Isn’t it great that you have a well at home catering to all your water needs? This gives you much more control over your water supply than any other source. Nonetheless, there’s still a compelling need to treat the water and rid it of contaminants before use. That necessitates investing in a high-quality whole house well water filtration system.

Now, like with any other major installation, choosing a well water filtration system is something you want to get right the first time around, and we suggest you read this expert guide. You want an equipment setup that will adequately meet your domestic demands in addition to purifying water. These 5 tips should help you make the right decision when shopping.

Get Your Water Tested

Groundwater can be adulterated with all manner of contaminants. As you’d expect, these adulterants’ chemical makeup will vary significantly from one location to the next. And far from being a one-size-fits-all solution, water filtration systems are designed to operate within a particular range.

Thus, it would be ill-advised to start looking for the best well water filtration system without first getting your water tested. Testing is key to determining what contaminants are present in your water and, consequently, figuring out what kind of equipment you should look out for. Without it, the shopping exercise will be nothing more than a waste of time and resources.

Knowing which parameters to test for is just as crucial. Factors like acidity, hardness, heavy metals, and microorganisms will all need to be considered during the analysis. With that in mind, you’re better off taking a sample of your water to a local lab for professional testing — as opposed to employing a DIY test kit.

Get Familiar With the Setup of Your Well

Your choice of filtration equipment also needs to take into account how water is drawn from the well. There’re two types of pumping mechanisms that can be used here:

Jet pump: If your area has a shallow water table — specifically 25 feet or less below ground level — your well will utilize a jet pump. This operates as an above-ground pump from its own enclosure located outside the well.

Submersible pump: As you’ve probably guessed, submersible pumps are used where the water table is deeper than 25 feet. They’re usually installed inside the good enclosure and can be located up to several hundred feet beneath ground level.

So how exactly does your good setup fit into the equation? The pumping mechanism determines how water is distributed to the rest of the household after it gets to the surface. Jet pumps can often do this directly, without having the water go through a holding tank. Otherwise, you will likely have this tank mounted at a significant height above ground to create enough pressure for distribution. Each setup will impose its own unique installation requirements as far as the filtration mechanism is concerned.

Consider the Water Pressure

As we’ve just highlighted, all filtration mechanisms have an impact on water pressure. There’s a noticeable drop in pressure as water flows out of the equipment. This will obviously affect the extent to which you’ll be able to distribute water across the home.

If the aforementioned pressure decrease is too high, the water will likely not reach certain parts of the house. Even if it does, it’ll be more of drool as opposed to a powerful burst of water coming out when you open the taps. That means some appliances like the boiler will seldom have enough water to operate normally.

Therefore, you must consider how much pressure your filtration setup needs to provide at the outlet. Most systems now come with inbuilt pumps to compensate for the pressure drop, and some can even be tailored to yield a more powerful jet if the incoming stream was too weak. Just check to make sure whatever you choose will not disappoint you.

…As Well as the Flow Rate

Usually expressed in gallons per minute, the flow rate measures the amount of water that runs through a particular point on the supply line. This is directly proportional to pressure; more water pressure translates to a higher flow rate and vice versa. That being said, the flow rate is a whole different variable that needs careful consideration.

You want to choose a filtration unit whose input requirements will be matched by your well water supply for starters. If the equipment needs 10 gallons/minute, for example, your well should be able to provide that much at all times. A flow rate that doesn’t meet the threshold would otherwise affect the system’s backflush mechanism or ability to cleanse itself, leading to malfunction.

Also, be sure to factor in the system’s flow rate at the outlet; this will determine whether or not the water will sufficiently fulfill your household’s requirements. Once again, this is an area where you don’t want to involve any guesswork. Consult a professional for assistance in sizing your home’s needs properly, considering the various dispensers and appliances you have around the house.

Get the Right Equipment for the Job

Last but certainly not least, you want to check that the filtration process you put up yields nothing but pure water. We say ‘process’ because the chances are that no single system will be able to get the job done. Every filtration mechanism is limited in application, you see. While some can eliminate several different kinds of contaminants, there’s no single system that can handle them all.

And so, the chances are that you will need a combination of systems to purify your home’s water supply sufficiently. Check that every piece of equipment you choose for the setup meets all the other key considerations (flow rate and pressure in particular). Once again, there’s no harm in seeking professional advice as you prepare to go shopping.