10 Best Whole House Water Filters for Well & City Water 2023

Still finding the best whole house water filter for well water or city water?

I’ve researched and reviewed more than 30 whole house water filtration systems and shortlisted the 10 excellent ones for you.

The whole house water filter is also sometimes referred as the point of entry (POE) water filter or outdoor water filter.

It’s used to protect the whole house piping system from sediments like rust, heavy metals, small stones, sand, and large particles.

An outdoor whole house water filter can also act as the first layer of water filtration to reduce the burden for all the in-house point of use (POU) water filters.

It’s necessary especially for areas with bad water quality. Otherwise, you and your family are going to take the bath and wash your face with contaminated water.

Top 10 Best Whole House Water Filters For Well & City Water

1. Express Water Heavy Metal WH300SCKS – Best Whole House Water Filter (Overall)
2. Aquasana Rhino EQ-1000-AST-UV – Best Filtration Performance
3. Home Master HMF3SDGFEC – Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water
4. Express Water WH300SCGS – Best Whole House Water Filter for City Water
5. iSpring WGB32B-PB – Best Whole House Water Filter for Lead Removal
6. Home Master HMF2SMGCC – Best Whole House Water Filter for Chloramine
7. iSpring WGB22BM – Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water (Budget)
8. iSpring WGB22B – Best Whole House Water Filter for City Water (Budget)
9. 3M Aqua-Pure AP903 – Best High-Flow Whole House Water Filter
10. GE GXWH40L+ FXHSC – Best Compact Whole House Water Filter

How I Pick The Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water

When coming to getting the best water filtration system for home, here are some important factors that I will consider about:

Filtration Capability

If a filtration system can’t perform well in filtering out sediments and contaminants, it doesn’t deserve to appear in front of you here, so I remove it silently at the back end.

During my review, I have seen some whole house water filters that do not have a sediment filter in their set up.

For these filters, I automatically added in a separate sediment filter and consider it as a whole.

Since it’s a front line filter, a sediment filter is a must.

The top 6 whole house water filters have proven themselves in term of filtration capabilities.

Filter Lifespan

Humans are lazy (I knew), so to reduce your whole house water filter replacement frequency, most of the top water filters I shortlisted only need to be maintained every 12 months for a family of four to five.

While for smaller size and capacity filters, it should at least last for 2 months, best at 3 months.

Housing Materials

For a whole house water filtration system, I do have some requirements for the housing materials as it might be placed at outdoor area and under the sun.

So, you won’t see any filters that made from cheap plastic here.

The housing materials have to be endurable against hot temperature and acidity from rain.

Installation and Filter Replacement

In order to lighten your whole house filter installation and replacement work, those filters with simpler installation and filter replacement process will have a better edge to be included in the best whole house water filters list.

Value

Every product comes with a cost, but what I really care about is the value.

There’s no point to buy a cheap water filter that only lasts for a month and bring you a lot of troubles like water leaking and low quality filtered water.

Also, it’s not worth to buy an expensive water filter that performs the same as others with much lower cost.

I valued the ratio of product performance to its cost more than the cost alone.

Customer Service

For a product like a water filtration system, there is a high probability that a buyer may have questions regarding the following:

• Product issues
• Installation and maintenance issues
• Leaking issues
• Instructions before use
• Technical issues
• Filtered water issues

So, how can a product like this go far without a great customer service team standing behind to solve customers inquiries and issues?

It’s crucial!

Imagine when you are in trouble and calling the office number multiple times a day during working hours but nobody picks up the phone. Or sent multiple emails weeks ago but yet to receive a single reply.

How frustrating is it, right?

Facing a bad customer service team will definitely ruin the overall experience in using the product, even if the product is cheap!

Filter Size

This is not that relevant for a landed house with plenty of outdoor space.

But for families that stay in an apartment with limited space, the filter size does matter.

Therefore, I took into account the capacity-to-space ratio to shortlisted a few space-efficient whole house water filters.

Top 10 Best Whole House Water Filtration Systems In 2023 [Reviews]

Without further ado, let’s go through each of the best whole house water filters in 2023:

1. Express Water Heavy Metal WH300SCKS [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter (Overall)

Highlights:

• Strong filtration performance against sediments, chlorine, chloramine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, sulfur, hydrogen sulfate, fungi, viruses, etc.
• Fast water filtration rate up to 15 GPM
• High filter capacity that lasts up to 100,000 gallons or 12 months
• Quick and easy filter replacement
• The 1st-stage housing is translucent for easy monitoring
• With 3 pressure gauges and release buttons

The Express Water Heavy Metal WH300SCKS is a 3-stage whole-home filtration system that are designed to remove and reduce a wide range of harmful contaminants like lead, iron, mercury, nickel, copper, sulfur, hydrogen sulfate, fungi, rust, silt, chlorine, chloramine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), herbicides, pesticides, insecticides, cadmium, chromium, viruses, turbidity, cloudiness, and many more.

Here are the 3 stages of filtration:

1st Stage – 4 Gradients Sediment Filter (PP): Block all the large particles like rust, sand, dirt, silt, and stone from damaging the rest filters, your home appliances, and piping systems.
2nd Stage – Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF85) Filter: Focus on heavy metals and contaminants like chloramine, chlorine, arsenic, sulfur, hydrogen sulfate, algae, fungi, lead, iron, aluminum, mercury, viruses, and more.
3rd Stage – Activated Carbon Block (ACB): Remove chemical contaminants like chlorine, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, turbidity, total organic carbon (TOC), volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), and unpleasant taste and odor.

This point-of-entry whole house system is capable to supply a large volume of clean water to the entire house to protect you and your family from showering with harsh chlorine and appliances breakdown due to water contaminants.

For convenience, the first filter housing is translucent so you can see your filter and know when it needs to be replaced without dismantling the system.

Besides, all the components and filters are independently tested and verified to meet NSF/ANSI standards.

If you’re looking for an all-rounded whole house filtration system that will give you peace of mind, then this Express Water Heavy Metal is the best one you can get.

It’s not only effective against common contaminants like sediments, chlorine, VOCs, and chemicals, but also great against difficult contaminants like heavy metals (eg: lead, iron), chloramine, sulfur, hydrogen sulfate, and microorganisms.

Aside from the filtration performance, the whole system is built from durable materials to last longer and comes with three individual pressure gauges for system monitoring and maintenance.

Not only that, this heavy-duty whole house water system also comes with a stainless-steel freestanding frame, which comes in handy if you don’t feel like drilling and mounting the water system.

Based on the overall performance from filtration power, water flow rate, filter capacity, material quality, and cost, I’ll say this is simply the best whole house water filter for well water and city water.

Pros:

• Strong filtration performance
• Effective against heavy metals, sulfur, hydrogen sulfate, chloramine, and viruses
• Suitable for both well and city water
• High water filtration rate
• Long-lasting filter
• Durable materials
• Comes with stainless-steel freestanding frame
• Great water taste
• With 3 individual pressure gauges and release buttons
• Great customer service
• Reasonable price
• Quick and easy filter replacement

Cons:

• Will spill some water during filter replacement
• The installation manual is not detail
• May cause leaking if over tighten the pressure gauge

2. Aquasana Rhino EQ-1000-AST-UV Whole House System With UV Purifier & Salt-Free Descaler [Review] – Best Filtration Performance

Highlights:

• Effectively remove and reduce harmful contaminants like chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, herbicides, lead, mercury, bacteria, and viruses
• With a salt-free water conditioner to soften the water
• With a UV filter to kill microorganisms like bacteria and viruses
• Ultra-long filter life up to 1 million gallons of filtration or 10 years
• Up to 7 GPM water filtration rate
• Unique Upflow, Dual-tank design
• Easy maintenance

The Aquasana Rhino EQ-1000-AST-UV is an ultra-high capacity whole house filtration system that comes with a salt-free Scale Control Media (SCM) and UV purifier to maximize the filtration performance while keeping the essential minerals in water.

Here’s the breakdown of this powerful whole house water filtration system:

1st Stage – Sediment Pre-Filter: To block larger particles like rust, dust, and sand from entering the rest filters to prolong their lifespan.
2nd Stage – Salt-Free Water Conditioner (Descaler): To soften the incoming water and prevents scale buildup from minerals without the use of salt or chemical.
3rd Stage – Activated Carbon & KDF Filtration Media: Focus on the majority of contaminants like chlorine, chloramine, herbicides, pesticides, industrial solvents, VOCs, lead, mercury, sulfur, and more.
4th Stage – 0.35 Micron Post-Filter: Remove any impurities that are smaller than 0.35 micron.
5th Stage – UV Purifier: Disinfecting 99.99% of microorganisms like bacteria, cysts, and viruses.

This powerful filtration system supplies clean water to your entire house, allowing you to get healthier skin and hair from showering.

Besides, the salt-free water conditioner can prevent scale forming to protect your home plumbing system and appliances.

To maintain high water flow rate, the pre-filter and post-filter need to be replaced every 3 months.

If you simply want the best water filtration for your home, this is the one.

In fact, a combination of sediment filter, activated carbon block, and KDF media is already good enough for a whole house filtration system.

But, this Aquasana system goes beyond by adding a salt-free water conditioner to prevent scale buildup, a submicron post-filter to block particles down to 0.35 micron, and a UV purifier to kill 99.99% of microorganisms, giving you the most complete protection.

If your water source is hard, you’ll notice a significant improvement in the softness right after installing this whole house system, which is good for your skin and hair.

Moreover, the main filter can last up to 1 million gallons of filtration or 10 years, which is 10 times more than most other whole house systems.

Pros:

• Powerful water filtration against a wide range of contaminants
• Effectively remove potential microorganisms in water
• Reduce sulfur, hydrogen sulfide, heavy metals, and bad smell
• Great for both well and city water
• Soften the water without adding salt
• Prevent scales from building up
• Ultra-long filter life
• Great water taste

Cons:

• Will not reduce total dissolved solids (TDS)
• Customer service can be improved
• High upfront investment
• Take time to set up the whole system
• Large physical size

3. Home Master 3-Stage HMF3SDGFEC [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water

Highlights:

• Effectively remove sediments, chemicals, iron, manganese, sulfur smell, chlorine taste and odor, pesticides, herbicides, and more contaminants.
• Down to 1-micron filtration with a multi-gradient density sediment filter.
• High water pressure filter housings with 1-inch ports and up to 15 GPM (gallons per minute) water flow rate.
• Large capacity coconut shell carbon filter provides clean water with high filtration rate.
• Replace every 100,000 gallons or 12 months.

The Home Master HMF3SDGFEC is a 3-stage whole house water filter that consists of a multi-gradient sediment filter, a radial flow iron, manganese, and sulfur reduction filter, and a radial flow carbon filter which make it the ideal point of entry water filtration system for your home.

Here’s the breakdown of each filter stage and its function:

1st stage filter: 4 layers depth multi-gradient polypropylene (PP) sediment filter to remove sediments, bacterial, and other contaminants down to 1 micron.
2nd stage filter: Radial flow iron, manganese, and sulfur reduction filter to lower down iron, manganese, and sulfur contents in well water significantly.
3rd stage filter: Radial flow highest-grade coconut shell granular activated carbon (GAC) filter to remove chemicals, bad taste, and odor.

The combination provides strong filtration against sediments, iron, manganese, chemicals, sulfur, bad taste and odor, bacterial, and more contaminants which make it the perfect whole house filter for non-chlorinated well water with pH level above 7.0 and no iron bacteria.

Tip: To know the well water condition, you may get your well water analysis from lab prior to buying.

Besides, the 1-inch ports housing provide high-pressure water and fast flow rate up to 15 GPM for simultaneous water needs.

Also, the large capacity filters allowed it to last for 12 months which reduce your maintenance frequency and cost.

If your private water well is contaminated with Iron, Manganese, and Sulfur with not more than 3 ppm combined load, then this filter is what you need, just get it.

The Home Master HMF3SDGFEC is designed to turn your well water into clean and safe water and deliver it to all your faucet at home without noticeable water pressure drop.

It’s the best whole house water filter for well water!

Pros:

• Strong filtration for sediments, chemicals, iron, manganese, sulfur, bad taste and odor
• Effectively reduce iron contents in water to protect your home appliances (eg: water heater, washing machine, etc.) and prevent staining on your clothes and floors
• Low water pressure drop for high water flow
• Simple installation
• Great customer service from Perfect Water Technologies

Cons:

• Not suitable to filter acidic water with pH level less than 7
• Less effective against well water with a high concentration of Iron

4. Express Water 3-Stage WH300SCGS [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for City Water

Highlights:

• Effectively remove rust, sand, Insecticides, Pesticides, Herbicides, Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs), Turbidity, Chlorine taste and odor, and more contaminants.
• Quick and easy filters replacement.
• 1-inch ports for high water pressure flow up to 15 GPM.
• Replace filters every 100,000 gallons of water or 12 months of usage.
• Made with 100% food-grade materials.
• All components are tested to meet NSF/ANSI standards for quality assurance.
• Comes with a 1-year warranty and free lifetime support.

The Express Water 3 stage whole house filtration system is designed to provide a high volume of filtered water to your entire house without pressure drop so that you can enjoy your shower without chlorine taste and smell and protect your home appliances from getting damaged by water contaminants.

Here’s the breakdown of the 3-stage filtration system:

1st stage filter: 4 layers polypropylene (PP) gradient sediment filter to remove large particles like rust, sand, stones, dirt, and other contaminants down to 5 microns.
2nd stage filter: Granular Activated Carbon Fiber (GAC) to get rid of Chlorine taste and odor, Insecticides, Herbicides, Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs), and more chemicals.
3rd stage filter: Activated Carbon Block (ACB) to remove Chlorine taste and odor, Pharmaceuticals, Pesticides, Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Turbidity, and more chemicals.

All the filter housings are made from solid ABS and PCE plastic for high durability and the 1st-stage housing is translucent to let you observe the filter current condition without open up the housing.

To ease your maintenance work, the filtration system comes with 3 separate pressure release buttons and simple twist-off filter housing for easy filters replacement.

If you are using municipally treated water with a high level of Chlorine taste and smell, and other chemicals, then this Express Water whole house water filter is your best bet, seriously.

The double activated carbon stages is definitely a nightmare for Chlorine, chemicals, and all kind of bad taste, odor, and smell.

Want to take a shower without chlorine smell and chemicals that are harsh to your skin and hair?

Never experienced taking a bath with spring water?

The Express Water WH300SCGS 3-stage whole house water filtration system is the answer.

Pros:

• Great water taste and smell
• Strong Chlorine and chemicals removal
• High water pressure and flow rate
• Easy to install
• Nice looking design
• Comes with freestanding stainless steel frame
• Comes with 3 high-quality pressure gauge for filters monitoring
• Comes with 3 separate pressure release buttons for easy maintenance

Cons:

• Durable but not robust enough to withstand direct sunlight
• Require a lot of teflon tape at the joints area to prevent water leaking
• Not effective in removing iron content

5. iSpring WGB32B-PB 3-Stage [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for Lead Removal

Highlights:

• Effectively remove sediments, chlorine, bad taste and odor, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), industrial solvents, herbicides, and more from tap water
• Greatly reduce lead and iron contaminants
• High water flow rate up to 15 GPM
• Simple installation
• Large capacity that lasts up to 100,000 gallons of filtration or 12 months
• Filters are tested to meet NSF/ANSI standards

The iSpring WGB32B-PB is a 3-stage whole house water filtration system that focuses on reducing lead and Iron in water, as well as other common contaminants like sediments, chlorine, VOCs, and more.

Here are the 3 stages of water filtration:

1st Stage – Sediment Filter (5-Micron PP): Remove rust, sand, dirt, and more larger particles.
2nd Stage – CTO Carbon Block Filter: Remove chlorine taste and odor, VOCs, pesticides, herbicides, and more chemicals.
3rd Stage – Lead & Iron Reducing Filter: Focus on reducing lead and Iron contaminants in water.

If your water source have high lead or Iron content, then you may consider this filtration system, it’s the best whole house water filter for lead & iron removal.

If you’re suffering from appliances damage due to excess lead and iron, this system will solve your problem.

To know whether your water contains these heavy metals or not, you may send your water sample to the certified lab for testing or ask your water provider.

Pros:

• Effectively reduce lead and iron
• Suitable for both private well and municipally treated water
• No water pressure loss
• Easy to install
• Reasonable price

Cons:

• Vulnerable to leaking if not properly installed
• Large physical size

6. Home Master HMF2SMGCC 2-Stage [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for Chloramine

Highlights:

• Fine water filtration with 4 layers of gradient density sediment filter from 25 microns down to 1 micron.
• Effectively remove up to 95% of Chlorine, Chloramines, heavy metals, chemicals, and other contaminants in water.
• High capacity filters produce high water pressure and flow rate to the whole house.
• Long filters lifespan of up to 95,000 gallons of water or 12 months for four to five users.
• Support high water pressure up to 10 GPM.

The Home Master HMF2SMGCC is a 2-stage whole house water filtration system that’s capable to provide high pressure safe filtered water to the entire house with its combination of multi-gradient sediment filter and KDF85/Catalytic Carbon filter.

Here’s the breakdown of each filter function:

1st stage filter: 4 layers multi-gradient depth polypropylene (PP) sediment filter to filter out rust, sand, large particles, bacterial, and more contaminants.
2nd stage filter: Granular activated catalytic carbon filter mixed with KDF 85 medium to fight against iron, hydrogen sulfide, lead, copper, mercury, aluminum, scale, bad taste and odor, and more chemicals.

Just install it at the incoming water entry to enjoy the clean filtered water from all your water faucets.

It’s effective in removing both Chlorine and Chloramines from the water, make it a great solution for the municipally treated water that contains both types of chemicals.

The 3-stage home water filtration system is too bulky for you?

Then get this 2-stage whole house water filter that is strong enough to filter out common contaminants and chemicals found in municipally treated water.

The great thing about this filter is the mixture of KDF 85 into the granular activated catalytic carbon filter at stage 2.

Never heard about KDF 85?

Well, it’s a process media that is very effective in removing water-soluble heavy metals like iron, mercury, lead, chromium, and nickel and both Chlorine and Chloramines while protecting the carbon filter from bacterial and fungi.

But if your treated water does not have many water-soluble heavy metals, then you may consider Home Master HMF2SDGC as a cheaper alternative.

Pros:

• Great against water-soluble heavy metals like iron, mercury, lead, chromium, and nickel
• Remove both Chlorine and Chloramines
• Strong filtration down to 1 micron
• Simple installation and filters replacement
• No or minimal water pressure drop.
• Occupy a smaller space compared to a 3-stage whole house filtration system
• Lower maintenance cost due to only 2 filters

Cons:

• Not suitable for well water
• Normal housing design

7. iSpring WGB22BM 2-Stage [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for Well Water (Budget)

Highlights:

• Effectively reduce iron, manganese, and more contaminants in water
• Remove common contaminants like sediments, chlorine taste and odor, industrial solvents, VOCs, herbicides, pesticides, and more
• High water flow rate up to 15 GPM
• Large capacity up to 100,000 gallons of filtration or 1 year

The iSpring WGB22BM is a 2-stage whole house water filtration system that is designed to fight against iron, manganese, chloramines, heavy metals, nitrates, industrial solvents, chemicals, and more harmful contaminants.

Here are 2 layers of contaminants removal:

1st Stage – CTO Coconut Shell Carbon Block: Remove sediments, chlorine, bad taste and odor, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and chemicals.
2nd Stage – Iron & Manganese Reducing Filter: Focus on reducing iron, manganese, and more heavy metals.[/su_note]

This is the budget alternative of whole house filtration system for treating well water source.

If the Home Master HMF3SDGFEC (best whole house water filter against well water) is exceeded your budget, then pick this up instead.

It’s great enough to filter out common contaminants found in well water like iron, manganese, and more to protect your family and appliances, at a lower investment.

Pros:

• Effectively reduce iron, manganese, sulfur smell, and more heavy metals
• Remove rust, bad taste and odor, chemicals, etc.
• Great water taste
• Good customer service
• Protect your home appliances, clothes, dishes from contaminants
• Easy to install and replace the filter
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Less effective for city water
• May need a separate sediment filter for longer filter life

8. iSpring WGB22B 2-Stage [Review] – Best Whole House Water Filter for City Water (Budget)

Highlights:

• Effectively remove up to 98% of sediments, rust, VOCs, industrial solvents, herbicides, pesticides, Chlorine taste and odor, and more contaminants.
• Strong water filtration down to 5 microns.
• Fast water flow rate up to 15 GPM.
• Replace every 100,000 gallons of water or 12 months usage.
• Tested to meet NSF/ANSI Standards.

This iSpring whole house water filter is a great choice for filtering municipally treated water because of its 5 microns sediment filter and CTO coconut shell carbon block filter.

Here’s the breakdown of the 2-stage filter functions:

1st stage filter: 5-micron polypropylene (PP) sediment filter to remove rust, dirt, sand, large particles, and more contaminants down to 5 microns.
2nd stage filter: 5-micron high-grade CTO coconut shell carbon block filter to remove Chlorine taste and odor, industrial solvents, VOCs, herbicides, pesticides, and more chemicals.

After hours of comparisons and reviews, I finally picked the iSpring WGB22B whole house water filter as the best budget alternative for a 2-stage whole house water filtration system for its price point and overall performance.

Please note that it’s only great for municipally treated water, so never use it for your private well water.

Also, if fine filtration ability is more important to you, by all means, go for the Home Master HMF2SMGCC (best 2-stage filtration) instead.

Pros:

• High water pressure for the entire house
• Great water taste
• Affordable price
• Simple installation and filters replacement process

Cons:

• Not suitable for well water
• Less effective for treated water with high Chlorine content
• It may cause leaking if not installed properly

9. 3M Aqua-Pure AP903 [Review] – Best High Flow Whole House Water Filter

Highlights:

• Effectively reduces Chlorine taste and odor, chemicals, and other common contaminants.
• Able to reduce sediment, rust, dirt, and large particles.
• Great filtration down to 5 microns.
• Quick Change Cartridge for fast and easy filter replacement.
• High water filtration rate at 20 GPM.
• Replace every 100,000 gallons of water or 1-year usage.

If you already have a whole house sediment filter, then the 3M Aqua-Pure AP903 Whole House Water Filter can be a great second filtration layer after the sediment filter.

It’s a high flow 5-micron carbon block filter that is great in removing Chlorine taste and odor and other contaminants to provide clean filtered water to your entire house with strong water pressure.

Besides, the Sanitary Quick Change (SQC) design of this filtration system saves your time and effort in replacing the filter cartridge.

While the 3M Aqua-Pure AP903 whole house water filter can block sediments like rust, dirt, and particles down to 5 microns, however, it’s not an efficient way as you might have to replace the filter cartridge after 3 months instead of 12 months due to getting clogged by all these large particles.

If you read my other posts, you’ll know that I always recommend getting a sediment filter as a pre-filter before the carbon block filter.

And it’s compulsory if you want your carbon block filter to last longer.

So, if you yet to have any sediment filter, it’s better to include one when you considering this Aqua-Pure whole house water filter, it should come as a set.

Need a sediment filter recommendation?

Well, even before you asked, I already did the time-consuming parts for you, so here are the two flushable whole house sediment filters I recommend:

• Rusco 1-1/2-250-F Polyester Screened Spin-Down Filter System
• iSpring WSP-50 WSP-50-Reusable Spin-Down Sediment Water Filter

Pros:

• High water flow rate at 20 GPM
• Effective in removing Chlorine taste and odor
• Great filtration down to 5 microns
• Produce great taste filtered water
• Long lasting performance

Cons:

• Required a separate sediment filter to work efficiently
• Not suitable for well water with a high concentration of heavy metals
• May experience water pressure drop if using alone without a sediment filter

10. GE GXWH40L+ FXHSC [Review] – Best Compact Whole House Water Filter

Highlights:

• GE FXHSC is a pleated sediment filter that reduces Chlorine and sediments like rust, sand, silt, scale, and more contaminants down to 30 microns.
• High water flow rate up to 10 GPM.
• Filter lifespan lasts up to 24,000 gallons of water or 3 months for a family of four.
• Simple installation.
• Comes with a magnetic filter reminder light.
• The whole system is tested and certified by NSF/ANSI against standard 42.

The GE GXWH40L high flow filter housing plus a GE FXHSC pleated sediment filter cartridge is the most basic whole house water filter for all kind of water source.

By getting this whole house sediment water filter, you can have basic water filtration in under a hundred US dollar which makes it the best budget solution for whole house water filtration.

As you will have to replace the filter 4 times a year, a magnetic filter reminder light is included to aid you in replacing the filter.

If you are looking for a basic filtration or water softener for your entire house, the GE GXWH40L + GE FXHSC sediment filter setup is the best budget solution that I found.

It does its job perfectly by removing sediments like rust, sand, silt, and large particles, which is the main purpose as a whole house water filter.

But since it doesn’t remove Chlorine at all, I’m expecting you to have some point of use water filters in your kitchen and bathroom to remove Chlorine taste and odor, chemicals, and other harmful contaminants.

Alternatively, you may get an extra set of GE GXWH40L (Housing) plus a GE FXHTC (Granular Activated Carbon Filter) and install it behind the sediment filter to deal with Chlorine and other chemicals.

Pros:

• Affordable price
• Great filtration against sediments and other water contaminants down to 30 microns
• High water flow rate up to 10 GPM
• Remove your guesswork with its magnetic filter replacement reminder light
• Easy filter replacement
• Tested and certified by an independent third party

Cons:

• The sediment filter needs to be replaced every 3 months for a family of four
• May experience water pressure drop if not replace on time
• May cause water leaking if the replacement process is not done properly

Here’s What I Look For In The Best Whole House Water Filter

The Best Whole House Water Filter Is Effective In Removing Water Contaminants

The sole purpose of using a whole home water filtration system is to remove contaminants from water to ensure the water entered our houses is clean and safe.

So, it is important to look at the filtration performance when choosing the right water filtration system for your home.

The best whole house water filtration system should be effective in filtering water contaminants to protect your family.

The Best Whole House Water Filter Is Providing High Water Flow Rate

Low water pressure will cause unpleasant experience when using water.

As a whole house water filter supply clean water to every water points in your home, its water flow rate need to be high enough to ensure no significant water pressure drop during simultaneous use of water.

The Best Whole House Water Filter Is Made of High-Quality Materials

For a product like whole house water filter that process water in large volume, its built quality has to be great and durable to last.

Thus, the best whole house water filtration system has to be made of high-quality materials to prevent leaking or breakdown.

The Best Whole House Water Filter Is Affordable And Great Value For Money

The best whole home water filtration system shouldn’t be a significant financial burden to you.

You should only buy a whole house water filter that fits within your budget and give you the best value for your money.

Why You Need A Whole House Water Filter

Without a whole house water filter, the incoming water that carrying sediments and contaminants like rust, sand, heavy metals, little stones, and dust will travel through all your piping system and cause piping degradation.

Also, the bad quality water may damage your washing machine and cause yellowish in your clothing every time you wash.

Not only that, the incoming contaminated water will affect your skin badly during bathing and face cleansing, especially if your home has a baby.

So, why not just install a great whole house water filter and get rid of all the above risks to have a peace of mind?

A single whole house water filter can also prolong the lifespan of all your other point-of-use water filters due to better input water quality, which reduces your overall maintenance cost and hassles.

Tip 1: While a point of entry (POE) whole house water filtration system act as the frontline of water filtration, I’ll still highly recommend you to get a point of use water filter like Reverse Osmosis filter for drinking purpose.

Tip 2: Consider adding a low-cost flushable sediment filter in front of the whole house filtration system to prolong its lifespan, as the main system is what costs more.

Tip 3: As all whole house water filters are designed to operate on certain water pressure range, so if your water pressure is higher than the acceptable range, you’ll need to add a pressure regulator to lower down the water pressure before entering the system.

Tip 4: Before you start using any whole house water filter, always remember to flush the system first to ensure no residuals like carbon flakes entering your pipe system!

How to Choose the Best Whole House Water Filtration System (Buying Guide)

Well, you can spend thousands to get the most powerful whole house water filtration system that treats everything from sediments to viruses, but the question is, do you really need that?

The main purpose of a whole house water filter system is to protect your family from unwanted contaminants to give you peace of mind.

As not all water sources are contaminated by the same type of impurities, so by knowing what is inside your water, you can opt for the best whole house water filter without spending a fortune.

Getting the Right Whole House Water Filter by Knowing Your Water

The first step in getting the right whole house water filtration system is to know the possible contaminants in your water source.

For city water, it could contain the following contaminants:

• Chlorine (disinfectant)
• Chloramine (disinfectant)
• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
• Herbicides
• Pesticides
• Fluoride
• PFOA/PFOS
• Sediments
• Heavy metals
• Bromate
• Haloacetic acids
• Trace Pharmaceuticals
• Industrial Solvents

The disinfectant enters the water during the water treatment process in the plant, while other contaminants could enter the water from the underground path.

For well water, it could contain even more contaminants such as:

• Hard Minerals
• Heavy metals like Mercury, Lead, Iron, and more
• Nitrates
• Chromium
• Arsenic
• Chemicals from Agricultural and Industrial
• Petroleum by-products
• Sediments
• Bacteria
• Parasites
• Cysts
• Viruses
• And more

These are some of the possible contaminants that exist in your water source, but most of the time, your water won’t contain all of these.

The amount and type of contaminants is depending on your area, surrounding, and water treatment plant.

If you stay near an industrial area, there is a higher chance your water may contain industrial solvents and chemicals.

If you stay near a vegetable farm, then your water has a higher risk of containing herbicides and pesticides.

If you are getting municipally treated water, then you should focus on a whole house water filter that is good against sediments, chemicals like chlorine and chloramine, and other common contaminants.

In other words, your whole house filtration system shall contain a sediment filter and at least one activated carbon filter.

If you are getting private well water, then you should go for a whole house water filter that has strong filtration power against sediments, iron, heavy metals, sulfur, and other harmful contaminants or add a UV filter after the last stage of the whole house water filter to kill 99.99% of microorganisms like bacteria (E.Coli), viruses.

To know what type of contaminants is in your water, you may request a report from the water treatment plant or send a water sample to the certified lab for testing.

Once you know the unique contaminants inside your water, it is time to pick the best water filter for the whole house that can reliably get rid of the unwanted contaminants.

Does the Whole House Water Filter Meet NSF International Standards?

NSF International is a voluntary organization that tests and certifies water filter products against the minimum standards recognized by American National Standard Institute (ANSI).

When a whole house water filtration system is tested and certified by NSF/ANSI, we know that its performance is assured.

Here are standards for NSF/ANSI certification:

• NSF 42 – Removal of taste and odor
• NSF 44 – Reduction of hardness for water softeners using a cation exchange resin
• NSF 53 – Reduction of health-related contaminants
• NSF 55 – Removal of bacteria, cysts, and viruses with ultraviolet (UV)
• NSF 58 – Reduction of EPA-regulated contaminants for Reverse Osmosis System (RO)
• NSF 401 – Reduction on 15 emerging compounds such as herbicides, pesticides, and chemical compounds

When buying a whole house water filter, make sure it is NSF/ANSI certified and don’t blindly follow what the water filter company advertised.

Of course, I’m not saying that a water filter system without NSF/ANSI certification is bad, but from a consumer point of view, certified is better than no.

Besides, when a water filter company is willing to pay an expensive fee to get their product tested and certified by NSF/ANSI, it shows that the company is committed to creating a high-quality water filtration system for the long-term.

Bear in mind that NSF/ANSI only tests against the minimum standard, so an NSF-certified whole house water filter doesn’t mean it has the top filtration performance.

There are higher priorities factors that we need to consider, NSF/ANSI certification is just a bonus score for a confidence boost.

Prioritize Reputable Water Filter Brands

As NSF/ANSI certification does not equal quality control, so the probability of getting a bad product is lesser when buying from a reputable water filter company.

To clarify further, while the NSF certification involves regular re-testing of the water filter and on-site inspections of manufacturing facilities to maintain the certification, it is not possible to test all the products of the same model.

So, when the water filter company mass-producing the same model of water filters, a minority of it (or we called “bad batch”) may not meet the NSF/ANSI standards, but they are still NSF/ANSI certified.

Water Flow Rate

All whole house water filtration systems come with a flow rate rating which indicates the maximum water filtration rate, usually in gallon per minute.

Let me give you some idea to estimate the minimum flow rate required for your home.

Therefore, a minimum flow rate of 7 GPM is required for water-using activities to happen simultaneously without pressure drop.

Usually, a whole house water filter with a higher flow rate is preferred, but with a condition, which I will discuss next.

Filtration Strength and Micron Rating

A faster flow rate doesn’t make a whole house water filtration system better unless the filtration strength requirement is fulfilled.

Practically, the water filters with a higher filtration strength or lower micron rating tend to have a slower water filtration rate.

Tip: A filter with a 5-micron rating will block every contaminant that is equal and larger than 5 microns from passing through.

Therefore, you’ll need to decide the sweet spot based on your situation.

If you prefer a long-lasting whole house water filtration system with high filtration strength, then the Aquasana EQ-1000 is probably the best choice for you.

It lasts up to 10 years, with a micron rating of 0.35, and has a 7 GPM flow rate.

If you need a faster flow rate to cater to high water demands, then get a whole house water filtration system with at least 15 GPM like Express Water Heavy Metal or Home Master HMF3SDGFEC.

Filter Lifespan and Maintenance Frequency

No filter can last forever.

All filters will eventually be worn out after a certain period and must be replaced.

The main running cost of a whole house water filtration system is determined by the filter cartridge replacements cost.

Therefore, when you do the maintenance cost calculation of a whole house filtration system, you have to factor in the filter cartridge cost and lifespan.

Here are the typical lifespans of the filter cartridge:

• Sediment filter: 3 to 6 months
• Activated carbon filter: 6 to 12 months
• Ultrafiltration membrane: 1 to 2 years
• Reverse Osmosis membrane: 2 to 3 years

The actual replacement frequency is depending on the water quality and usage.

For instance, the more contaminated the water is, the shorter the filter lifespan, and the more water you used, the more frequent you need to replace the filter cartridge.

For a multi-stage whole house water filtration system, you’ll need to replace the filter cartridges at different intervals according to their types and capacities.

Always aim for a higher capacity filter (if the cost per gallon is not much different) to reduce the frequency of replacing the filter.

What is Your Average Monthly Water Usage?

As a rule of thumb, the higher the monthly water usage, the higher the filter capacity is needed for your home.

You can estimate it based on how many people in your house.

According to USGS, a person uses about 80-100 gallons of water daily.

Let’s take the average of 90 for calculation purpose, a family of four will use about 90 gallons x 365 days x 4 persons, which equal to 131,400 gallons of water.

But of course, we haven’t minus off the time for vacations, shopping, dining out, etc., so I will say roughly about 100,000 gallons capacity is needed to last for 12 months.

But if there are heavy users in the house, like washing their cars a few times in a single month, you need to add that up as well.

It’s neither cost-effective to get a huge capacity water filter with only 2 people in the house nor efficient to get a low capacity water filter with 7 people in the house.

So do remember to estimate the average monthly water usage first before deciding on a whole house water filter.

Quality of Filter Cartridges

The filter cartridges are the core of a water filtration system that decides the overall performance.

Therefore, it is recommended to evaluate the quality of each cartridge in the water filtration system.

Each filter is made to handle specific contaminants up to a certain percentage or level.

For instance, some carbon filters can remove up to 95% of chlorine, but some can remove up to 99.5%.

Please note that the actual figure is depending on your water quality, it can be 60%, 70%, 80%, or 95%.

Also, a filter cartridge that can only remove iron up to 3 ppm is not suitable for you if the iron concentration in your water is higher than 3 ppm.

Therefore, choose a higher quality filter cartridge media with more advanced technology.

Number of Filter Cartridges

The number of filter cartridges in a whole house water filtration system will also affect the overall filtration performance and efficiency of the system.

Generally, the more filter cartridges, the better the filtration performance, subject to the type of filter cartridges.

But it doesn’t mean you need to build a 5 to 7 stages whole house water filtration system, which is redundant and wasting money.

For whole house filtration purposes, 1 to 3 stages are the ideal number.

Where are You Going to Put the Whole House Water Filtration System?

If you install the water filter in the outdoor area which is exposed to direct sunlight and rain, then the filter housing material and quality become important to withstand the weather.

With that being said, you should only consider filters that come with a robust housing for an exposed outdoor location.

While for the indoor or covered location, high-quality plastic housing will do the job well.

System Size and Available Space

Are you staying in a landed house or a high-rise apartment?

A whole house water filter is just like a point-of-use multi-stage water filtration system but at a larger scale – higher capacity and faster water flow rate.

Therefore, the dimension of a whole house water filtration system is usually larger than point-of-use under-sink and countertop filtration systems.

Before buying, make sure to measure the available space and decide the location for the whole house water filter.

Usually, there are more spaces to install a whole house water filter for a landed house, so the system size is not a major concern.

But for high-rise apartments, the space to put the water filter could be a major issue.

In this case, a space-efficient whole house water filter could be the wise choice to get the best balance between space and filter capacity.

Water Hardness Level

If your water source is slightly or medium-hard, you can choose a whole house water filtration system with the softening or descaling feature like the Aquasana system to prevent limescale build-up on your bathroom floors or appliances.

However, if your water is hard or very hard, I’ll highly recommend you get a separate water softener or water conditioner to get rid of the excess minerals.

System Cost and Your Budget

This is a very realistic question, no problem with it.

In this consumer report, 89% said price is the number one factor when it comes to purchasing.

When you are deciding on a whole house water filtration system, you need to gauge between your affordability and system functionality.

Also, don’t just see the initial purchase price, but also take into account the filter replacements cost when calculating the actual cost of ownership.

A whole house water filtration system can last for many years, so it is more accurate to calculate the initial purchase price along with on-going maintenance costs.

Some whole house water filters may cost more upfront but with lower running cost, which makes the average yearly ownership cost lower compared to some with low initial price but expensive filter cartridges replacement cost.

For instance, let’s take the three 2-stage whole house water filters mentioned in my above reviews.

Three of them are capable to remove sediments, chlorine taste and odor, and the majority of common contaminants.

The obvious differences are the filtration capability and product price.

Now. let’s rank them accordingly.

Filtration Capability Ranking:

1. Home Master HMF2SMGCC (down to 1 micron and able to remove Chloramines and water-soluble heavy metals)
2. Home Master HMF2SDGC (down to 1 micron)
3. iSpring WGB22B (down to 5 microns)

Product Price Ranking:

1. iSpring WGB22B
2. Home Master HMF2SDGC
3. Home Master HMF2SMGCC

By looking at the differences, all you need to do is to gauge the balance between price and filtration capability.

If budget allowed and you need to remove Chloramines or heavy metals, go for Home Master HMF2SMGCC.

If the budget is tight, go for iSpring WGB22B or a single stage whole house water filter.

That’s how you decide the right whole house water filter for your home.

Only Pay for What You Need or Slightly More

Unless you have a lot of money to spend, otherwise, it is better to pay for what you need or just slightly more to prepare for the unknown.

If you are using municipally treated water, you don’t have to buy an expensive water filtration system that capable to destroy viruses, because they are almost non-existence in city water.

Likewise, if your water is soft, why pay for a water softening system?

Waste money, space, and time.

The best whole house water filtration system is not the most expensive one, but the one that fits your situation the most.

Should You Get a Whole House Reverse Osmosis System?

Whole whole RO system is not recommended unless you really need it.

Three reasons – flow rate, water efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.

Let me explain.

A whole house water filtration system is meant to be installed at the entry point (water inlet) to filter every single drop of water entering your house.

The filtered water is then distributed to all the water taps in your house.

Slow Water Flow Rate

Reverse Osmosis is a powerful filtration process that removes most of the contaminants including dissolved solids, but the water filtration rate is slower compared to a non-RO filtration system.

Therefore, a Reverse Osmosis system is mostly installed in the kitchen to produce drinking water.

Water Efficiency

The Reverse Osmosis process will produce wastewater (or brine) at the ratio of 1:1 to 1:4, which further discourages people to use it as a point-of-entry (POE) system.

Imagine every drop of water you used for washing hands, showering, and flushing toilet bowl is at the cost of 1 to 4 times of wastewater, that is a lot of water wasted, and your water bill is going to skyrocket!

So, it is better to use a Reverse Osmosis system as a point-of-use (POU) system.

Cost-Effectiveness

A Reverse Osmosis filter is expensive, so it is costly to use it for whole house water filtration.

Also, don’t forget the cost of wastewater (brine).

Comparison of the Best Whole House Water Filter (Table)

Here’s the comparison table for the top 10 best whole house water filters:

FAQs for Best Whole House Water Filtration Systems for Well Water

Conclusion: The Best Whole House Water Filter Is Filter That Meets Your Needs The Most And Is Priced Reasonably

Have you found the best whole house water filter for your home?

I hope you do.

As you already know, a whole house water filtration system is important for you and your family members to enjoy clean water for showering, washing, cooking ,and more.

If your budget allows, just get the best one for your family, it’s definitely worth the investment!

As each family has different preferences, requirements, and budgets, so I listed out multiple options that are the best in a certain area to fulfill the needs of different families.

Ultimately, the best whole house water filtration system for your home is the one that fulfills your needs and budget the most.

Read Next:

• The 10 Best Water Dispenser for Home & Office
• Top 10 Under Counter Water Filtration System
• The 10 Types of Common Water Filtration System

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