A whole house water filter is the perfect solution for providing clean, safe, and great-tasting water for your home. It reduces chlorine, sediment, and other contaminants from the water supply. We will discuss how you can make a DIY whole house water filter system.
If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to purify your home’s water supply, then a DIY whole house water filter system may be the perfect option. This system ensures that all the water used in your home is free of harmful contaminants and pollutants, giving you clean & safe water for drinking, cooking, & bathing.
Here we will examine the pros and cons of a DIY whole house water filter system.
Why Make A DIY Whole House Water Filter System?
There are various reasons to make a DIY whole house water filter system:
- Save your money – By creating your filtration system, you will be able to save money that would have been spent on a pre-made one. Additionally, you will be able to save even more in the long run when you start utilizing the filter regularly rather than having to buy hundreds of plastic water bottles annually.
- Authority – You have full authority to change your system at any time.
- Customization – You can decide what components your filter should have. Suppose you are partial to a specific type of filtration material or aim to remove pollutants. In that case, you can pick the filter that meets your requirements perfectly. When purchasing a system, you will know all the items included, making it easy to maintain, identify problems, and replace the filter when needed.
- Availability of tools & components – This DIY project does not require a great deal of equipment or materials. You probably possess the necessary plumbing components, which you can find in most hardware stores.
Why Build A DIY Whole House Water Filter System In The First Place?
Here are the merits & demerits of building a DIY whole house filter system:
Pros
- As you gain experience, you will develop a deep understanding of your water system, making installing, replacing filters, and troubleshooting much simpler.
- Besides the filters, all you need to acquire are ordinary pipes and accessories that can be purchased cheaply from a local hardware shop. You can also reuse some of the components in your garage that are no longer in use.
- Saving money is one of the biggest benefits of doing this project alone because DIY whole house water filter systems are often expensive.
- It’s your choice to decide what components you would like to use. That is perfectly fine if you use a catalytic filter over activated carbon. If you do not feel that a post-filter is necessary, there is no issue.
- You have the option to make changes at a later time if you desire.
Cons
- DIY whole house filter system requires time to build.
- It is impossible to guarantee the efficiency of your filtration process without having the filtered water professionally analyzed by an accredited laboratory. However, this can be an expensive undertaking.
Setbacks Of Making A DIY Whole House Water Filter System
There are some setbacks to making a DIY whole house water filter system. Here are they:
- No quality guarantee – No matter how much care and attention is given, there is no assurance that the system will run properly. It might leak or not even operate at all.
- Test your water – You cannot be sure if the filter is adequate. One way to find out is to have your water checked. However, this can be costly.
- Time is consumed – This task won’t be finished in a short amount of time. It demands a lot of perseverance, and you’ll likely have to go to the hardware store multiple times.
- Do this work yourself – You must manage this task on your own. It is unlikely that a plumber would be willing to set up your homemade project for you.
How To Make DIY Whole House Water Filter System: Step-by-Step
If you want to build a DIY whole house water filter system, then follow the below steps:
1. Test Your Water
Before you begin, the initial step is to examine your water. You will only be able to ascertain which filters should be part of your system if you know what needs to be taken out of your water.
If you are looking for a cost-effective option, you can purchase a testing kit for the most typical water parameters. These kits can be located easily on the internet for less than twenty dollars.
Test it in a private laboratory to precisely identify what is in your water.
It is essential to remember that the type of impurities in tap water and groundwater will likely impact the kind of filter medium you choose for your water purification system.
Municipalities use chlorine or chloramine in their water supply, while wells typically have sediment, hardness minerals, iron, and manganese.
2. Gather Your Materials
Once you have identified which pollutants you want to remove from the water, create a checklist of the impurities and keep it to one side. Then, you should collect all the objects and supplies required for the project.
Here is a sample list of the materials required for your whole house filter system, although you could require extra items depending on its configuration.
Commonly-needed supplies –
- Pipe cutter/hacksaw
- Teflon tape
- Screwdriver
- Shut-off valves
- Drill and drill bits of various sizes
- Adjustable wrench
- Bucket
- Tubing
- Connectors, such as elbows, tees, & push fittings
Optional supplies –
- Pressure gauges
- Solder supplies
- Mounting bracket
- Bypass valves
3. Consider System Components
Consider the components you want to include in your water filtration system:
Water filters
The filter cartridges should be the first to consider when considering a whole house water filter.
It is essential to investigate the variety of whole house water filter cartridges that are accessible and then pick a filter housing that can fit the selected filters (generally, the housing can hold 1-3 filters).
Make sure to purchase filters not designed exclusively for one company rather than those more generic. Ensure that the filter housings can fit filters 10 or 20 inches long with 2.5 or 4.5 inches diameters.
You don’t necessarily have to buy the biggest filter in the market. The bigger the filter size, the more quickly the water passes through. A filter that is 20 inches in size, with a diameter of 2.5 inches, typically has a flow rate of 8-10 gallons a minute, which is suitable for homes having 1-3 bathrooms.
It is possible to select particular cartridges to eliminate difficult-to-remove impurities, such as filters designed to extract arsenic or nitrate. You can save quite a bit of cash if you purchase individual cartridges from lesser-known companies.
You can choose the types and quantity of filters you wish, but I recommend buying filters tested to NSF Standards.
Filter type
Here are the types of filters you should choose for the water filtration system:
- Granular activated carbon filters – The typical whole house water filter combats pollutants affecting flavor and odor, such as chlorine. They’re generally capable of filtering particles as small as 5 microns.
- Catalytic carbon filters – These filters are formulated to take out chloramine, which cannot be achieved using standard activated carbon. They also lower VOCs and THMs.
- KDF-activated alumina, & ion exchange filters – These filtration systems can either be individual filters or combined with a different filtration material, such as carbon, to get rid of specific pollutants, including fluoride, arsenic, and nitrate.
- Sediment filters – These are the initial components in most commercially accessible whole house water filter systems. They guard the subsequent stages of filters against sizable particles that could block the media and reduce its working life.
- Carbon block filters – Compressed activated carbon filters are pretty compelling. However, they reduce the water flow rate and, thus, are not the best option for whole house systems.
- Iron & manganese filters – These systems eliminate iron and manganese, so if you have well water, it is a wise choice to look into.
The higher the micron number assigned to a filter, the bigger the holes in the filter and the more substantial the particles it can capture. When selecting a filter, it is advisable to begin with one with a high micron rating and then reduce the rating with each successive stage of the filter.
Pressure gauges
Including a pressure gauge in constructing a DIY whole house water filter system is unnecessary. Utilizing pressure gauges to measure the pressure before and after each filter will eliminate any guesswork in changing the filters.
Every pressure gauge will provide you with an indication of the water pressure at each level of the system. When the water pressure drops drastically, you will know it is time to substitute a filter.
Bypass & shutoff valves
It is essential to install a shutoff valve upstream and downstream of the water filtration system. This way, you can stop the water from entering the system if you have to do repairs or if the system develops a leak.
As an additional feature, bypass valves stop the water from flowing into the filtering system and allow it to divert via an alternate water supply line. You can continue access to unfiltered water if the filtration system is not in use.
Drain connection
You must have a drain connection to set up a complicated system with backwashing operations.
Connecting a drain line to a sediment filter can be a useful solution for moving dirty water away. It helps to stop the filter from becoming blocked too rapidly. This can, in turn, extend the life of the filter.
For a self-clean filter, you must set up a timer-control valve that will open up daily and permit the sediment to release.
4. Assemble & Install The System
After obtaining all the components, the final task is to put together and mount the system on the main water pipe.
This task should be a piece of cake if you can do your home repairs. All you have to do is to place the filter cartridges in the casing and join it to your water pipes.
If you don’t buy a system from a manufacturer, you won’t have detailed instructions to follow. So you’ll need to use your creativity and comply with more general directions.
When setting up your tap water filtration system, there are several essential factors to take into account:
- Ensure that your installation process complies with your state’s plumbing codes.
- Place your filter close to the water source coming into your residence before the hot water heater. This will ensure that all of the water in your house is filtered.
- Avoid using a metal wrench to secure plastic fixtures too tightly. Instead, tighten them by hand and use the plumber’s tape to create a seal, thus avoiding any possible leakage.
- You should consider placing your filtration system outside, but make sure it is properly protected. Construct a cabinet around the filter to guard against the sun, precipitation, and frost.
- It is a good idea to add a pre-filter if you have not already included one in your system. This pre-filter will shield the filter stages from any potentially damaging particles.
- Ensure the o-rings are lubricated & sit correctly in the system.
5. Test & Run The System
Once you have finished the set-up, perform a final inspection to ensure everything is working correctly. Activate your water supply and look for any signs of leakage in the system.
If you detect any water seeping from any filter component, switch off the water supply and make the connection tighter, or apply Teflon tape around the joint to create a better seal.
It is possible to assess your drinking water purity. Obtain a portion of your tap water and evaluate it utilizing the same process you used. Compare your results to new results. Hopefully, you should have filtered water.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) On DIY Whole House Water Filter System
1. Can I install my own whole house water filter?
You will require the right tools. You can install whole house water filter by choosing the filter location. Then, you’ll need to know how to cut & connect plumbing pipes. If you’re confident that you can install a DIY whole house water filter system, then it’s quite good. Otherwise, you can hire a professional plumber.
2. How do you make a homemade water filtration system?
You can make a homemade water filtration system in the following ways:
- Cut the bottom off a plastic water bottle
- Insert cloth filter
- Rinse filtering materials
- Prepare charcoal
- Add playground sand
- Put in paver sand
- Add gravel or small rocks
- Secure contents
- Pass the water through the filter.
3. Is DIY water filtration effective?
It is possible to get rid of some bacteria by heating the water to the boiling point, exposing it to ultraviolet light, or adding iodine, chlorine, or other disinfectant tablets.
4. Where should a whole house water filter be installed?
Generally, the ideal spot to install a water filter is close to your primary water shut-off valve. It is often found in a basement, a storage cupboard, or other similar areas if you don’t have a basement.
Summary: DIY Whole House Water Filter System
Constructing a water filtration system for your house requires a lot of time and energy. If you want the filter to work correctly and remain safe, you must be appropriate with every detail.
The system you are putting in your water line must not cause a massive leakage in your house. The standard of the homemade water filter must be outstanding.
Suppose you are still determining your ability to assemble a whole house filtration system, or you would rather not spend the time and effort doing it. In that case, purchasing a ready-made system is the best action.
When you purchase from a manufacturer, it may cost you more upfront. However, you can be sure that the system endures strong parts. Many producers only use qualified parts and even have evidence from third-party labs to demonstrate that their items can diminish specific contaminants.
I hope this article on DIY whole house water filter systems sounds helpful!
