What type of whole house water filter should I get for my well?

December 2, 2019 6:46 AM

I need to upgrade my well's water filter. My plumber is recommending either a three stage filter system or an Aquasana (or similar system).

He didn't seem to feel like there was a huge difference in quality between the two but said that if money wasn't tight that the Aquasana would give better results, but with the higher up-front cost and need to replace it after 5ish years. Any strong feelings based on experience with the options?

posted by Candleman to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

Everyone I know in my village uses a three stage filter, it's effective and certainly lasts longer than 5 years. Maybe if you have very young children an Aquasana would be worth it, but we've all been very happy with the 3 stage. It does the job and replacement filters are inexpensive.
posted by ananci at 8:56 AM on December 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

We have a Kinetico system. We're on a well in Florida, and there is a ton of sulfur in our water. There is a softening stage, a chlorination stage, and a charcoal filter. Our water tastes great after all of this treatment, but it's a very expensive system.

The Kinetico softener is interesting because it doesn't require power. It has a geared valve to put one of the two media tanks in service or in backwash mode based on the amount of water that has gone through it.
posted by tomierna at 11:46 AM on December 2, 2019

I've got a saltless softening system from Pelican. I chose it on the advice of a friend who is also a plumber. I opted to add the optional UV light, just in case. Our water is delicious (my city friends fill up bottles when they visit) and the mineral content is finally under control. The system ran about $2500 but is nearly maintenance free.
posted by workerant at 7:30 PM on December 2, 2019