So a local store has a few of these on clearance for just a few dollars each. Our municipal water is terrible. Very hard and chlorinated. So Ijuped on one of these clearance systems but now I’m wondering if I should have bought 2?

My thought is if I buy 2 of them I could install one in front of the other and use different grade filters in each, for example the first housing wound have the basic 30 micron filter and the second housing could contain the 5 micron water filter. Or could I even do 3 housings so I have all three filter levels in line (sediment, chlorine, and charcoal taste improved)? My thought is having the more basic, cheaper filters first would extend the life of the more costly filters as well as give me a better final product.

Am I overthinking it?

Forgot the link.
Filtrete Large Capacity Whole House System, Sump Style, Includes 30 Micron Pleated Filter and Mounting Bracket, (3WH-HD-S01) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009...cp_api_tFXlBb1TM64CF

You're over thinking it..

If you have a municipal water source you shouldn't have any sediment in your water. Just get a chlorine filter.

You are over thinking it. We have always had one and one is all you need. Ours works good.

go 2 if it makes you feel better, but you will still want to change both at the same time,


I run a 10 micron (filter is called big blue) and change out monthly,

Two or three for sediment and chlorine in the main line makes sense if the source water is bad.

Since we live in a farming community with high nitrates and pesticides, we have a reverse osmosis system as well and use that for drinking and cooking water. Since our source water doesn't have much sediment, the RO filters only need to be changed every few years.

I’d be worried about pressure drop across a 5 micron filter especially if you have very hard water. I can understand a sediment filter especially when they flush their lines.

The hard water is best treated with a water softener not a whole house filter.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:
So a local store has a few of these on clearance for just a few dollars each. Our municipal water is terrible. Very hard and chlorinated.

Those are sediment filters. They'll do little at all for hardness or chlorine--if anything.

For hardness you need a water softener. Perhaps a separate iron filter, if much of the hardness is due to iron. For chlorine you need something different. Then there's another system for removing excessive manganese. Annnd another for hydrogen sulfide.

We're on well water and have a single 20 micron filter in front of the softener to prevent the softener from loading-up with sediment and to save it from a catastrophic well point failure. I have been thinking, recently, of upgrading that to a dual-filter system: 20 micron followed by a 5 micron... just because, really . We have a little of everything, except chlorine, of course, but none bad enough to warrant extreme remediation.

(Accidentally installed 5 micron cartridges in the thing a couple times and found the outside of them coated with what looked a lot like mud... or maybe rubbing compound.)

Mounting in sequence will drop your water pressure at the tap. Picture standing on the garden hose with one foot, then standing on it with both. Less flow with both feet on it.
I have two and they are mounted so half the water is filtered by one, half by the other. That doubles my time between filter changes and does not cause the pressure drop of plumbing them in series.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris42:
I have two and they are mounted so half the water is filtered by one, half by the other. That doubles my time between filter changes and does not cause the pressure drop of plumbing them in series.

It depends upon what you're seeking to accomplish. If all you want is "X" level of filtration, with maximum water flow and time between servicing: Yes. But if you're seeking increased filtration the way to do it is something like as I described in my post above.

If I were to put two 5 micron filters in parallel they'd both be saturated with sediment in no time.

I did it.



Main water line passes through it. Spun cotton first, then the activated charcoal.

1/4 turn ball valves on the IN and OUT and a 100# fluid filled pressure valve.

The cotton filter on the right is in need of change.

Made a world of difference for us and I don't need to change the water filter in my fridge anymore. Add to that, nothing gets into the water solenoids for the fridge, dishwasher or washer.

FWIW, I set our line pressure to 78# and the filters in line make absolutely no change in it - unless they get clogged with schmutz, which is why they are there.