Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated:
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Whole house water filters, also known as point-of-entry (POE) water filtration systems, are perfect to clean all water entering a home before it gets distributed to the various outlets like faucets and showers.
A good filter will improve the smell and taste of your water and make it safer for consumption by removing potentially harmful contaminants. Some filtration systems might even reduce hardness. This means less staining on surfaces, softer laundry, and healthier looking hair and skin.
The only problem: There are so many whole house water filters to choose from. And, of course, you don’t want to waste your hard-earned cash making a wrong buying decision. So which one is ideal for your needs? Here is our collection of the best whole house water filters currently available on the market.
On This Page You Will…
Systems | Our Rating | Price | Filter Life | Flow Rate | Annual Cost | Warranty | Responsive |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() Best Whole House Water Filter for Municipal (Tap) Water: SpringWell CF4 | Read Review | $$ | 1M gal | 12 gpm | ~$40 | Lifetime | ![]() Best Whole House Water Filter for Municipal (Tap) Water: SpringWell CF4 Our Rating: Read Review |
![]() Best Water Filtration System for Well Water: SpringWell WS4 | Read Review | $$$$ | 18-25 Years | 20 gpm | - | Lifetime | ![]() Best Water Filtration System for Well Water: SpringWell WS4 Our Rating: Read Review We recommend pairing the SpringWell WS4 with the CF4 (row above) for a more complete treatment. |
We recommend pairing the SpringWell WS4 with the CF4 (row above) for a more complete treatment. | |||||||
![]() The Runner-Up for Tap Water: Pelican PC1000 | Read Review | $$ | 1M gal | 12 gpm | ~$30-40 | Lifetime | ![]() The Runner-Up for Tap Water: Pelican PC1000 Our Rating: Read Review |
![]() Best Whole House Cartridge Water Filter for Tap Water with Chlorine: NU Aqua | Read Review | $ | 100,000 gal | 15 gpm | ~$150 | 3 Years | ![]() Best Whole House Cartridge Water Filter for Tap Water with Chlorine: NU Aqua Our Rating: Read Review |
![]() Best Whole House Cartridge Water Filter for Well Water: Home Master HMF3SdgFeC | Read Review | $$ | Varies | 15 gpm | $260+ | 2 Years | ![]() Best Whole House Cartridge Water Filter for Well Water: Home Master HMF3SdgFeC Our Rating: Read Review Use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout and get FREE SHIPPING! |
Use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout and get FREE SHIPPING! | |||||||
![]() Best Whole House Sediment Filter: Custom Home Master | Read Review | $ | Varies | 20 gpm | ~$190 | 2 Years | ![]() Best Whole House Sediment Filter: Custom Home Master Our Rating: Read Review Use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout and get FREE SHIPPING! |
Use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout and get FREE SHIPPING! |
Review Order
In our opinion, the best whole house water filter for municipal water in 2021 is the SpringWell CF4. It turns even the nastiest tap waters into great-tasting, odorless H2O. 5 stars!
![]() SpringWell CF4 Whole House Water Filter System | |
Price: | $$ |
Filter Capacity: | 1 Million Gallons or 6 Yrs. |
Water: | 12 gpm |
Annual Cost: | ~$40 |
Warranty: | Lifetime |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
→ Read Our Full SpringWell Water Filtration System Review Here
In our opinion, the best whole house water filter for well water in 2021 is the SpringWell WS4 combined with the SpringWell CF4. Especially the WS4 is not a bargain, but it’s the perfect solution to well water contaminated with iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide. Paired with the CF4, you get access to water 100% odorless and with the cleanest taste. It’ll also be much healthier with zero (or reduced) chemicals, organics, and heavy metals. Definitely 5 stars!
Please note: To learn all about the SpringWell CF4 whole house filter check the review above. Here are all the important details about the WS4:
![]() SpringWell WS4 Whole House Well Water Filter System | |
Price: | $$$$ |
Filter Capacity: | 18-25 Yrs. |
Water: | 20 gpm |
Annual Cost: | Only for Backwashing |
Warranty: | Lifetime |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
We wanted to provide you with an alternative for municipal whole house water treatment in case you don’t like the SpringWell CF4 for whatever reason. Thus, let us introduce you to the Pelican PC1000 whole house water filter system. It’s a tad more expensive than the SpringWell CF4, but people who installed it could immediately tell the difference in their water quality: Clean & refreshing taste, odorless, and more gentle to the skin. All in all, the price is still fair making it an ideal choice for basic filtration needs.
![]() Pelican PC1000 Whole House Water Filter | |
Price: | $$ |
Filter Capacity: | 1M Gallons or 5 Yrs. |
Water: | 12 gpm |
Annual Cost: | ~$30-40 |
Warranty: | Lifetime |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
→ Read Our Full Pelican PC1000 Review Here
In our opinion, the best whole house cartridge water filter for chlorinated city water in 2021 is the NU Aqua 3 Stage Whole House Water Filtration System. Just like the 3 products reviewed above, the NU Aqua provides clean, filtered water for the entire house. The big difference, however, is that – and this goes for cartridge water filters in general – the system is much lower cost upfront. But even in the realm of whole house cartridge water filters it’s surprisingly cheap, considering all the extra features. Bottom line: 4.5 stars!
![]() NU Aqua 3 Stage Whole House Water Filter System | |
Price: | $ |
Filter Capacity: | 100,000 Gallons or 6 Months |
Water: | 15 gpm |
Annual Cost: | ~$150 |
Warranty: | 3 Yrs. |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
In our opinion, the best whole house cartridge water filter for well water in 2021 is the Home Master HMF3SdgFeC. It was specifically designed for chlorine free water supplies with low levels of iron. The promise: Provide an entire home with water freed from bad tastes and odors. Water that doesn’t stain clothes, sinks, and toilets etc., and that doesn’t damage water-using appliances. 4.5 stars!
Make sure to use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout for FREE SHIPPING!
![]() Home Master HMF3SdgFeC Whole House Water Filtration System | |
Price: | $$ |
Filter Capacity: | Varies |
Water: | 15 gpm |
Annual Cost: | $260+ |
Warranty: | 2 Yrs. |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
→ Read Our Full Home Master HMF3SdgFeC Review Here
In our opinion, the best whole house sediment filter in 2021 is a custom Home Master system. The setup uses step-down filtration ideal for applications with several sediment water problems. Step-down filtration? It means multiple filters in a row, each stage with a lower micron rating and thus a more thorough filtration than its predecessor. This approach prevents premature clogging of the finer filters. In our case, we use three 4.5″ x 20″ pleated sediment filters rated at 30, 5 and 1 micron.
Make sure to use our coupon code BOSFREEWH at checkout for FREE SHIPPING!
How to Create Your Own Custom Whole House Filter System
To create your own custom whole house filtration system, visit this link and go through the following steps (sounds more complicated than it is):
Done! Now Home Master will build the filtration system for you.
![]() Custom Home Master Whole House Water Filtration System | |
Price: | $ |
Filter Capacity: | Varies |
Water: | 20 gpm |
Annual Cost: | ~$190 |
Warranty: | 2 Yrs. |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
Last but not least, a whole house water filter for everyone on a tight budget. 3M’s Aqua-Pure AP903 makes your water look, smell, and taste delicious. Since it won’t help to get rid of most smaller contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides it’s best for people that have fairly clean water already.
![]() 3M Aqua-Pure AP903 Whole House Water Filtration System | |
Price: | $ |
Filter Capacity: | 100,000 Gallons or 12 Months |
Water: | 20 gpm |
Annual Cost: | ~$150 |
Warranty: | 25 Yrs. |
Our Rating |
Pros
Cons
Model | Price | Micron Rating | Filter Capacity | Filters |
---|---|---|---|---|
SpringWell CF4 Whole House Water Filter System | $$ | 5 | 1,000,000 Gallons of Water | Sediment (Dirt) Pre-Filter Stage, Catalytic Granular Activated Coconut Shell Carbon, KDF-55 |
SpringWell WS4 Whole House Well Water Filter System | $$$$ | - | 18-25 Years | Air Injection Oxidation, Greensand |
Pelican PC1000 Whole House Water Filter System | $$ | 5 | 1,000,000 Gallons of Water | Sediment (Dirt) Pre-Filter Stage, Catalytic Granular Activated Coconut Shell Carbon Filter Media, KDF-55 |
NU Aqua 3 Stage Whole House Water Filtration System | $ | 5 | 100,000 Gallons of Filtered Water | Sediment Filter, 2x Carbon Filters (Granular Carbon Filter + Carbon Block Filter) |
Home Master HMF3SdgFeC Whole House Cartridge Water Filter for Well Water | $$ | 1-25 | Varies | Multi-Gradient Density Sediment Filter, Iron Filter, Granular Activated Carbon Filter |
Home Master Custom Whole Home Sediment Filtration System | $ | 1-30 | Varies | 3x Sediment Filters (Different Micron Ratings) |
3M Aqua-Pure AP903 Whole House Water Filter System | $ | 5 | 100,000 gal | Carbon Filter (Block), Non-Woven Sediment Filter |
More Reviews
Check out our new buying guide: Best Whole House Water Filtration and Softener System.
If you want the best whole house or commercial RO filter, click here: Whole Home Reverse Osmosis System Reviews
Before you go out and buy a water filtering solution for your home, consider this:
First things first. You need to find out more about the quality of your water. This allows you to purchase a whole house water filter capable of dealing with all or at least most of the contaminants lurking in it.
Are you on well or on municipal a.k.a. city water? If your water is sourced from a well, do you have access to a water quality report? If not, your best option is to send a direct sample to an independent lab. Alternatively, you can purchase a well test kit which gives you a rough idea of what you are facing (more details on how to filter well water below).
If you’re on city water you can go here or visit this page and search for your utility. All reports in both databases are free!
Whole house water filters for city water usually focus on removing sediments, chlorine (possibly chloramine) and its disinfection byproducts, and various chemicals responsible for creating unpleasant odor and taste. These systems are carbon-based and might even contain additional KDF media to reduce heavy metals and keep bacteria and algae in check. Units making use of bone char are capable of removing fluoride from water.
Filters specialized in well water treatment will usually eliminate iron, manganese, and sulfur, which are the most common contaminants here. One example is the SpringWell WS4 using air injection oxidation + greensand filter bed. In case your well is also polluted with contaminants from agricultural runoff – think fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides – consider adding carbon filtration.
You’re living in an older house and have detected lead in your water? Check out our article explaining how to best remove lead from water.
A whole house filtration system has to provide enough filtered water for your kitchen, bathroom(s), dishwasher, washing machine, and all other household appliances that use water.
Therefore, high flow is mandatory if you don’t want to experience a water pressure drop when opening multiple outlets. 10 – 15 gpm is pretty standard for a whole house water filter. Less might not suffice for a large household.
On a side note: A bathroom faucet uses up to 1.5, a kitchen faucet up to 2.2 gallons per minute. The maximum water flow for a shower head usually doesn’t exceed 2.5 gpm.
When dealing with suspended solids, filtration effectiveness is measured in micron (one micron is a thousandth of a millimeter). Generally speaking, a smaller micron rating indicates more thorough filtration with more contaminants removed.
For example: Whole house water filtration systems that only remove sand, silt, and rust might have a micron rating of 50. This means they trap the vast majority of particles with a minimum size of 50 microns, which won’t affect contaminants such as fluoride, lead, chemicals, and most pathogens like bacteria.
Other micron ratings are 25, 10, 5, and 1, followed by the sub-micron level. The dilemma: The smaller the micron rating, the lower the output water pressure and flow. This is also why whole house reverse osmosis systems are really rare. Regular RO membranes are rated at 0.0001 micron, which reduces water pressure to a trickle if no additional booster pump is applied.
You should not only take into account the initial purchase price of a whole house water filter, but also the lifespan and cost of replacement filter cartridges/media.
A system featuring a large media tank might cost much more upfront, but likely lasts for one million gallons of filtered water or more. This not only means virtually no maintenance requirements for several years, you also save tons of money in the long run.
Cartridge-based water filters are cheaper in the beginning. Therefore, you need to replace the cartridge(s) every 6 months or so, so that replacement cost can really start to add up over time.
Whole house water filtration systems are way bigger than the average point-of-use filter. Don’t underestimate their size and make sure you have enough space for installation and maintenance.
More on Whole House Water Filter Systems
How much does a residential water purification system cost? We’ve covered everything in detail: Home & Whole House Water Filtration System Cost Guide.
As the name suggests, a whole house water filter filters all incoming water at the main water line and thus before it gets distributed throughout your home. This way you have access to filtered water at every outlet including water-using appliances.
Whole house water filters are also known as point-of-entry water filtration systems.
If you look at the data, almost all US water supplies are contaminated. Not all of the contaminants are harmful, but many are. So the number one reason to install a whole house water filter is to protect the health of your family. And the filtered water will taste and smell much better, too!
What if I drink nothing but bottled water? Well, what about the water you use for cooking and showering? For example, did you know that the largest chunk of your daily chlorine exposure does not come from the water you drink but from the water you use for washing? That’s because human skin is permeable for all kinds of stuff. Plus, you inhale some of the volatile compounds.
The second reason to use a whole house water filter is to prevent your plumbing system, fixtures, and appliances from taking damage due to water containing high levels of iron or sediment for example. This will result in reduced maintenance, fewer repairs, and ultimately safe you a lot of money.
Whole house water filters connect to the main water line and filter all the water entering your home. How each individual system works depends on what type of filter process it applies:
The installation of a whole home filter system is certainly more difficult than setting up a POU unit. For one, it may involve plumbing. But it’s still doable if you’re handy around the house and have the necessary supplies and tools including tubing, fittings, and a pipe cutter.
In our opinion, getting everything up and running is moderately difficult. Here’s a brief overview of what you need to do:
Whole house water filter systems using a large media tank don’t require maintenance at all. Only the sediment pre-filter needs regular replacement in case there is one.
As for cartridge-based filters, they do require some attention every now and then to perform at their best. Timely filter replacements usually do the trick:
How often should a whole house water filter be replaced? It depends. Is your water full of sediments? Apart from that, one filter might be designed to only last 3 months, while another is good for a whole year.
Even though this buying guide is only partly about whole house well water filtration system reviews, we want to provide you with more information on how to properly treat your well using a whole house water filter.
Well water is groundwater which means it comes mainly from rain draining through the earth’s soil. This explains why well water contains a lot of contaminants. Some of them are natural impurities, for example sediments, calcium, magnesium, and bacteria. Others are manmade like chemicals entering the water cycle as industrial and agricultural runoff or sewage waste.
Natural or manmade, both groups of contaminants can pose serious health risks. The good news is that if you’re supplied with city water your municipality has already taken care of all dangerous microorganisms. If you rely on a private well, however, this simply isn’t the case and you are responsible for making sure your water is safe.
A residential whole house filtration system for your well should combine a sediment filter stage for larger particles like dirt and rust with a chlorine stage for bacteria.
Additional activated carbon filters remove any amount of chlorine and organic contaminants and neutralize bad tastes and odors. Need more info about removing chlorine?
An iron water filter is a worthy upgrade to remove ferrous iron, ferric iron (rust), manganese, and sulfur.
An additional water softener stage with a salt resin or a separate water softener is best suited to regulate hard water minerals in severe cases.
Instead of a chlorination stage, which could be the source of disinfection byproducts, you can also opt for a UV filter stage. UV filters kill all waterborne pathogens including bacteria and viruses.
I hope this list of the best whole house water filters was helpful. Questions? Ask away!
And keep in mind: We’ll add a new whole house water filter review occasionally. So come back for more!
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