How to Choose the Right Size Water Filtration System?

September 7, 2019

“Measure twice, cut once” is a wise proverb to follow, if you know what you are measuring. Whether you are cutting a board for a building project or a piece of fabric for a craft, you know exactly what to measure and what size you need it to be.

Choosing the right size water filtration system is much harder, especially if you don’t know what to measure or why. If you are considering installing a water filtration system in Scottsdale, AZ, but you don’t know what size you need, the experts at WES Water are here to help! Here’s what you need to know.

Size matters

Yes, size really does matter. To understand why, you need to understand how water filtration systems work. Water filtration systems use a variety of media to remove contaminates from your water. The water being treated needs a minimum amount of time flowing through these media in order to become contaminate free. If your water filtration system isn’t big enough for the volume of water you use, your system won’t be able to effectively clean your water.

Count your appliances and get out your calculator

Many water filtration systems actually come with a table or suggestions to help you choose the right size based on the number of bathrooms and household members in your home. For example, a home with two to four residents and one to two bathrooms would need a water filtration system that filters 7 gallons per minute (GPM). However, while these suggestions are helpful, they are only suggestions and may not help you accurately choose the right system for your needs.

You can do your own estimate by making a list of all the fixtures and appliances in your home and then making a determination of how many of these appliances you feasibly run at the same time. You can then add up the flow rate for each device and this should give you a pretty accurate idea of what size system you need. Here are some common household appliances/fixtures and their flow rates:

  • Bathtub: 4 to 8 GPM
  • Washing machine: 4 to 5 GPM
  • Shower: 2.5 to 5 GPM
  • Toilet: 2.2 to 5 GPM
  • Dishwasher: 2 to 3 GPM
  • Faucet: 2.5 to 3 GPM

Check the pipe size

Another way to determine what size water filtration system you need, that requires less math, is to check the size of your line pipe, which is the pipe at the entrance to your home. Because the size of the line pipe determines the volume of water, it can be a good tool to estimate what size filtration system you would need. For example, a 1” line pipe typically has a flow rate of 16 to 30 GPM.

Choosing the right size water filtration system in Scottsdale, AZ is essential if you want to have a reliable source for clean water throughout your home. If you want to eliminate the guesswork and the hassle, you can call on the experts at WES Water. We can ensure that you get the right system to meet all your household needs!

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