A whole-house water filter (also called a point-of-entry filter) treats all the water that enters your home before it reaches any faucet, shower, toilet, or appliance. It is different from a pitcher filter or under-sink unit, which only treat water at one tap. Here is what Peoria homeowners need to know before making a decision.
The answer depends on what type of filter you install. Whole-house filtration is not a single technology — it is a category that includes several different systems with different jobs:
For Peoria city water, the most common whole-house setup is a two-stage system: sediment pre-filter followed by a large-capacity carbon block filter. This combination handles the two most common complaints — debris and chlorine taste/odor — at a reasonable cost.
This is important: a standard whole-house carbon filter does not remove hardness minerals (calcium and magnesium). If you have hard water in Peoria — and most homes do, at 15 to 22 GPG — you need a water softener in addition to a filter if you want to address both issues. A whole-house filter also does not remove nitrates, lead, or other heavy metals at the concentrations needed for drinking water safety. For those concerns, a reverse osmosis unit at the kitchen tap is the appropriate solution.
A whole-house filter is installed on the main water supply line where it enters the house, typically in the basement or utility room. The installation involves:
A professional installation in a Peoria home typically takes three to five hours. The system requires no electrical connection and has no moving parts — it simply filters water as it flows through.
Whole-house filters require periodic cartridge changes. For most Peoria city water applications, a sediment pre-filter cartridge needs changing every three to six months. A large-capacity carbon block filter typically lasts six to twelve months, depending on household water use and water quality. The actual cartridge cost runs $30 to $80 per change depending on the system size.
Equipment and installation for a standard two-stage whole-house filter in a Peoria home typically runs $800 to $1,500. Higher-capacity systems, or those that include additional stages for iron removal or UV disinfection, run $1,500 to $2,500. Annual filter cartridge maintenance costs range from $60 to $200.
We test your water first, then recommend the right filtration approach for what your water actually contains. Free, no obligation.
Call 309-281-3340For most Peoria homeowners on city water, the main benefit of a whole-house carbon filter is improved taste and odor throughout the house — not just at the kitchen tap. If you notice chlorine smell in your shower or from the laundry, a whole-house filter addresses that. For homes with older pipes or well water, the case for whole-house filtration is stronger, as additional contaminants may be entering the supply line.
If your primary concern is just drinking water quality, an under-sink reverse osmosis unit at the kitchen tap may be a more cost-effective solution. We can help you understand the tradeoffs based on a test of your actual water.
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