filling drinking glass with tap water

How to Choose a Whole-House Iron Water Filter in Ontario

Large amounts of iron deposits in your water system can lead to hard water throughout your household. While hard water isn’t necessarily unhealthy to consume in small amounts, it can limit the efficiency and functionality of your major water-based appliances such as water heaters, washing machines, and dishwashers. Moreover, iron deposits in your water system can leave behind unsightly residues on your porcelain and metal fixtures such as bathtubs, toilets, sinks, laundry tubs, and faucets throughout your home. Hard water with a significant amount of iron in it can also have an unpleasant or off-putting odour (like rotten eggs). On top of that, it also dries out your hair and skin and has a metallic taste.

Installing a whole-house iron water filter is an effective solution to ridding your property of hard water and improving the quality of your water for various applications.

What Are Whole-House Iron Water Filter Systems?

Whole-house iron water filters are especially useful for homes that run on well water. Well water supplies are notorious for having extremely high iron mineral deposits due to the fact that the water is sourced directly from the ground. Unlike municipal water supplies, well water isn’t treated at a water treatment facility. A whole-house iron removal system treats well water at every entry point and usage area such as bathtubs, faucets, toilets, etc. Every time you turn on a water usage point, the water passes through a fine filtration system that actively captures large and small mineral deposits, contaminants, carbon, sediments, and particulates so that they’re completely removed from your water supply.

Small amounts of iron in your water supply are virtually harmless for the most part. In fact, you most likely won’t even notice the impact of it during your day-to-day water usage. Iron in your water only starts to become a problem if the levels reach or surpass 0.3 parts per million (ppm).

If you’re worried about the iron levels in your water and start to notice signs of excessive deposits such as brownish or red residue on various surfaces throughout your home, consider getting your water tested. Finding out the exact iron content of your water supply will empower you to take the appropriate actions to correct the situation.

5 Tips on How to Choose Whole-House Iron Water Filter Systems

No whole-house iron removal system is complete without having a reverse osmosis component attached to it. Reverse osmosis is the process of applying a high-pressure system that propels the water through a pre-filtration system before it passes through a semi-permeable membrane filter to capture and expel as many contaminants and particulates as possible before it’s delivered to the usage area. This prevents particulates from clogging and damaging your home’s pipework and your major water-using appliances. Here are five useful tips to help you determine what type of whole-house water filter system you need for your home.

Determine the Type of Iron in Your Water

There are two main types of iron deposits that can be present in your water. They each have unique characteristics or identifiers.

  • Ferrous iron is invisible to the naked eye as it’s completely water soluble. This type of iron is identifiable only after it’s been exposed to oxygen in the air. If you pour a glass of water for yourself and it goes from completely clear to a brownish or reddish hue after a few minutes, then you likely have large amounts of ferrous iron in your water.
  • Ferric iron is when your water has a yellow, red, or brown discolouration directly out of the tap. It doesn’t dissolve in water. In addition to discolouration, you may also notice small or large particles floating around when water is poured into a container.

The best thing to do in both instances is to get your water tested for iron content immediately and then consult with a professional local water filter supplier once you get the results.

Understand How a Whole-House Iron Water Filter Works

Whole-house iron water filter systems employ the use of reverse osmosis technology to add a multilayer filtration network that entraps and disposes of common contaminants, dirt, sediments, and particulates that are commonly found in local water supplies. Whether you rely on well water or are connected to your municipality’s water supply, hard water deposits can still wreak havoc on your daily water consumption. Sometimes, you need a little extra help in cleansing and purifying water in your home.

Choose a Chemical-Free and Maintenance-Free Water Purifier

Traditional water filtration systems required the use of harsh chemical cleansers to remove stuck-on particulates and deposits. Not only did these chemicals have a pungent disgusting odour, but they were also highly toxic. Rubber gloves needed to be worn while handling these cleaning chemicals to prevent direct skin contact. If the chemical residue did get on your skin or eyes, it could cause a serious injury.

Fortunately, water filtration and purification technology has come a long way since then. Modern filters are self-cleaning, little to no maintenance, and don’t require the use of harsh chemicals.

Consider the Environmental Impact

Iron deposits clog your home’s pipelines as well as your appliances. When water heaters, dishwashers, and laundry machines get clogged from hard water deposits, they have to work significantly harder to push water through their systems. This increases your household’s monthly electricity and water usage while decreasing the efficiency of your appliances. It also renders your water conservation efforts pointless, and this will be reflected in your monthly utility bills.

Consider the Size of the Iron Water Filter

Size matters immensely when it comes to your whole-house water filter system. To make sure that the water filtration system you choose can accommodate your entire home efficiently, consider purchasing a large filter. This will increase your water supply and better regulate or distribute even water pressure throughout your home. The port size of the filter is also important because it directly impacts the amount of water that’s allowed to pass through the system at varying pressure capacities. A water filtration expert should be able to assess your home’s water needs and recommend an appropriately sized purification system for your home.

Contact Georgian Water & Air for Quality Whole-House Iron Water Filters in Ontario

Your search for “water filter suppliers near me” ends here. For over 20 years, Georgian Water & Air has been one of the leading suppliers of high-quality water purifiers in Ottawa and whole-home water filter systems in Barrie and throughout the Golden Horseshoe area. Contact us today to learn about how our exclusive products can improve your life.