Whole home water filtration

Not an expert but have been reading about it because I have to change out the filtration/softener media in the home I bought a while back.

Most experts will recommend a water test to see exactly what type/ph/sediment water you have. A well set up (mine) is probably different from city because it has less chlorine and other treatment chemicals.

My well setup has a 5 micron string-wound filter for sediment, then a catalytic carbon media tank for things that cause smelly water, followed by a salt-based auto-backwashing softener.

I am looking at adding a flow-thru UV light to disinfect the final water output thoroughly.

If your water has heavy iron, an auto-backwashing tank with a copper/zinc media can be added prior to the catalytic carbon tank.

There is also a PH correcting media that can be used which needs regular maintenance like the salt softener.

All of this media, has many different types and costs and longevity and availability etc...etc..

You most likely won't need all of these tanks. The water test and salesman and online will have varying answers to the exact make-up of the system, but most configurations that they come up with will probably work.

The tanks are basically the same, just water tanks. The media inside is different and the upflow or downflow of the water through the media will depend on the media and type of tank. There is an internal tube and a basket (sometimes top based on flow direction) and bottom of the tube.

The older style needs a 10-15 lbs of gravel base to cover this inlet basket to keep it in place and also to prevent the filter media from being blown through the tank and into the household or being blown out to the septic during a backwash.

The newer vortech style has specific sized slits in a bottom basket type and is glued in so you won't need the gravel in this setup.

If the tank has a media in it that requires regular backwashes, you will have a control valve on top with a interactive screen to set things like water hardness and frequency of backwash.

When it is being backwashed, the water is not filtered and the controller does a bypass to the softener, but it may still flow through a carbon media if it's plumbed sequentially that way.

Now, if you want it always to soften, a second softener tank can be added with appropriate valves and the controller is programmed for two softener tanks. One will always be online. Most don't do this and just schedule the media backwash for 2am or whenever nobody is using water.

There are a few places online that will have you send in a water sample, design your system, prefill the correct media in the tanks, and send you everything you need to DIY. These are usually the vortech style so they don't have to ship heavy gravel. It seemed pricey, but it looks like it comes with everything, walks you through questions to see if you need any adapters for plumbing and you basically install it onto your plumbing stub-outs with some included instructions.

That's what I have found in the last week because I had no idea how to attack my issue and don't want to pay anyone else to screw up my house. If it gets messed up, it will be because I f'd it up.

Mid Atlantic Water -with vids

I have the Aquasana Rhino 1000. Works well for us. I installed it myself no problem but I have pex so it was very easy if you have copper it might be more challenging.

I would definitely test your water before doing anything. You can buy kits online for $20 or $30. Upload the results to AI and also if your water company has any testing information. AI will tell you everything you need to know about the testing and if its worth getting a filtration or softener or any of that type of stuff. There are all kinds of add-ons and setups that you may or may not need depending on what your water test looks like.

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MasterDigger

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Damn, son!….

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Our water in Houston sucks looking at options any suggestions on a whole home filter setup? I know zero about them so TIA

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no idea what it takes but my neighbor down the street has one. See it when walking the dog

so it can be done in Houston.

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where do you drain the backwash?

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Into the septic.

Luckily, the house was built with a utility closet accessed from the garage.

It has the well pressure tank, water heater, a drain to the septic for the water heater pan, and the AC pan drain tube running down from the attic.

This is where the filtration system is installed and the backwash uses the same drain tube as the other items into the septic.

This septic is an aerobic septic that treats the water and effluent using 3 tanks and turns it into non potable water and then waters the back portion of our lawn with sprinklers.

my softener discharges the backwash straight out the side of my shed onto the ground. there is a small dead spot where the water hits, but it doesn't affect much of the grass around. i've seen others that dig a hole a couple feet deep and fill it with rocks to discharge it into.