Water Filtration Systems

What you want to remove

Start with the complaint, not the catalogue. Municipal water in Aurora is treated and tested to Ontario standards, so most city households who filter are after taste, odour or peace of mind. Rural homes on wells face a different list. Common goals:

• Chlorine taste and smell. Activated carbon handles this well.
• Sediment. A spun or pleated sediment filter catches sand and grit, often as a first stage.
• Dissolved solids, some metals and many other contaminants. Reverse osmosis covers a wide range.
• Iron, sulphur smell or bacteria on a well. These need specific treatment such as oxidizing filters or UV, chosen after a lab test.
• Hardness. That is a job for a softener, not a filter.

Testing first saves money. A filter aimed at the wrong problem changes nothing. Well owners will find our well water basics article helpful.

Under-sink and RO

Point-of-use systems treat water at one tap, usually the kitchen sink. A simple carbon cartridge under the sink connects to the cold line and feeds either the main faucet or a small dedicated tap.

Reverse osmosis is more involved. Water passes through pre-filters, a fine membrane and a polishing filter, then collects in a small storage tank. Each unit also sends some water to drain as it works, so it needs a drain connection with an air gap. We mount the tank and filters where they leave room for the rest of the sink cabinet and make the drain tie-in tidy and code-compliant.

Whole-home filters

A point-of-entry system treats every drop entering the house. It mounts on the main line after the meter and, where there is one, before or after the softener depending on the design. Large carbon tanks or cartridge housings take out chlorine and sediment for showers, laundry and every tap. We size them for your household's peak flow so pressure does not drop when two showers run at once, and add a bypass for servicing.

Changing cartridges

A filter that is past its life can do more harm than good, shedding what it caught or growing bacteria. Typical intervals:

• Sediment pre-filters: every few months, sooner with dirty water.
• Carbon cartridges: often every six to twelve months.
• RO membranes: every few years, depending on use and water quality.

Write the change date on the housing with a marker. When pressure at a filtered tap falls off, a clogged cartridge is the first suspect.

Hardness and filtration often get handled together; see water softener installation. If you are planning other work in the kitchen or mechanical room, gas line installation covers new range and dryer lines.