Steven R. Barnes
Simply running the municipal water supply that came with your home is the most common way in which people get water – it is also the method that is fraught with the largest number of problems.
If you are one of these people, then it’s statistically likely that you know what we’re talking about here. Public dissatisfaction with the quality of American municipal water supplies is at an all-time high, just at the same time as ever more advanced home economic solutions are being developed.
Dissatisfaction with water supplies arises when they are substandard, and it would be fair to say that many in the US are. Problems can range from lead contamination to water which is inadequately recycled and filtered wherever municipal water filtration and cleaning systems are not up to the standards many of us expect.
For many, a home water filtration system is a viable alternative, and it’s another example of how our homes are becoming more sophisticated.
Enter Filters
However, in the majority of cases, when a clean source of potable water is required throughout the home, a filtration system is usually installed. These can range from a simple pitcher which is filled with water and then filtered as it is decanted right up to full-home water filtration systems built into the plumbing of the home.
Filters are part of the trend towards more expansive and far-reaching home solutions. Pale Blue Earth, a tech company offering the latest USB rechargeable C-type smart batteries, for example, are offering a product that improves on traditional household batteries in much the same way as filters are improving home water supplies.
The thing about all these filters though is that they need to be maintained. Some last much longer than others. In all cases, however, it is the filtration substrate – what the water actually passes through in order to be filtered – which, specifically, needs to be replaced.
When Is It Time to Replace Your Filter?
But how do you know that the time has come for you to replace your water filter? Generally, indications of this can be found by inspecting the filter itself and by checking the water it produces. Naturally, any filter needing replaced is not going to be filtering water as it should.
Here follows some clear indicators that your water filter has reached that point and it is time to replace:
A Decrease in Flow Rate or Water Pressure
When water is coming out of your taps or shower head, a sudden decrease in pressure or the flow rate is a sure sign that there is a problem. And it could be a problem with your water filter. Filters remove contaminants; in time, these can clog the filter up.
Bad Taste or Color of Water
What you are looking for here is a salty, muddy, or metallic taste in your water. When a filter fails it can either affect the taste and color of the water because it stops working or because it degrades and contaminates the water itself. In either case, you will notice pretty quickly from the taste.
Odd Noises
Filters often feature a pump in order to give the water the extra pressure it needs to pass through the filter and still flow out your tap as normal. When the filter is broken or clogged, it can take more energy to do this, and you might hear that when you run the filter.
Water filters are an investment, but they don’t last forever. Luckily, sorting the problem is usually a lot less expensive than installing a whole new filter.
