Review: Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Aug 4, 2023
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The Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System offers whole house sediment and carbon filtration without the need for regular filter changes. Furthermore, it uses an automatic ‘Clean Rinse’ cycle to flush away accumulated contaminants.
The system also offers several other interesting features including electronic controls, a small size, and a built-in bypass.
Let’s take a closer look to see if the Morton MCWF delivers on the promises made by its manufacturer and if it’s worth the money.
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Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Media: | Activated Carbon + Quartz |
| Filter Capacity: | 570,000-2,280,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 6 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | – |
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Overall Rating: 3.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System – All Specs
- Model: MCWF
- Annual Maintenance Cost: $0
- Filter Media/Process: Activated Carbon and Quartz Media
- Flow Rate: 6 gpm
- Filtering Capacity: 570,000-2,280,000 gal or 10 Years
- WxHxD: 13.5″x36.13″x12.13″
- Weight: 45 lb.
- Water Temperature: 40-100 °F
- Water Pressure: 30-125 psi
- Fitting: 1″ Male NPT
- NSF Certifications: Standard 42 (Reduction of Chlorine Taste and Odor), Standard 372
- Warranty: 1 Year Parts, 10 Years Media Tank
Morton MCWF – Key Features
The Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System is a basic whole house water filter for chlorine and sediment removal. It will improve the taste and odor of water at every faucet in your home in addition to protecting your home’s pipes and water-consuming appliances from sediment accumulation.
The system is designed to be used for both city and well water applications.
It features a 30-micron sediment filter which will remove 95% of particles larger than 30 microns – which is a little underwhelming as much of the competition offers 5-micron sediment filtration. The activated carbon filter will remove an average of 82.8% of chlorine, which is once again rather underwhelming. Besides, a filter that has difficulty with basic chlorine removal is not likely to be effective at removing more stubborn organic chemicals.
With a flow rate of 6 gallons per minute, the system can accommodate a maximum of 1 to 1.5 bathrooms. This makes it less of a legitimate whole house system, and more of an apartment/condo unit.
The system does feature a compact design that allows it to be installed in locations that would be difficult or impossible for larger-sized units.
It’s also self-cleaning, meaning it doesn’t require sediment filter changes and sends some of the accumulated impurities down the drain. This also means the system requires a drain connection to operate.
Morton states the system will last for 10 years under normal water conditions, or between 570,000 and 2,280,000 gallons capacity depending on chlorine concentration.
The manufacturer offers a 10-year warranty on the media tank and a 1-year warranty on parts.
Morton Whole House Water Filter Pros
The main pro of this Morton whole house water filter is the cheap price. This system really is significantly cheaper than most of the competition.
Plus, the self-cleaning function makes system maintenance significantly less involved. The cleaning frequency can also be programmed into the system based on your home’s water conditions.
Installation is also fairly straightforward, with a DIY installation kit and detailed installation instructions included. A bypass valve is also part of the package – making installation and maintenance easier to perform.
Lastly, the space-saving, compact design makes the system ideal for smaller spots that would be difficult or impossible to fit in a larger system.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
The system will remove both sediment and chlorine taste/odor from your water. As the system only features basic carbon and sediment filtration it will not remove a significant degree of chloramine or other organic chemicals.
The Morton MCWF – learn more on Amazon.com
Installation
Installation is slightly more complex than installing other whole house filter systems. Why? The system requires both a drain connection and a power outlet connection for the control unit.
A nearby drain is needed to carry away the ‘Clean Rinse’ discharge water. This can be a floor drain, laundry tub, sump, or standpipe. Whichever option is used, a ½” air gap is required between the drain line and the drain to prevent sewer water backflow. If no drain line connection is hooked up, the system can still be used in ‘manual Clean Rinse’ mode with the ‘automatic Clean Rinse’ function disabled.
Installation can be completed on your own if you’re comfortable with plumbing and basic DIY, or you can hire a professional plumber or contractor to complete the process for you.
Please consider these instructions as a general guideline. Always make sure to check and follow your user manual before getting started.
Tools and Materials needed for installation:
- Pipe (copper, PVC, or PEX)
- Pipe cutter
- Adjustable wrenches
- Plumber’s tape
- 2 x 1-inch NPT sweat adapters
- 2 x grounding clamps and #4 copper wire (if installing on metal pipe)
- Torch, plumbing solder, plumbing flux (if using copper pipe)
The system comes bundled with the necessary bypass valve, so you don’t have to source one or build one separately.
Installation instructions:
- First, shut off the main water supply valve to your home. Then open all faucets downstream of the water line to drain the remaining water from your plumbing.
- Position the unit in its installation location. The unit must be level, so if necessary use a section of plywood shim underneath to level it out.
- Now, you’ll need to measure, cut, and loosely assemble the pipe and fittings from the main water pipe to the inlet and the outlet ports on the system head. Be sure to align the system correctly with the inlet and outlet ports by consulting the directional arrows. Also, be sure to support any plumbing so that there is minimal stress on the inlet and outlet. Complete the inlet and outlet plumbing for the pipes you’ll use.
- If installing the unit in a house with metal pipes, it’s important to install grounding clamps to maintain the grounding of your water line. Install grounding clamps and a #4 copper wire across the removed section of the main water pipe. This step only applies if you are using the included plastic bypass valve, if using a 3-valve bypass installation, grounding is maintained and you can skip this step.
- Measure, cut, and connect the included 3/8” drain line to the drain fitting on the unit using a hose clamp. Then, run the drain hose to the floor drain and secure it, leaving a ½” air gap.
- Now, make sure the bypass valve is set to the ‘bypass’ position with the handle pushed in. Fully open the main water supply line. Open a faucet in the house to refill the plumbing. Now, slowly move the bypass valve to the normal position, pausing occasionally to allow the system to pressurize. Check for leaks as you do this.
- Your system is now installed and ready to use. All that’s left to do is connect the system to an electrical outlet and run the startup procedure.
Video
The Package (Parts)
- MCWF system
- Bypass valve
- Drain hose
- Clips
- Hose clamps
- Adaptor elbow
Maintenance
As the Morton MCWF whole house water filter is self-cleaning, very little maintenance is required to keep it running. The ‘Clean Rinse’ cycle will automatically flush, clean, and rinse itself, eliminating the need for filter changes.
When leaving the system unattended for extended periods, if the water supply is connected and the ‘Clean Rinse’ function is left on, then nothing further is needed. If the water supply will be disconnected or the power supply is disabled, or the ‘Clean Rinse’ function can’t be used for any other reason, then the ‘Clean Rinse’ cycle should be run twice manually before using the system.
If there is a possibility of the system freezing, the system should be disconnected and completely drained to prevent damage.
Manual
Here is a link to the official manual:
https://www.mortonwatersofteners.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7339955_L.pdf
NSF and Other Certifications
Morton reports that the system is tested and certified against NSF/ANSI Standard 42 for chlorine taste/odor reduction as well as NSF/ANSI Standard 372 for lead-free plumbing. However, we could not find any documentation for this, so maybe take it with a grain of salt.
Earlier Product Versions
The Morton MCWF Whole House Water Filtration System has no earlier product versions as far as we are aware.
Morton Whole House Water Filtration System Cons
Unfortunately, the Morton MCWF underperforms in several key areas.
First, while the system is marketed as a whole house filter, its 6 gallons per minute flow rate is too low for anything more than 1 to 1.5 bathrooms. Second, its 30-micron sediment filter is significantly less effective than the 5-micron sediment filters commonly found in most other whole house water filters on the market. And finally, with an average of only 82.8% chlorine removal, the system doesn’t inspire a whole lot of confidence.
Additionally, while the product manual states that the system is tested and certified to NSF Standards 42 and 372, there is no readily available documentation verifying this.
Morton MCWF Review: Our Verdict + Best for
Overall, this Morton whole house water filter is only capable of basic municipal water filtration, and even then, its performance is unimpressive. It won’t even remove anywhere close to 90% chlorine – no to speak about chloramine or other harder-to-remove organic chemicals.
Good news is, it is highly affordable, so if you wanted to use the system for clean city water that only requires chlorine reduction, it could work.
Our Rating in Detail:
- Filtration Performance: 2.5/5.0
- Filter Capacity (Life): 4.0/5.0
- Purchase Price: 5.0/5.0
- Annual Cost: 5.0/5.0
- Overall: 3.0/5.0
Comparison to Other Whole House Water Filters
To give you a better idea of how the Morton system stacks up against the competition, let’s compare it to two of the most popular whole house water filters.
SpringWell CF |
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| Price: | $$$ |
| Filter Media: | 5-Micron Sediment, Catalytic Carbon, KDF |
| Filter Capacity: | 1,000,000 gal or 6 Years |
| Water Flow Rate: | 9-20 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ~$40 |
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Overall Rating: 5.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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Kind E-1000 |
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| Price: | $$ |
| Filter Media: | 5-Micron Sediment, Catalytic Carbon Block |
| Filter Capacity: | 12 Months |
| Water Flow Rate: | 15 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | ~$145 |
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Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
Get 5% Off! Use Code: |
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Morton MCWF |
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| Price: | $ |
| Filter Media: | Activated Carbon + Quartz |
| Filter Capacity: | 570,000-2,280,000 gal |
| Water Flow Rate: | 6 gpm |
| Annual Cost: | – |
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Overall Rating: 3.0/5.0 ⓘRating based on filtration performance, filter life, price and yearly cost, NSF testing/certification, customer support, product warranty, our testing/experience, user feedback, and other factors.
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The SpringWell CF is a tank-based whole house filter system with three filter stages: a 5-micron pre-filter, catalytic carbon, and a KDF media bed. This combination offers a high degree of filtration and will remove chlorine, chloramine, heavy metals, VOCs, pesticides, herbicides, and trihalomethanes, as well as control the growth of algae, bacteria, viruses, and fungi. SpringWell offers the system in three different sizes, with flow rates of 9, 12, or 20 respectively. The system costs significantly more than the Morton, starting at $1,016 for the smallest unit, but it’s also significantly more powerful removing a broad range of potentially harmful water contaminants.
The Kind E-1000 (read the full review here) is another whole house filter system but is cartridge-based rather than tank-based. This means that it requires annual filter changes of both its 5-micron sediment filter stage and its catalytic carbon block. The two stages combined will remove a wide array of contaminants, including chlorine, chloramine, herbicides, industrial solvents, VOCs, THMs, etc. The system also has an impressive flow rate of 15 gpm – enough for larger houses with 4+ bathrooms. The system costs less than the SpringWell, but annual filter replacements total about $145 annually, so that adds up over time.
Comparing the above two systems with the Morton reveals several drawbacks. Its 6 gpm is too low to be a realistic ‘whole house’ system, while its lackluster filtration process doesn’t hold a candle to the Kind or SpringWell. The only area where the Morton comes out ahead is on price, but given its uninspiring performance, this is a small consolation.
More Morton Reviews:
This completes our review of the Morton MCWF whole house water filter. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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