Maintenance Tips to Extend the Life of Your Home Water Filtration System
Having a water filtration system at home gives you that peace of mind that the water you drink is clear of impurities and, therefore, clean and safe. However, no matter what brand or type of water filtration system you have, it cannot serve its purpose without regular and proper maintenance. Over time, it can become less effective in removing contaminants and leave an unpleasant taste in your drinking water.
With a home water filtration system, we always feel secure that the water we drink has passed through a multi-layer filtration technology and is considered clean and safe for drinking. Unfortunately, we are often too busy to remember that we need to maintain our water filters too. More often than, we just wait for signs that it’s due for cleaning or replacement. If you see any of these indicators in your water, it’s a sign that your filter needs a routine cleansing:
Smell of chlorine
If you start to smell chlorine in your water, that means your water filter is not doing its job right and might be due for cleaning or replacement.
Fluctuating water pressure
Slow water flow from your faucet water filter could mean filter that’s clogged up with contaminants. Pro tip: check the surrounding areas for leaks that can also cause low water pressure and contamination.
Cloudy water
Cloudy water is a sign that your filter components are starting to fail and need replacement.
To extend the life of your filter and enhance its performance, always make it a habit to clean your filter regularly. These tried and tested tips for your filter maintenance will certainly improve and extend the life of your filters.
- Always make it a habit to flush off any residue water for one (1) minute before your get your water to drink.
- Make sure the filter unit itself is kept clean at all times by regularly wiping off stains and other residues on a daily basis with a clean cloth.
- If you are using a water softener, it may contribute to a build-up of salt in your water filter which means you will need to clean your system even more often. Always check your faucet aerator of any residue build-up and rinse it off with hot water to dissolve the blockage.
- Gently rinse your filter with warm water and avoid using strong cleaning agents as these could leave residues that can be absorbed into the water your drink.
- Wash all parts – casing, switch, aerator, fasteners, screws, before your assemble everything back; and remember to check your filter for any leak or drips after assembly. Gently rinse your filter with warm water and avoid using strong cleaning agents as these could leave residues that can be absorbed into the water your drink.
- Mark your calendar to change the filter cartridge every three months or anytime you notice a considerable decrease in water output. Filters kept for too long can become clogged and inefficient.
In the U.S., refrigerators with built-in filters are popular. Why not? Without filters, refrigerator water and ice are prone to absorb more foul taste and odor that end up in smelly ice. However, refrigerator filters are more left unattended and oftentimes, left under-maintained for a longer period of time than faucet filters. And this is where the hidden dangers of refrigerator filters come in.
Unlike under sink, counter top, or faucet filters, refrigerator filters have generally smaller filtration systems, which allows limited time for water to get filtered and in big households, heavy consumption may not allow the filter to effectively trap all the impurities. Because of its smaller size, refrigerator filters have shorter life, and, therefore, require more frequent replacement, and higher costs.
While refrigerator filters may remove chlorine and chloramine, by-products related to these are not removed as well as other contaminants like bacteria, toxins, heavy metals and more. And with the limited efficiency of refrigerator filters, refrigerator dispensers turn slimy and coated with yeast over time of continuous refills and exposure to airborne microbes. They become prone to bacteria, fungus, and molds which thrive in hard-to-reach areas and can develop in the ice maker as well.
In this sense, it is safer to use a sealed water pitcher and fill it with filtered tap water. You can wash your water pitcher as often and more easily than the installed dispenser in your refrigerator and water is kept cold and clean at all times.
Over time, modern filtration system is offered in more compact sizes like SJ Wave’s Faucet Filter. Unlike other complicated undersink or countertop water filtration systems, SJ Wave faucet filters efficiently removes chlorine, hard metals, and other harmful contaminants while leave the beneficial ones. They are easy to install, clean, replace, and use; and they come with everything you need and gets installed in a few minutes.
In conclusion, there is no filter that will never need cleaning and replacement at some point in time. Cleaning the inside and outside of your water filter system frequently and thoroughly is important to avoid build-up of minerals, contaminants or dirt in the filter and allow your filter to perform efficiently and extend its life. So next time you see changes in the taste, look, or flow of your water, check it first if it needs a little routine cleaning before you decide to replace your filters.