Our Rating
Summary:
4.7
Sediment in your water supply can come from a number of different sources. Rust is a big source, particularly in older houses, or areas where the water system still uses cast iron. Many areas have more serious problems with sediment, however. Well water can have high sediment content, as there can be a great deal of earth or organic particles suspended in the water. These are not necessarily unhealthy for you to drink. However, they can make an otherwise cold glass of water look fairly unappetizing.
Sediment can also have a real impact on your appliances, beyond the simple aesthetic quality of the water. It can clog sieves and filters, and foul pumps, both of which are inconvenient and expensive to repair. The Home Master filtration system’s sediment filter fits into your water line right where it enters your house. It catches all that sediment before it can do any damage or get into your home’s water supply. The extra large filter means it can catch a great deal of sediment before it needs to be changed.
The second filter the Home Master uses is a coconut shell carbon filter. In general, carbon filters can be either a big block, or a fine grit of carbon. The carbon is full of small pores, which the water is forced through. Many contaminants are too large to fit through these pores, and so are caught in the filter. Carbon, chemically, has a structure that likes to grab things and hold on to them, which also works to filter out undesirable stuff that may be in the water.
Coconut shell carbon filters are among the best available. The size of the pores determines the quality of the filter, as the smaller the pores, the more impurities get filtered out. Coconut shell carbon filters have pores around 4 nanometers, with a nanometer being a billionth of a meter. Other sources of carbon commonly used in filters, such as coal or peat, commonly have a pore size of over 500 nanometers.
The Home Master whole house filtration system does a great job removing sediment, as well as chemicals that can cause the water to have an unpleasant taste and smell. It is important to match the type of filter you get to your needs, however. Carbon filters will generally not do a great job of removing heavy metals, microorganisms, and pesticides. It will also not remove the minerals that cause hard water and lime scale.
The filter itself is easy to install. It comes in the box with most of what you’ll need. The fittings on this filter are a full 1” in diameter, to make sure there is no drop off in water pressure when using the filter. These are big filters, which means a greater volume to catch and hold contaminants, especially sediment, and a longer lifespan. The manufacturer reckons they should last about a year. However, that also means you’ll need a bunch of room to install them.
