Buying Guide to Watering Systems

Water makes up over 70 percent of the Earth's surface, and is vital for every living organism. But much of the water available for human use is contaminated with various pollutants and sediments that often make it hard on the skin and tainted for consumption. Installing a home filtering system, such as a reverse osmosis system, and installing an accompanying water softening or conditioning device works to create an often vital, usable and reliable watering system.

Water Filters & Water Softeners
Determine if you are using city water or have a private well on your property prior to doing anything. Knowing what kind of water you have helps you to determine what sort of system you can expect to install in your home.

Those who live in an urban environment with city water streaming through their facets should consider a reverse osmosis system for the water they intend to consume. If you live in more rural community and have a private well on your residence, we suggest you obtain a copy of the most recent water analysis or have your water tested so custom recommendations can be provided based on the sediments specifically found in your water.

By putting in a reverse osmosis system, your water will be filtered, removing a variety of chemicals that often taste bad and are bad for you. These filters can be specifically installed in kitchens and where drinkable water needs to be or, as some residents have done, you might install a system that filters all of the water that enters and leaves a home. The choice is ultimately up to you. Knowing what kind of filter to choose, though, is a good start.

Reverse osmosis systems can come with several different features, but one of the best is the Home Master Reverse Osmosis System.

Typical reverse osmosis systems take a long time to fill even the smallest of pitchers, some as long as 40 seconds. The Home Master has a Fast Flow kit included which doubles water flow from the system to the faucet; so where as typical water purifiers only filter 5- microns of water at a time, the Home Master does double that. Plain osmosis systems are lower-grade, and have built in extra filters that are unnecessary, which delay how much water can pass through them at any given time.

The Home Master system is a higher quality in terms how it is built. It has a filtering system that is removed annually, which helps to prevent house floods, while other systems keep the same filter in place, and after years of use, the less-grade systems eventually erode internally and seals that keep water pressure consistent start to decay and finally fail.

Lesser grade water systems aren't even as easy to install. The Home Master, on the other hand, has Quick Connect fittings, faucet adapters and inlet adapters, making the installation easy. Plus, it comes with a variety of options that enhance its quality. For instance, the Artesian Upgrade adds minerals to the water, removes everything that is unnecessary, and balances the pH to improve the taste. The permeate pump reduces the waste of water, increases the water's production, and creates even cleaner water using a non-electric system, which helps keep power bills low, so you aren't exchanging electricity for water. The Home Master ULTRA and UV light filters to eliminate microorganisms. And it comes in several types, such as the IRON and ULTRA models.

Water Softening vs. Conditioning
When you look for a watering system you need to determine what to install based on your personal needs as well. Water conditioning systems are best to help remove chlorine and other chemicals, specifically sediments that make water hard on the skin. Filters generally are kitchen devices, while a water conditioning/softening device is made to treat the entire household's water. Conditioning systems will help to remove build-up found on glass or metal. However, water conditioners do not remove calcium or fluoride from the water. Generally, water treatment facilities add things like calcium and fluoride to water to make the water taste better, and both are natural elements found in well water. These systems do not require maintenance for up to 10 years, allowing for about 1 million gallons of water to pass through them.

Meanwhile, water softening devices, removes calcium and replaces it with salt. These systems will also remove the hardness in water, however the feelings they produce on the skin differ. Those with a conditioning system will find that the water is similar to that of a natural spring, while the softener will make the skin silky due to the salt.

Some residents prefer to add both a conditioner and softener, having all water pass through the conditioning unit, and only have the hot water pass through the softener, so the water is softened with salt.

Installation
Once your mind is made up as to what you would like to install in your personal residence, the final step is to install the product. Installation is something that is fairly easy, and can be a good weekend chore for crafty people. For the less crafty out there, consider having a professional install the units and directing them to the available guides both online and that come with the unit once they have been purchased and shipped.

Learn about Whole House Water Filters with our Whole House Filter Buying Guide.

Read our Water Testing Guide here.

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