Which water filtration system is right for your home's specific needs?

How to Choose a Water Filter | Ask This Old House · 4:19 · Video: This Old House · Watch at the source

In short: From simple pitchers to advanced reverse-osmosis setups, the right filter depends on your goals. Whether you want to improve taste or treat every faucet in your house, understanding the different mechanisms is the first step to securing cleaner drinking water.

Selecting a water filter involves balancing convenience, capacity, and the level of purification required. For basic improvements to taste and odor, a pitcher-style filter is the simplest option. These typically use a granulated carbon filter to remove some sediment and chlorine. If you prefer something more integrated, faucet-mounted filters offer a switch to divert water through a granulated carbon filter for drinking, while keeping the standard flow for tasks like washing dishes.

For those seeking higher capacity and convenience, an under-sink dual-filter system with a dedicated gooseneck faucet is an option. If your goal is optimum point-of-use filtration, a reverse-osmosis system is a strong candidate. This method passes water through a series of three filters to produce extremely clean, pure drinking water. The installation time for these systems can range from as little as 5 minutes to as long as 5 hours.

If you want filtered water at every faucet in your home, a whole-house system installed near the water main is the ideal solution. Some whole-house models use disposable cartridges, while others, such as the Braukmann filter manufactured by Honeywell, are designed to clean themselves automatically. For more complex needs, large canister-style filters, like those from Culligan, can be filled with specific materials tailored to your local water quality. For the highest level of filtration, experts suggest testing your tap water first and then hiring a specialist to install a custom-designed whole-house system.

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