2 Types Of Water Treatment Systems For Your Home

Are you looking for cleaner water in your home? Perhaps you have a well and are worried about contaminants in your water, or maybe you're hooked up to the municipal line and are noticing mineral stains on your showers and countertops. Whatever your need is, there's a solution out there for you. Installing a water treatment system is usually a simple and relatively affordable process. You do have some choices though. Water treatment systems generally come in two types: point-of-entry and point-of-use. Here are the differences between the two and why you may choose one over the other:

Point-of-entry. As the name suggests, a point-of-entry water treatment system treats water as it enters your house. It's usually connected directly to the municipal water line or the pump line from your water well. Water will generally pass through the point-of-entry system before it goes to your water heater or to any other water distribution point in the home.

A point-of-entry water treatment system is a good choice if you are worried about water quality not just for drinking, but also for cleaning and bathing. The water treatment system will filter out all minerals before the water goes to your shower, bathtub, or sink heads. A good example is if you're seeing yellow or brown streaks in your shower or if your glasses leave heavy water rings on the table. That could be a sign of minerals in your water that could be eliminated with a point-of-entry water treatment system, like a water softener.

Point-of-use. While a point-of-entry system treats water as it enters the house, a point-of-use treats the water at individual distribution points, such as a sink. These systems are most commonly used to get a higher quality of drinking water. Generally, point-of-entry systems have much finer filters, which allows them to eliminate much smaller minerals and contaminants than would be eliminated by a point-of-entry system.

You may decide you need a point-of-use system because you don't like the taste of your water. However, often people get point-of-use systems as a result of a water purification test that shows contaminants in the water. Examples of point-of-use systems include filters mounted to the ends of a faucet and advanced reverse-osmosis systems that are installed underneath a kitchen cabinet. Technically, even a pitcher with a water filter included could be considered a point-of-use water treatment system, albeit a basic one.

Some homeowners combine the two systems. They use a point-of-entry system to filter out large minerals and clean their overall household water, and then they install point-of-use systems at their kitchen sink to improve the quality of their drinking water.

For more information, contact a contractor in your area who provides water treatment services. They can help you pick out the best system for your home.