FAQS
Get in the know with your H2O
WHY IS WATER FILTRATION SO IMPORTANT NOW?
Because there are greater concentrations of more pollutants in the water than ever before. The ongoing ingestion of small amounts of over 300 chemicals cannot be good for anyone.
WHAT DOES A WHOLE-HOUSE FILTER COST?
House Size Model Number Installed Price Daily Cost Re-bed In Re-bed Cost
0 - 1,000 635N $1,049 - $1,249 $1.44 2-2.5 yrs $330
1,000 - 2,500 744N $1,249 - $1,449 $1.71 2-2.5 yrs $350
2,500 - 5,000 844N $1,449 - $1,649 $1.98 2-2.5 yrs $380
Over 5,000 948N $1,649 - $2,049 $2.26 2-2.5 yrs $430
WHAT CONTAMINANTS DO WATERMAN FILTERS REMOVE?
This filter is designed to remove chemicals and other toxins from your water including: chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, drugs, and much more.
The combination of roasted coconut shell GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) and KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) in Waterman filters creates a top-quality filtration system that targets heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, THMs, drugs, odor, taste, and chemicals such as chlorine. The filters are bacteriostatic so that no bacteria can grow within the unit.
WHAT IS IN THE FILTER?
Instead of coal, we use the best granular-activated coconut shell carbon available because it is 3 to 5 times more absorbent. All of the materials we use are premium quality with the best absorption properties.
WHAT MAINTENANCE IS REQUIRED TO KEEP MY FILTER WORKING?
Very little. Your filtration system includes a small sediment pre-filter that eliminates larger impurities (dirt and undissolved solids) before your water goes through the large main filtration tank. We recommend changing this every four months to ensure maximum efficiency. We provide six pre-filters at the initial installation at no additional cost.
HOW DO I CHANGE MY PRE-FILTER?
HOW LONG WILL MY WATERMAN FILTER LAST?
We guarantee two years of effective filtering at a 98.9% filtering rate. After that we cannot be sure that your unit is getting out all of the chemicals or, more importantly, that it will remain bacteria free. It is important to re-bed your filter when its guaranteed effective life is over.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO RE-BED THE FILTER?
The materials inside the filter must be replaced every two years. We use the term “re-bedding” to describe this process. After two years, you can buy a re-bed filter at a significantly reduced cost. We simply have to exchange the old tank with the new tank. The new filter is then guaranteed to filter effectively for another two years.
WHERE IS THE WHOLE-HOUSE FILTER INSTALLED IN MY HOME?
Whole house filters must be installed where the water comes into the home and before the water goes to the hot water tank or anywhere else in the home. That way the unit is sure to filter all the water, both hot and cold.
Have questions that need answers? Fill out a contact form or call us at (614) 430-3840.
20 QUESTIONS WITH DOUG
1. WHAT IS A WHOLE HOME WATER FILTER?
A filtration system that filters the cold water where it comes into the home and before it goes anywhere else, filtering all of the water in your home.
2. WHAT CHEMICALS ARE IN MY WATER SYSTEM?
All of the chemicals that make their way into the source of your water (stream, lake, reservoir, river, well etc.) Currently that amounts to about 290 separate chemicals in the water of most municipal water systems and that is without counting drug chemicals. All the
herbicides, pesticides and cleaning solvents that are used by farmers, industry, and households make their way into the water. Then the water company adds huge amounts of Chlorine (usually more than you would be allowed to swim in) to kill bacteria in order to protect you from water borne diseases.
3. WHAT HARD METALS ARE IN MY WATER SYSTEM?
Small amounts of heavy metals such as lead, silver, and mercury can also be in your water primarily from leaching pipes. Minerals such as iron, sulphur, manganese, calcium, and limestone may be in your water naturally as well. "Hard" water is caused by calcium and limestone, not by iron as many people think. Natural minerals are good for you, but not so good for your appliances nor are they always pleasant to taste or smell.
4. WHY ARE THERE CHEMICALS AND HARD METALS IN MY TAP WATER?
Because they all are in the environment. Water companies cannot afford to remove chemicals and in fact add chlorine and fluoride at the plant. They are primarily intent on killing bacteria to avoid water borne disease.
5. WHY CAN'T I JUST DRINK MY TAP WATER?
You can if you're not concerned about ingesting small amounts of things like Round-Up or any of the other 290+ chemicals your tap water contains. Granted they are usually small concentrations, but consider asking yourself how much Round-Up over say 10 years is okay for you or your family to drink. Many of the chemicals (including chlorine) are carcinogenic. How much of those are you willing to consume? The common sense answer is zero.
6. WHY CAN'T I JUST HAVE A FILTER ON MY SINK FAUCET?
Again, you can. However, you should know that water filters can only
filter cold water. You should also know that every time you shower or bathe you absorb right through your skin the equivalent of whatever chemicals are in about 10 glasses of water. Also, most people don't always get a drink from the kitchen faucet or brush their teeth there. So, a sink filter cannot filter your hot water, but a whole home filter attaches where the water enters your home and before any hot water device (tank or instant) so all of the water in your home (every tap) hot and cold is filtered. An under-sink filter will work for cold water only at one tap. A whole home water filter catches all of the water hot and cold at every tap, making it a cure rather than a Band-Aid.
7. HOW LONG DOES A WATERMAN WHOLE HOUSE FILTER LAST?
We size our filters to fit the size of your home and the size of your family. We do this to make sure your water pressure is not affected and so that it is big enough to last for a full 2 years at a peak 98.9% chemical removal rate before the filtering media has to be replaced. So, every two years we do what is called a re-bed (replacement of filtering media) that makes your filter brand new again and we do this at a much reduced cost to you. This means you don't have to buy it all over again like many other companies require. With our system you only pay for the new filtering media, not the tank and pre-filter housing.
8. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PRE-FILTER?
The unfiltered water from the street or well first comes to the pre-filter so that any organic matter (dirt or undissolved solids) in the street pipes or the line to your house (that are 5 microns or larger) will not reach the main filter tank. This allows the chemical removal process to work better and last longer. So, the pre-filter removes organic matter and the main tank removes the chemicals.
9. HOW OFTEN DO I HAVE TO CHANGE THE PRE-FILTER CARTRIDGE?
Generally speaking, every four months. But we have given you a clear canister so you can see when the white 5 micron cartridge turns dark (usually brown). That's because how quickly it turns is totally dependent on how much organic matter is coming in through the street pipes and that can be effected by any kind of disturbance in the water lines such as the fire department flushing the hydrants, construction in your area, or a neighbor having to replace their line from the street. It should be noted that the cartridge filters from the outside in so don't panic at light brown. Whenever it turns dark you should change it whether it has been months, weeks, or even days.
10. I AM NOT A PLUMBER. IS IT EASY TO CHANGE THE PRE-FILTER?
It is relatively easy and should only take about 5 minutes. We provide the filter cartridges and a plastic wrench for your convenience. There is a step-by-step video on our website under "FAQs" that walks you through the process. However, if you're not comfortable you can ask us to change it for you. There will be a $35 service charge for coming out to do it.
11. WHAT IS IN THE WATER FILTER?
We use a chemical absorption filter using a combination of coconut shell Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and a cooper-zinc mixture called KDF (kinetic degradation fluxation) to remove the chemicals from the water. Coconut carbon is three times as absorbent as coal carbon and KDF is ten times more absorbent. In short, our media mixture is the best there is! The KDF also serves to render our filters bacteriostatic, which means that bacteria cannot grow within our filters.
12. HOW BIG IS THE WATERMAN FILTRATION SYSTEM?
We size the filter to fit the size of your home and family. The footprint of the filter is a round base that ranges from a diameter of 6-10 inches on the ground. and is from 40-50 inches tall. Most filters in houses from 3,000-5,000 square feet have a 7" or 8" footprint and are 48" tall. The pre-filter either hangs off of the main tank or fastens to the wall and is 5" wide and 12 inches tall. So, overall our filter can be made to fit in very small areas.
13. WHERE IS THE FILTER INSTALLED?
The filter must be installed close to where the water comes into the home and before it goes to other parts of the house. We are particularly concerned with filtering the water before it goes to the water heater, all sinks and baths, and washing machines. The volume of water our filters can tackle means that we don't have to avoid outside taps.
14. HOW MUCH MAINTENANCE DO I NEED TO DO WITH THE WATERMAN FILTER?
The only maintenance is changing the pre-filter when necessary, which is normally every 3 months. See #9 above.
15. DO I NEED A SOFTENER WITH MY WATERMAN FILTER?
That depends solely on how hard your water is. Hardness is caused by the amount of calcium and/or limestone in the water, not by iron which is a common misconception. Softeners lower the
calcium/limestone levels via an ion exchange and use sodium chloride (salt) to keep the softener clean and working properly. Hard water can shorten the life your water appliances (hot water tank, dishwasher, ice maker, faucets, commodes etc.) Taste is also an
issue. Keep in mind that calcium and limestone is generally healthy for people while added salt is not. So it's a tradeoff. When you really need a softener it's the only answer. When you really need it is a personal choice. We regularly install both a softener and a chemical filter when the water content demands it.
16. MY HOME IS NOT A TYPICAL SUBURBAN SIZE HOME. DO YOU HAVE A WATERMAN FILTER TO MEET THE NEEDS OF MY HOME?
We regularly stock filters for homes from 1,000 to 10,000 square feet, but have installed them on 15,000+ square foot homes as well. Bottom line is yes, we can customize a filter to serve any home.
17. WHY SHOULD WE GO WITH WATERMAN FILTERS AND NOT A COMPETITOR?
Because we use only the best materials and never compromise.
Because we treat all of our customers like we would like to be treated.
Because our guarantee is unconditional: it works or we fix it, period.
Because we have been doing this since 1987-- it's not our first rodeo.
Because when the time comes we will re-bed your filter to make it new again for minimal $$ instead of making you buy a new one.
Because we strive to keep our prices low and fair so you get the best for less.
18. WHAT IF I HAVE A PLUMBING ISSUE WITH A WATERMAN FILTER?
We will fix or change any problems you have concerning any filtration system we have installed to your satisfaction. As mentioned above, our guarantee is unconditional.
19. IS THERE A DISCOUNT OR INCENTIVE TO TELL FRIENDS & FAMILY ABOUT MY WATERMAN FILTER?
Yes! We will pay a referral fee of $50 via a credit toward your next re-bed for anyone you refer who purchases a whole house filter and we will give the person you referred a $50 discount too.
If you move and leave the filter with the house, we will offer you a new filter for your new house for the cost of a re-bed saving you $400 to $500. We take good care of our customers.
20. WILL A WATERMAN FILTER IMPACT THE FLOW OF MY TAP WATER?
We make every effort to avoid any pressure loss by sizing your filter
to fit your house and family to avoid any pressure loss. We can't increase your normal pressure, but we can make sure it doesn't go down.