Water Filtration Systems in Chicago: What You Should Know
There are a variety of water filters available on the market, and there are even more ways to combine each of them for every kind of residential or commercial application. Choosing the right water filter is important—there’s a reason there are so many, and it’s not just for show. Different buildings, locations, soil types, and codes require different filters, sometimes multiple arrays and combinations of each, so it’s important to know what you’re dealing with and why.
This is why it pays to have some local Chicago plumbers who’ve been around the block a few times. Parks’ Plumbing & Sewer, Inc. knows what it takes to get a plumbing job done right, and that’s commitment, effort, and honesty, at all times, with the customer. Give us a call today and see what we can do for you, your filter, and any other plumbing needs you might have.
What Kind of Water Filtration Systems Are There?
Most home filtration systems you’ll be dealing with as a homeowner are called “whole-house” filtration systems.
This means that the filtering system, instead of being made up of component parts and a slew of other filters, is a unified system that will help remove impurities in your water with UV purifiers, carbon filters, or other methods.
Whole-house filtration systems are nice and convenient for most homeowners because they’re:
Environmentally friendly.
More efficient when it comes to clean water.
Better on sensitive skin.
Other types of water filtration systems include:
Sediment Filtration.
Active Carbon Block Filtration.
Granular Activated Carbon Filtration.
Reverse Osmosis Filtration.
Distillation.
Ion-Exchange.
Ultraviolet Disinfection.
Ultrafiltration.
Activated Alumina Filtration.
Ionization.
These systems are often specialized and outfitted for specific home or building scenarios, like high deposits of certain sediments, or a proximity to residential or commercial zones that require a different kind of filter, depending on building codes.
If you think you may need to branch out from the more general whole-house filtration and wade into choosing any of these systems, make sure to contact your local plumbing specialists today to get the advice and industry guidance you need.
Water Filtration Installation Steps
The steps below are a rough overview of the process it takes to install a water filter. For more detailed instructions—as might be required for your own home’s unique situation and needs—it’s advised you contact your local Chicago plumbers.
Make sure the water is drained from the system. You can do this by turning the water off at the main water-supply shutoff and opening the faucet at the lowest point in the home to release pressure and drain most of the water from the system.
Pick where the filter will be located. This should be near the main water shut-off valve, and in-line with the home’s current plumbing line.
Cut into the pipe. Using a pipe cutter, make two cuts, and begin to remove that section of the pipe. Once that’s done, remove any burrs from inside the newly-cut pipe. Also make sure to have a bucket handy to catch any excess water that wasn’t drained.
Attach the brass fittings—these can be pre-fabricated, or assembled out of compression nuts and ferrules—on the ends of the cut pipes.
Attach the filter to the fittings. Make sure the “in” and “out” flows are oriented the correct way for the pipe.
Add shut-off valves. This isn’t necessarily required, but it is recommended, not only in the case of the filter breaking down, but also for easy access when you need to test/check it or perform repairs.
Turn on the water. Check for leaks, and use the handle on the filter to turn the valve from “off” to “filter”. You should see water filling the tank, and that means the system has begun filtering. If you find any water leaking from somewhere, tighten the housing or the fittings until the dripping stops.
