When it comes to ensuring the quality of the water in your home, you may have considered installing a filtration system. But with so many options available, you might wonder: “Do I need a reverse osmosis (RO) system if I already have a whole house filtration system?” Let’s break down the differences between these two systems, explore their respective purposes, and dive into how certified testing and the distinction between working water and drinking water can affect your decision.
Whole House Filtration System: A Quick Overview
A whole house filtration system is designed to treat water as it enters your home, providing filtered water for all your plumbing fixtures—from the kitchen sink to the shower and even the washing machine. These systems typically use a combination of filters like activated carbon, sediment, and sometimes UV light to remove common contaminants such as chlorine, chloramines, sediment, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and larger particles.
The main advantage of a whole house filtration system is that it ensures your household uses cleaner water across the board. It protects your plumbing from scale buildup, improves the quality of water for showers, and can help with general water clarity and odor. But while whole house systems are effective at addressing common impurities, they are not necessarily designed to tackle certain contaminants that can affect the quality of drinking water.
Reverse Osmosis: More Than Just Filtration
A Reverse Osmosis (RO) system is a highly effective filtration method that removes even the smallest particles and contaminants, such as heavy metals, salts, fluoride, and other dissolved substances. RO systems are typically installed at the point of use, often under the kitchen sink, and they focus specifically on providing purified drinking and cooking water.
RO works by forcing water through a semipermeable membrane, which allows only water molecules to pass through while filtering out contaminants. It’s one of the most thorough methods of water filtration available, and it’s especially useful if you live in an area where the tap water contains high levels of dissolved solids or harmful substances like lead, arsenic, or forever chemicals
Working Water vs. Drinking Water: What’s the Difference?
To understand whether you need a reverse osmosis system in addition to a whole house filtration system, it’s essential to distinguish between working water and drinking water:
- Working Water: This is water used for everyday tasks such as bathing, cleaning, laundry, and irrigation. While it’s important that this water is free of certain contaminants like chlorine and sediment, it doesn’t need to be as pure as drinking water. The whole house filtration system is typically sufficient for these uses, as it addresses larger particles and some chemicals, keeping your plumbing and appliances safe from buildup or damage.
- Drinking Water: This is the water that you consume directly, whether for drinking, cooking, or making beverages. The quality of this water is of the utmost importance because it affects your health. Contaminants such as lead, fluoride, chlorine, and other chemicals can negatively impact your well-being, and these substances may not always be removed by a whole house filtration system.
If your drinking water contains contaminants that are not addressed by the whole house filtration system, you may still need a reverse osmosis system to provide water that meets higher standards of purity.
Certified Testing Differences: Whole House vs. Reverse Osmosis Systems
Filtration systems, including whole house and reverse osmosis systems, are typically tested and certified by third-party organizations like AIPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials), NSF International or the Water Quality Association (WQA). These certifications help ensure that the systems meet specific performance standards for removing contaminants.
- Whole House Filtration: The certification for whole house systems usually focuses on removing chlorine, sediment, and other larger particles. The standards are less stringent for contaminants that affect drinking water because whole house filters are not necessarily designed to remove small dissolved particles or heavy metals. For example, a whole house filtration system may have an NSF/ANSI 42 certification for chlorine reduction or NSF/ANSI 61 for safety in materials used, but it might not be certified for the removal of lead, arsenic, or fluoride.
- Reverse Osmosis Systems: RO systems are subject to more rigorous testing, as they are designed to purify water at a higher level. Many RO systems have NSF/ANSI 58 certification, which means they have been tested to effectively remove a wide range of contaminants, including lead, fluoride, arsenic, and dissolved solids. The testing for RO systems is often more focused on small particle removal, and the standards are higher due to the critical nature of ensuring safe drinking water.
Do You Need Both Systems?
Whether you need both a whole house filtration system and a reverse osmosis system depends on your specific water quality needs.
- If Your Local Water Is Already Safe: If your municipal water supply or well water already meets the required health standards, a whole house filtration system may be sufficient for your needs. In this case, you would have clean, usable water throughout the house, and you wouldn’t necessarily need an additional RO system.
- If Your Drinking Water Needs Extra Purification: If your water contains higher levels of contaminants like lead, fluoride, or other dissolved chemicals, or forever chemicals, installing a reverse osmosis system specifically for your drinking water may be necessary. In this scenario, a whole house filtration system would provide general filtration throughout the house, while the RO system would ensure that your drinking water is as pure as possible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a whole house filtration system and a reverse osmosis system serve different purposes. A whole house filtration system improves the quality of working water throughout your home, while a reverse osmosis system is designed to provide purified drinking water. Depending on the specific contaminants in your water and the quality of your local water supply, you may need both systems to ensure that all your water is safe and healthy to use. Always check the certifications of each system and consider having your water tested to understand the exact contaminants you need to address.
If you’re interested in clean water in your home – schedule a free, no-obligation in-home water analysis with an Artisanal Water local expert.
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