many water outlets in all corners of your house, a flow of 20 gallons per minute can handle that. However, keep in mind that to get this, you will need to spend extra.
More so, if you have a small or average size home, then a flow rate of 15 and 10 gallons of water should suffice.
Some even have a flow of 5 gallons per minute, and that isn’t so bad as long as you’re using less water.
Microns and Their Significance:
The size of contaminants that gets filtered is also important as that’s the essence of carrying out filtration – to remove unwanted particles and microbes.
You can change the size of contaminants your filter takes on by changing the filters in your system. Consider the filters as the actual sieves that determine how much contaminants can be removed and how much is left behind.
So, getting a fine filter is all you want to do; the finer your filter is, the fewer contaminants will pass through.
Hence, a 5-micron filter will perform better than a 20-micron filter and will generally filter out more contaminants.
Clogging may happen depending on the filters you are using, and you don’t want that to happen, so you may want to get many filters.
If your water doesn’t have sediments, you may also want to filter directly. So, it is important for you to check out your water supply first before making your choice.
How to Maintenance of Your Whole House Water Filter
Before getting a water filter, you want to examine the filter and evaluate your DIY skills to be able to perform routine maintenance such as filter changes and learn about the procedures involved.
So, you want to contemplate the installation process and decide on what you want – a prepackaged and easily installable unit or one that needs coupling and requires some technical knowledge.
The bulk of the maintenance you will be doing on the system will involve filter change and occasionally clean-ups (which is best handled by a professional).
While some filters can be changed by simple twisting and untwisting, others are usually more complex. So, make sure you choose something you can handle, or else you will have to spend money on every little thing you want to do on the system.
Keep in mind that proper maintenance is important to ensure the optimal performance of your filter system. If you don’t take the maintenance of your filter system seriously, you will likely not get the best performance from the system, or at worse, it would end up needing serious repairs sooner.
So, getting a unit that doesn’t need frequent maintenance or one with a simple maintenance routine is advisable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q) What is the best whole home water filter?
Ans: The best whole home water system for you depends on your individual need – such as your water supply, the type of contaminant you want to remove, and family size, just to mention a few. Some units are great for personal use, while others are better suited for commercial applications.
Q) Are whole house water filters safe?
Ans: Yes, whole house water filters can produce pure drinking water. They are very powerful and can stamp out up to 99% of contaminants from your water.
Q) How much does the whole water filter cost?
Ans: Whole water filters have a wide range of cost. So, depending on the cartridge, flow rate, filter size, and filtration power, the cost can range from $300 to $2500. This might include installation and delivery.
Q) How long do whole water filter systems last?
Ans: Generally, whole house water filters can last for 10 to 12 years depending on the quality and model. During this time, you will need to change the filter cartridge regularly.
Q) How easy is it to maintain a whole house water filter?
Ans: This depends on the brand. But generally, home water filters are easy to maintain. More so, the companies may offer lifetime maintenance services. Whatever the case, you will need to do minor maintenance and servicing intermittently.
Final Words
We will draw the curtains here. It is now up to you to select a good filter unit for your home. There’s no better way to vouch for the quality of water in your home than investing in the best whole house water filter system.
I hope you found the guide useful and enlightening. Let me know in the comment section if you have any more questions you will like me to answer. Until then, stay safe!
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