Now that you have learned all about the benefits of having a whole house filter and what little downside there is to owning them, deciding to purchase one was probably an easy decision for you.
Given my 26 years in water filtration-related industries, I commend you on that decision but I also want to help you take that one step further.
I will do that by guiding you further on the best ways to go about shopping for and purchasing a whole home water filter.
All with the goal in mind of helping you to find a whole house water filter you will be happy with well into the future and that provides safer water for you and your family to drink.
This will include such information as where to buy a whole home filter, the keys to focus on when shopping for one, and even some information on one of our most recommended whole house filter models.
Table of Contents
Where To Buy a Whole House Water Filter
Here are some of the most common ways to purchase a whole house water filter (also sometimes known as media filters, whole home filters, and point of entry water filters).
1. Buy Online from A Reputable Store or Marketplace
As it is with most products, buying online is an easy and convenient way to obtain a whole house water filter. This will also give you the largest number of choices when it comes to the price, styles, and types of available point of entry (POE) water filters.
You also don’t have to leave your home to do it, spend time driving around, pay for gas, deal with adverse weather conditions, or have someone watch the kids while you are doing it. All of this plays a role as to why online shopping has become so popular.
Pros:
- Convenience
- Time savings
- Cost savings (provides for excellent cost comparison)
- Huge product selection
- Multiple shipping options (including free shipping)
- Increased chances of finding a budget-friendly choice
- Can find good warranties, money-back guarantees
- Good way to find specialty POE filters
Cons:
- Can be an impersonal shopping experience
- In-depth product information varies
- Will need to arrange for product installation
- Not all products perform as advertised
2. Buy Online Directly from A Brand/Manufacturer
If you prefer not to have to choose from hundreds of available whole house water filter models but still want the convenience that online shopping offers, then you may choose to go to a manufacturer’s website to purchase your new POE water filtration system.
Your choices will be somewhat more limited but the accuracy and amount of information available on each whole house water filter that they sell will be second to none.
Pros:
- You will get the most complete and up-to-date product information
- May be able to take advantage of factory-direct pricing
- Will most likely offer customized options
- May provide financing
- Provide a more direct means of product support/problem resolution
- You will get a better understanding of product warranties and guarantees
- Their products are less likely to be over-hyped
Cons:
- You will have to arrange product installation
- Can be an impersonal shopping experience
- Not all manufacturers offer direct sales (May miss out on a good POE filter)
- More limited product selection
3. Buying offline from a local retail store
If you are the type of person that likes to be involved in a more personalized shopping experience, then visiting retail stores in your area that carry whole house filters may be the best choice for you.
This will usually include hardware stores, home improvement centers, and discount retailers.
You can chat with a store rep face to face and get some of their knowledgeable insight on their products and which models of theirs will work best for your water enhancement needs.
Pros:
- Provides a more personalized shopping experience
- Free delivery may be included
- May provide product installation, service
- Increased product knowledge in some cases
- Can negotiate prices in some cases
Cons:
- Average to low amount of product choices
- May be subject to biased information (due to limited product choices)
- Prices may be higher
- Involves a lot of time
4. Buying Offline from A Local Water Treatment Expert
You may be the type of person that has no budget concerns and just wishes to deal with one single local water filtration products company. There is nothing wrong with that although it may limit your available choices of these products.
On the flip side, you will be getting loads of knowledge on each water filtration product that retailer carries and may get other benefits too such as free delivery, professional installation, and service after the sale.
Pros:
- Gain the retailer’s water filtration insights
- You will get the most complete and up-to-date product information
- May come with professional installation
- Free delivery may be included
- Better access to service after the sale
- Some prices may be negotiable
Cons:
- Limited product choices
- Likely to pay a higher price
- May be subject to biased information (due to limited product choices)
- Involves driving, paying for gas, and extra time
Key Considerations When Shopping for A Whole House Water Filter
Here are some of the most important factors to consider when shopping for a point of entry water filtration system:
System Performance
You can look at many aspects of the shopping process for obtaining a whole house water filter but when it comes right down to it, you want a point of entry system that enhances your home’s water in the way you need it the most.
Getting a reliable home water test completed with a water test kit is the very best way to determine what contaminants are present in your incoming water supply that you need to remove. This may even lead you to seek out a specialty POE filter such as a fluoride, sulfur, or iron filter.
Cost
A whole house filter system’s cost will be one aspect of these water enhancement devices that you simply cannot overlook. After all, it does not matter how well a point of entry water filter performs if you cannot find a way to fit it into your budget.
That’s why it’s a great idea to determine your whole home filter budget range before you even begin the POE filter shopping process.
Selection
Fortunately, now that you have decided to purchase a whole house water filter, there is a large selection of them to choose from. The problem is, where you decide to shop can cut down on the number of choices that you have to select from.
Online shopping will generally give you the most available choices while shopping in person with a local water treatment expert will most likely give you the least number of purchasing options.
Company Reputation/Customer Service
You can get the highest quality whole house water filter that’s made but the whole experience can suddenly go south if the company that you bought it from does not support its product well.
A company should be known for continuing to help its customers even after the purchase. Online reviews are often a good source for finding out how well a company’s after-sale support is.
Return Policies/Guarantees/Warranties
This is super important when shopping for an item in the price range that whole home filters fall into. Especially if you are shopping online for a product that you have never seen in person and had demonstrated for you.
That’s why generous return policies and money-back guarantees give you some nice peace of mind when purchasing a whole home water filter. Fully comprehensive and long warranties also indicate a manufacturer’s confidence in their product.
Shipping Considerations
When shopping for a point of entry water filter online it’s nice to have a variety of shipping options available to you. You also want to inquire as to whether an in-store purchase comes with free delivery.
If the item can be insured during shipping and delivery is also something that you want to be aware of when deciding where to shop for a whole house filter.
Check out Springwell’s Filters
Insert Springwell photo
If you have read our whole home filter reviews, you will come to find that one of the models that I and the others here at Water Tech Advice really like is the Springwell Whole House Water System.
It’s a single tank media style filter that will treat up to one million gallons of water as it enters your home. There are even add-ons available for it such as a UV light disinfection device and reverse osmosis filtration.
It uses a sophisticated combination of catalytic carbon, KDF, and other filter media to remove or significantly reduce chlorine, chloramine, PFOA, PFAS PFOS, pesticides, herbicides, haloacetic Acids, and many more common water impurities.
Take Advantage of One of the Many POE Filter Shopping Choices That You Have
Without a doubt, you have many choices when it comes to the different means you can use to purchase a whole house water filter.
Which one is best for you? That’s something that I cannot determine for you but if you look at the advantages and disadvantages of each shopping method above, you should be able to decide that for yourself.
The one thing that I am sure of is that you can never go wrong by purchasing a whole house water filter. That’s because there are always some concerning contaminants in your water supply whether that water comes from a well or your city water supply.
So, I think it’s great that you are interested in purchasing a whole home water filter that will eliminate some nuisance water-related problems around your home and help better protect your family’s health at the same time.
