Whole House / Mains Water Filter?

[prdad]

Looking at options to cleanup my water changing (and bathing water for family member with sensitive skin). I'm based in the North West (UK). So softish water from the peat filtered Lake District.
Has anybody installed one and had good / bad experiences? Running costs etc? Postitive effect on tank?

 

[Onoma1]

I am really interested in the responses you get. I use well water. The standard whole house set up around here involves a sediment filter (20 micron string wound filter prefilter followed by a second 5 micron filter), a UV and then a PH corrector. The string filter is about £200 and the UV is about £1200. Replacement filters are 12 pounds and UV tubes come in at about 20 each. We use a under sink RO system for drinking water (£300 ish) which uses 5 filters however however this is very slow and wouldn't work for bathing water without being scaled up.

 

[hypnogogia]

and then a PH corrector.

How does the PH corrector work/adjust the PH?

 

[JohnCooke]

Looking at options to cleanup my water changing (and bathing water for family member with sensitive skin). I'm based in the North West (UK). So softish water from the peat filtered Lake District.
Has anybody installed one and had good / bad experiences? Running costs etc? Postitive effect on tank?

I live on the UK south coast, with hard water from the South Downs. When I do water changes, I have to mix it with rainwater so as to not upset my tetras. We've been to the Lake District many times for the past 50 years or so. Our experience is that the tap water there is wonderful for our skin and hair, compared to at home! I'm thus intrigued by your desire to alter your tap water. Does it contain impurities we have never encountered? Are you hoping to keep hard-water fishes?

 

[prdad]

I have read that hot water increases the chlorine when bathing and can be an irritant for sensitive skin. Thats my primary motivation for filtering. But if it helps the tank (I dont have to add dechlorinators) and drinking water then they are bonuses. But yes I agree, trying to drink London water after a lifetime of Haweswater I thought I'd left the fairy liquid in the cup!

BTW, bit of a rabbithole after looking at the United Utilities breakdown of our water. Wasnt aware of by products of chlorine usage:
"Trihalomethanes (THMs) are the result of a reaction between the chlorine used for disinfecting tap water and natural organic matter in the water. At elevated levels, THMs have been associated with negative health effects such as cancer and adverse reproductive outcomes."