A whole house filtration system for well water is a solution that makes sense if you use well water. You can install one of these systems at the entry point of your main water line and get clean water everywhere in your home.
The Springwell ULTRA whole house well water filter system combo is a product worth considering if you want a great all-around filtration solution that addresses a number of potential issues that can exist with well water.
Product Overview
The Springwell ULTRA whole house well water filter system combo is a comprehensive filtration system that uses a succession of tanks to clean water.
The first tank will remove iron and other pollutants from your well water. The second tank provides advanced filtration for a number of contaminants, and the third tank acts as a water softener system.
Putting water through a succession of tanks improves filtration since the different filter media can catch impurities that got through the previous stages of filtration. This Springwell product is an interesting option because each stage of filtration has unique benefits, and the combo design is an effective way of eliminating a wide range of contaminants that can end up in well water.
Why You Should Invest in a Whole House Filtration System
Investing in a quality filtration system will ensure that your well water is safe to drink. It can also improve the smell and taste of your water.
Relying on your local water provider means that the water you use goes through a municipal water treatment plant. These plants disinfect water to remove a number of contaminants and use advanced filtration systems to follow strict EPA guidelines.
Your local water provider also has to test the water regularly and make testing data available. There are legal limits for more than 90 different contaminants set by the EPA, and water treatment plants have to take necessary steps to keep contaminant levels under these limits.
Well water comes from natural groundwater reserves. This water isn’t tested or treated by local authorities. Runoffs from rain are the main source of water that replenishes these reserves, which means that water has to go through layers of rocks and sediments before reaching groundwater tables.
During this process, water can pick up minerals that benefit your health, as well as a number of contaminants.
Testing your well water and installing a performing whole house filter are the best things you can do to avoid drinking contaminated water. You need to be proactive about this issue since your local government will not test or treat natural groundwater reserves.
How Do Contaminants End Up in Well Water?
There isn’t a single way for groundwater to be contaminated. Risks vary from one area to another, and it’s difficult to account for all the factors that could affect your well water. Water runoffs can cause contaminants from other areas to end up in a large groundwater table and affect a large number of private wells.
Here is how contaminants can end up in your well water:
- Water can pick up heavy metals and fluoride as it seeps through layers of rocks and sediments. Natural erosion emphasized by activities like agriculture or industries can cause high levels of these contaminants to end up in your water.
- In rural areas, agriculture can result in pesticides and fertilizers contaminating natural water resources with nitrate, nitrite, and bacteria from animal waste.
- Factories and businesses can contaminate water tables with solvents, petroleum products, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and other substances. If there is a mining operation or nuclear power plant in your area, uranium or radium could end up in nearby groundwater reserves.
- Microorganisms like bacteria, viruses, and parasites can infiltrate your well through water runoffs and thrive in the humid environment of your well.
- There are additional risks caused by nearby landfills, old septic tanks, and sewer lines, or improper storage of chemicals or fertilizers on your property.
It’s best to opt for a whole house filtration system that can catch several of these common contaminants due to the wide range of risks that exists and the potentially serious effects of these different contaminants on your health.
How Does the Springwell ULTRA Whole House Filter Protect You from Common Contaminants?
The combo design of the Springwell ULTRA filter removes different types of contaminants through a gradual filtration system. The product is ideal for large households since you can get up to 20 GPM of water pressure.
The design of the filter enhances contact with the filtration media. This feature allows different filtration elements to remove more particles in less time.
The Springwell ULTRA whole house filter is a product that you should install at the entry point of your main water line. It uses a tank system that cycles water through different filtration stages.
Different Filtration Stages
The first step is the Springwell AIO system. It’s a whole house water filter that removes hydrogen sulfide up to 8 PPM, iron up to 7 PPM, and manganese up to 1 PPM. It uses a mechanical filtration system to catch these different particles.
The tank features a backwash that purges the media bed automatically. It’s an effective way of getting rid of the contaminants that would otherwise accumulate into the media bed and require more maintenance.
Your water will then go through a pre-sediment filter. This filtration stage uses a five-micron mechanical filter that catches larger particles, like sand or clay.
Removing these sediments improves the taste of your water and plays an important role in preventing hard mineral buildups from forming throughout your plumbing system. These sediment particles can also carry pollutants like heavy metals or fluoride.
The next filtration stage uses a KDF or Kinetic Degradation Fluxion filter. It’s a chemical filtration process that uses copper and zinc to create a chemical reaction that removes pollutants like chlorine, lead, mercury, iron, and hydrogen sulfide. It’s an important feature because fine particles like chlorine aren’t caught by other filtration methods.
The last filtration stage uses a coconut shell carbon medium. Carbon is a very effective medium for organic contaminants. This stage will remove chlorine, chloramine, and chemicals from pesticides and herbicides.
Salt-Free Water Softener
The third and last tank of the Springwell ULTRA whole house filter is a water softener system. It’s a product that addresses hard water.
If your well water is rich in calcium and magnesium ions, these ions will react with soap and detergent to form hard mineral deposits. These scale deposits can ruin your appliances and build up inside of your plumbing system and reduce its efficiency.
The best way of addressing this issue is to use a water softener or water conditioner. Some systems use a resin that replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions. It’s an effective solution, but you will end up with water that has high sodium levels.
The Springwell ULTRA whole house filter is an interesting alternative because it uses Template Assisted Crystallization. This process neutralizes calcium and magnesium ions by turning them into crystals that won’t react with soap and detergent.
It’s an effective way of preventing scale deposits, and it doesn’t waste any water like other water softener systems.
Additional Benefits to Consider
Springwell is a manufacturer that offers quality products. The ULTRA whole house filtration system uses certified parts and comes with a kit that includes valves, brackets, fittings, and all the hardware you need to install the filter.
There is very little maintenance needed once the product is installed. The different tanks feature backwashes that rinse the filtration media.
Springwell offers a six-month money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with the product, and there is a lifetime warranty that will protect you against any potential problems.
There are two additional features to consider:
- The filter has a Bluetooth connectivity feature. You can use your phone to check the status of the system and adjust settings like timing, backwash cycles, and more.
- You can purchase a UV light add-on. This product adds a filtration stage that uses UV light to remove 99.9% of viruses, pathogens, and bacteria like E.coli and Giardia. UV light works by damaging the molecular bond that holds the DNA of microorganisms together and is an effective way of purifying your well water.
Potential Drawbacks
The installation process is the main drawback of this product. You will have to cut a plumbing pipe near the entry point of your main water line and mount the filter on a bracket. You can install the filter yourself if you have some DIY skills, but you might need to call a professional.
We recommend investing a whole house filtration system that removes a wide range of contaminants if you use well water, but the water softener tank might not be necessary if you don’t have hard water.
Conclusion
The Springwell ULTRA whole house filter combo is an excellent investment if you use well water. It’s a quality product that requires very little maintenance, and it does a great job of removing all the contaminants you’re likely to find in well water.
We like the fact that the system uses different backwashes to purge filter media and relies on mechanical and chemical filtration to remove a wide range of contaminants. Having a water softener tank is a plus that will extend the lifespan of your appliances and plumbing lines.
