Does your water have a funky taste? Tap water can contain traces of pesticides, VOCs, lead, and dirt, all of which you don’t want to ingest. Installing a whole house water filtration system can help to improve your water’s taste and filter out many of the impurities that can potentially get into your household water supply, including those such as chlorine, fluoride, perchlorates, pesticides, etc. The result is your tap water will be cleaner, healthier and should taste much better, and this could possibly save you some money by not having to buy as much bottled water.
A new whole-house filter would be installed in the main water line in your home and therefore will filter all of the water coming into your house. The filter should be installed near the water shutoff valve.
What You’ll Need for This Project
Two adjustable wrenches, a tubing cutter, a bucket, teflon tape, a propane torch, emery cloth (120 grit), flame protector cloth, fire extinguisher, fitting brush, striker, protective gloves, paste flux and lead-free solder. All of these items can be obtained/purchased at your local hardware store.
You’ll also need to purchase your new whole house water filter system.
You can obtain some pricing for a whole house water filter for budget purposes and your planning efforts:
Installing a Whole House Water Filter
Drain the Water Piping System
Turn off the water supply at the main water-supply shutoff valve. Then, from the lowest point in the home, open a faucet to release pressure and drain most of the water from your system.
Choose a Location for the Filter Unit
Make sure you choose a location that is accessible so you will be able to change out the unit’s filter cartridges. Consider an area that is near the shutoff value.
Assemble the Parts and Mark for Cutting
Dry-fit as many of the new parts as possible. You may need an adaptor on either side of the filter in order to join your size and type of pipe. If this is necessary, you may have to sweat on a couple of pipe joints. See the instructions further below for sweating/soldering a copper joint.
Mark the final piece of existing copper pipe for cutting by holding it in place against the end of a newly installed shutoff ball valve. Note: you should install a new shutoff ball valve on the house side of the supply line. This can be purchased at your local hardware store. If you are sweating the valve on, remove the insides of the valve before applying heat. Instructions for sweating/soldering a copper joint, again, are further below.
Cut the Pipe
Use the template provided with the filtration unit’s kit to mark the pipe for placement of the new filtration unit. If a template was not provided, you may have to use the unit itself as a template. Remember that you’ll need to change the filter cartridge periodically, so select a location with enough clearance beneath the filter tank to allow for easy cartridge removal and reattachment (if this is the kind of filtration unit you have selected). Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that you cut away enough of the existing pipe to accommodate the filter, the new shutoff valve, and any connecting fittings. Use a pipe cutter/tube cutter to make the cuts, cutting the copper tubing cleanly.
To do this, use the twist handle to tighten the cutter onto the pipe. Make sure that the blade lines up with your mark. Clamp the pipe between the cutting wheel. Guide wheel and rotate the cutter around the pipe as you continue twisting the handle. Make sure to score the pipe all the way around. Tighten the cutter knob a quarter turn and rotate the cutter again, scoring the pipe even deeper. Continue tightening and rotating the cutter until the pipe is cut all the way through. This will take about eight or so turns in all.
Remove the marked section of pipe after the second cut is made. Have a bucket handy to catch any excess water when the pipe is cut — especially if you’re standing directly underneath.
Need Help Installing Your Whole House Water Filter?
At Proudfoot Plumbing Heating and Air we can help you install your whole house water filter. We specialize in how to deal with the challenges of adding new plumbing features to older homes in the Pittsburgh areas around our shop in Homestead PA. Contact us or call us at 412-461-2198.
For help with filtration analysis and recommendation please see further information at watercheck.com.
Image Credit – Adobe Stock.
