Do Water Filter systems Reduce Water Pressure?
Many people with well water or municipal water with heavy minerals, consider getting whole house water filter system. However, if you are toying with this idea you may wonder what the filter will do to your water pressure. So can you have a water filter without having water trickling out of your faucets?
We have industry experience and have tested several water filters and were confident in saying no, a whole house filtration system will not alter the pressure of your water. However, this only happens if you find a properly sized filter, install the filter correctly, and look after it properly.
We are going to examine in detail why some whole house water filters reduce water flow, and how to prevent the water pressure from reducing after getting a filtration system.
Why Do Whole House Water Filters Affect Flow Rate?
You should install a whole house water filter on your main pipe this way it will not interrupt the water pressure significantly. The water flow may slow down as it passes though the filtration stages and that’s because the filters create some resistance therefore reducing water flow.
The resistance allows unwanted contaminants to be trapped by the filter so it’s important that the rate of flow slows down a little. However, this only means that you will wait a second longer after opening your faucet for the water to flow out, otherwise the amount of water leaving the tap will not decrease.
A whole house water filter’s average flow rate is 7-14 GPM and if you consider that a typical flow rate without a water filter is 6-12 GPM then you will not notice a difference in flow once you install the water filter.
Factors Affecting Water Pressure After a Water Filter System
1. You are using the wrong filter size
You need to buy the right sized filter system for your home. Above is table showing the two common sizes of whole house water filters.
In this case, if you have a business or house with four bathrooms or more, and you get a filtration system for homes with 1-3 bathrooms, then your water pressure will reduce. The smaller system has a lower filtration rate that is unsuitable for your household’s water pressure requirements.
You plumbing system will not give out water as quickly as needed around the house because the filtration system slows down water flow. Besides potential water pressure impacts, buying an undersized whole house water filter is very dangerous. This is because the water supply delivers water at a high flow rate and may crack the housing or damage the filters.
2.Having Poor Filter Quality
In the whole house water filter market, some are better than others. One significant aspect of the performance of a filter is its ability to remove contaminants effectively without decreasing the flow rate. A poor quality filter can either do one or the other- or perform poorly when doing both tasks.
To prevent slow water pressure, make sure you buy a well-designed water filtration system. It’s important to check testimonials, customer reviews, and expert buying guides before buying the filter. Better yet, have an water treatment expert come to inspect your home or business and let them recommend the best water filter for you.
3.High Number of Filter Stages
The number of filter stages impact the contact time between the filtration system and your water. The more the stages, the slower the pressure. Naturally, the water will take longer to pass through a four separate filtration cartridges as opposed to passing through a system with only one or two cartridges.
However, this does not mean we recommend single-cartridge filtration systems as those with more filter stages are better because they are more thorough at removing contaminants. If your goal is to remove contaminants, then it’s better to have low pressure but quality water from your whole house filtration system.
4.Clogged Filters
Filters in a filtration systems have a certain lifespan and they become useless after they have served their purpose. The cartridge filter in a whole house system has an average lifespan of 6-12 months. You will have to review your user manual to get the exact lifespan of the filters in the system.
If your water pressure slows down gradually, then it’s a sign that you should change your filter cartridges. Additionally, filters get clogged at a much faster rate if the quality of your water is poor. In this case you will have to change the cartridges sooner than expected because they will reduce water flow. IF you change your clogged filters, you will maintain your water flow as well as provide clean water for cooking and drinking for your household.
Why is Water Pressure Important?
Once you have gotten rid of the slow water pressure issue, it’s important to know why water pressure is important. First, water pressure refers to the force of water flow in your plumbing system. Low pressure reduces he speed of water getting into your appliances, shower heads and taps will reduce.
Good water pressure ensures that appliances work properly and you get a good flow when doing other tasks such as cooking and washing dishes. Therefore, you should not sacrifice good water pressure by installing a whole house water filter that decreases this flow.
How to Improve Water Pressure?
Poor water pressure does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem with your whole house water filter. Other factors can affect water pressure including:
1.Clogged pipes: Hardness minerals and sediment can clog pipes and hot water heaters reducing water pressure.
2.Time of the day: At peak water usage period in the day, your water pressure will reduce because its needed to operate multiple appliances and activities at once.
3.Demand and supply: Municipal water pressure commonly reduces water pressure in the summer when more people are watering loans, drinking water and filling their pools.
4.Wrong pipe sizing: Sometimes home pipes are to small and cannot carter to the water demand in your home therefore reducing the water pressure.
Finally, consider getting a pressure booster to improve pressure and flow of water in your home. This only works if the pipes are big enough to accommodate the increased flow and you have access to your water in the first place.