Written by: Alexandra Uta // Expert Fact-Checking: Buddhini Dolapihilla, MBSS // Last Updated: Jan 31, 2024
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Whole house alkaline water filters balance water pH which protects plumbing and appliances from corrosion.
Plus, most systems will enrich your water with beneficial minerals that can also improve its taste.
But with so many models out there, how do you find the best whole house alkaline water filter for your home? Easy! This guide will help you find your ideal system at the lowest price.
Product | Details | |
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Best for Water pH 6.0 or Higher: SpringWell SCN1-6 |
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Price: $$ Type: Calcite Filter Feed Water pH: 6.0 or Higher Output Water pH: Around Neutral (7.0) Flow Rate: 12 gpm Read Review: Click |
Best for Water pH 5.0 or Higher: USWS Matrixx |
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Price: $$ Type: Calcite + Magnesium Oxide Filter Feed Water pH: 5.0 or Higher Output Water pH: Around Neutral (7.0) Flow Rate: 10-20 gpm Read Review: Click |
Best for Any Water pH: US Water Precision Injection System |
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Price: $$ Type: Soda Ash Injection System Feed Water pH: Any Output Water pH: Any Flow Rate: 1-50 gpm Read Review: Click |
Best Budget Pick: Flexx Pro |
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Price: $ Type: Calcite + Magnesium Oxide Filter Feed Water pH: 5.0 or Higher Output Water pH: Around Neutral (7.0) Flow Rate: 10-20 gpm Read Review: Click |
Our Top Picks
In our opinion, the best whole house alkaline water filter in 2024 is the SpringWell SCN1-6.
It’s ideal for acidic (well) water with a pH of 6.0 or higher. The filter raises overall water pH to neutral reducing metal leaching from pipes – think copper, lead, etc.
SpringWell SCN1-6 Calcite pH Neutralizer |
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Price: | $$ |
Filter Type: | Calcite |
Feed Water pH: | 6.0+ |
Output Water pH: | ~7.0 |
Water: | 12 Gallons Per Minute |
Our Rating
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Pros
Cons
Best for
The SpringWell SCN1-6 whole house alkaline water filtration system is best for neutralizing acidic water with a minimum pH of 6.0.
In our opinion, the best whole house alkaline water filtration system for pH 5.0 or higher is the US Water Systems Matrixx.
Pros
Cons
Best for
The USWS Matrixx is best for balancing water with pH 5.0 or higher.
We recommend the USWS Precision Injection System if you want to raise your water pH without raising water hardness – regardless of how low said feed water pH is. Besides, the system can handle any flow rate between 1 and 50 gpm which is great for really large homes!
Pros
Cons
Best for
The US Water Precision Injection pH Balancing System is suited for all pH and flow rate levels. It’s ideal for people who want to neutralize their acidic water supply without adding hardness.
Looking for a low-budget alkaline whole house water filter? Make sure to check out the Flexx Pro Series! It uses calcite or a mixture of calcite and magnesium oxide to increase the pH level of your water by adding minerals to it.
Gallery
Pros
Cons
Best for
The Flexx Pro Series is the best whole house alkaline water filtration system for people on a low budget.
If you swear by NSF certifications, you might want to take a closer look at the SoftPro pH Neutralizer Calcite Water Filter sold by Quality Water Treatment. The SoftPro head valve is fully NSF-certified.
SoftPro Whole House Alkaline Water Filter |
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Price: | $$$ |
Filter Type: | Calcite |
Feed Water pH: | 5.5+ |
Output Water pH: | ~7.0 |
Water: | 5-10+ Gallons Per Minute |
Our Rating
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Pros
Cons
Best for
The SoftPro pH Neutralizer Calcite Water Filter is best if you don’t mind paying a bit extra for NSF-certified components.
The Crystal Quest not only makes your water more alkaline, it also mineralizes it using a blend of magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, white ceramic balls, tourmaline balls, and infrared balls. According to the manufacturer, this mineralization of water provides several health benefits such as reduction of bodily acids.
Pros
Cons
Best for
The Crystal Quest whole house system is best if you want alkaline water that’s also full of various minerals beneficial for direct consumption.
If you live in a small home and prefer cartridge-based whole house alkaline water filters, the Crystal Quest might be just what you are looking for!
Pros
Cons
Best for
Crystal Quest’s Big Blue whole house alkaline filter system is best for very small homes who don’t have the space to install a larger system and don’t mind filter cartridge replacements.
How do the best whole house alkaline water filter systems perform when directly compared?
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Model | Price | Filter Type | Feed Water pH | Output Water pH | Water | Additional Info |
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SpringWell SCN1-6 Calcite pH Neutralizer | $$ | Calcite | 6.0+ | ~7.0 | 12 Gallons Per Minute | |
USWS Matrixx pH Balancing Backwashing Filter System | $$ | Calcite + Magnesium Oxide | 5.0+ | ~7.0 | 10-20 Gallons Per Minute | |
US Water Precision Injection pH Balancing System | $$ | Soda Ash Injection | Any | Any | 1-50 Gallons Per Minute | |
Flexx Pro Series Backwashing pH Neutralizer Filter | $ | Calcite + Magnesium Oxide | 5.0+ | ~7.0 | 10-20 Gallons Per Minute | |
SoftPro Whole House Alkaline Water Filter | $$$ | Calcite | 5.5+ | ~7.0 | 5-10+ Gallons Per Minute | |
Crystal Quest Whole House Water Alkalizer System | $$ | Alkaline + Remineralization | Any | Not Specified | 9-13 Gallons Per Minute | |
Crystal Quest Big Blue Whole House Alkaline Water Filter | $ | Alkaline + Remineralization | Any | Not Specified | 4-6 Gallons Per Minute |
The following are key features worth considering when shopping for a whole house alkaline water filter. They will help you choose the right on for your needs and budget.
When it comes to alkaline water filters, there are different filter types for different feed water pH levels.
Calcite filters are the most common type and are appropriate for feed water with a pH of 6 or above. These filters utilize a tank containing calcite (calcium carbonate) which dissolves calcite into water as it passes through. Refilling the calcite is required as it dissolves into your water, the frequency of which depends on your water’s pH level and how often you use the filter. Some calcite filters require backwashing to flush out accumulated sediment and prevent channeling – which occurs when holes form in the media bed and water begins to flow around rather than through the media.
At a pH level between 5 and 6, a mixture of calcite and magnesium oxide is typically used. The lower the pH level, the more magnesium oxide there should be. Magnesium oxide works in the same manner as calcite, in that it releases magnesium into your water as it flows through the filter.
For very low pH levels below 5, a soda ash injection system is the preferred filter type. This system works slightly differently than the two types described above, in that it directly injects a preset level of dissolved soda ash into the water stream. A pump is used to control the level of soda ash injected based on the flow rate of your (well) water.
Flow rate refers to the total capacity of an alkaline filter to process water at one time. Whenever you’re considering a whole house system, flow rates are important to keep in mind as too low a flow rate will lead to low-pressure issues when running multiple outlets at once.
Flow rates are measured in gallons per minute (gpm), but many manufacturers will also provide a figure for the number of bathrooms the system can provide for.
A whole house alkaline filter system for a larger home with 4 to 6 bathrooms will need at least 10 to 15 gallons per minute.
Standalone alkaline filters do not remove any contaminants from water. Instead, they simply release a pH-raising compound like calcite, magnesium oxide, or soda ash.
Other systems include additional stages to remove a variety of contaminants before the alkalizing filter stage.
For example, sediment filters are typically used as a preliminary filter stage to remove sand, silt, dirt, and sediments before they can clog the later filter stages. Activated carbon filter stages are used to remove VOCs, pesticides, industrial solvents, and disinfectants like chlorine and chloramine among other things.
When it comes to installation, most whole house alkaline water filters can be installed on your own provided you have basic DIY and plumbing knowledge. Some systems come with bypass valves, while others do not.
As far as maintenance is concerned, most basic tank-based systems only require periodic refilling of the media as needed. Cartridge-based systems will require periodic replacement of the filter cartridges.
Whenever you’re considering investing significant money into a whole house filter, a good warranty is something to look out for. The systems reviewed above feature a variety of warranty types, everything from one year to limited lifetime warranties.
Whole house alkaline water filters tend to be on the cheaper side when it comes to POE water filtration. Cheaper units can be purchased for just $500, while higher-end systems cost between $1,000 and $2,000.
More on Whole House Alkaline Water Filters
A whole house alkaline water filter is a device designed to raise the pH of your home’s water supply. These systems will process all of the water coming into your home, so you’ll have neutral or alkaline water coming from every faucet, showerhead, and outlet.
Whole home alkaline filters are typically used with water supplied by a well, as well water is significantly more likely to have a low (acidic) pH than municipal water.
Put simply, water pH is a measure of how acidic or basic it is. The higher the pH level, the more basic the solution, the lower the pH level, the more acidic. A pH level of 7 is considered neutral – neither acidic nor basic.
When it comes to drinking water, the EPA recommends a pH level of 6.5 to 8.5. This is generally a good recommendation, although there are exceptions to this, namely reverse osmosis water which tends to be slightly more acidic due to its exceptionally low level of minerals and dissolved solids.
As mentioned above, there are three primary types of whole house alkaline water filters. The ideal type for you will vary depending on how low your water’s pH level is.
There are several concrete benefits to raising the pH of water in your home, as well as some more questionable claims about the health benefits of alkaline drinking water. Let’s examine these one at a time.
Acidic water has the potential to corrode pipes and fixtures eventually causing pinhole leaks. Pinhole leaks are tiny pin-sized holes that can develop in copper pipe over time when it’s exposed to acidic water for a long time.
Acidic water can also cause damage to household appliances like dishwashers and washing machines – prematurely reducing their lifespan.
This danger can be entirely eliminated if you balance the pH of acidic water to around 7.
Corrosive acidic water can also cause leaching from your metal plumbing. This occurs when acidic water eats away at the inside of your home’s pipes and imparts water with dissolved metals.
Not surprisingly, metal leaching from piping will not only lead to stains and pinhole leaks but will also impart an unpleasant metallic taste in your drinking water.
Besides, leaching from metal pipes can greatly increase the copper, lead, and zinc content in your water – which can lead to a host of health problems.
Increasing the water’s pH level using an alkaline filter will resolve each of the above issues.
While the above-mentioned issues are well-documented benefits of increasing your water’s pH level, there are also several claimed health benefits about alkaline water that may or may not have any validity to them.
It’s important to note that there is little to no solid scientific research on the health claims of alkaline water.
Let’s take a look at these claimed benefits one by one.
Your body’s pH level is naturally maintained at or near a neutral pH level of 7. Proponents of alkaline water claim that drinking alkaline water will balance your body’s pH level from acidic to neutral, but there is no solid evidence for this. Your body has natural mechanisms for regulating its pH level, including excreting more acid through urine and breathing out more carbon dioxide.
In fact, when you drink alkaline water, it is quickly neutralized by your stomach acid.
There is no evidence that alkaline water offers improved hydration over any other type of water. Hydration is a function of how much water you drink and is not significantly affected by pH levels.
Proponents of alkaline water claim it can improve digestion by altering the pH levels of your body. This is not likely to be the case, as your stomach quickly neutralizes the pH of alkaline water on contact.
Improved skin health through increased absorption of essential nutrients is another claim made by alkaline water advocates. Again, there is no scientific research to back this up, but hydration in general does improve the appearance of our skin.
Another health claim made by alkaline water supporters is that it acts as an antioxidant in the body, boosting the immune system. Once again, no scientific evidence to date has backed this claim.
Lastly, anti-aging through the antioxidant effect of alkaline water is another claimed benefit. While it’s true that staying hydrated will help you look healthy and fit, there is no evidence that alkaline water does this better than any other water.
Questions? Ask away!
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