Remove Water Sediment With a Whole Home Water Filter

How it works

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A big filter for small grit

Water sediment filter keeps the crud out of your water. It's easy to install on your main water supply line and will filter the water for your entire home.

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Filter types

Carbon paper filters catch smaller particles, but pleated filters cost less and last longer.

Do you get a little grit in your glass of tap water? Well water and older public water systems sometimes contain sand, iron, silt and other forms of sediment. An inexpensive whole-house filter may be the ticket. It’s worth trying before investing in a full-blown water filtration system, which can cost thousands. If you can sweat a pipe, installation is easy enough.

Install the filter on the water supply line just before it enters your water softener. You may want to install yours with a bypass line so you can change the filter while the water is being used in another part of the house.

You can buy this fairly standard model at home centers. It can be used with two different types of filters. The carbon paper–style filter removes much smaller particles than the pleated-style filter. If your water is particularly “chunky” and you use the carbon paper–style filter, you may find yourself changing the filter every week, which could get expensive. The manufacturer recommends that the filters be changed every three months. If you go too long without changing it, you may notice a drop in your water pressure.