Whole House Water Filter Comparison
A Comparison of Whole House Water Filtration Systems
Compare Whole House Water Filters
Whole House Water Filter Comparison & Ratings
People often ask me to compare whole house water filters and I tell them I am reluctant to do so. In the chart provided below I provide a comparison of whole house water filtration systems be selecting four relatively well known competitors and listing selected criteria.
On this page I provide a comparison of whole house water filtration systems to my Urban Defender. This whole house water filter comparison lists two well known backwashing systems, one well known cheap alternative, and the most costly filter on the market.
|
Sweetwater LLC Urban Defender |
Aquasana Rhino EQ-300 |
BC2 ** | big company* |
Wellness Filter |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Price (1) | $1800 | $799 | $2899 | $3790 | $5950 |
| Replacement Cost | $650 | $639 | $2890 | $3790 | $2950 |
|
Capacity (2) in gallons |
560,000 | 300,000 | 400,000 | 720,000 | 400,000 |
| Per month cost (3) | $22 | $17.75 | $60 | $32 | $61 |
| Removes chlorine | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Removes particulate | > 5 micron | > 5 mic | > 10 mic | > 10 mic | > 5 mic |
| NSF Certified (4) | No | Yes | NA | Yes | No |
| Requires electricity | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Back flush (5) | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Annual Cost (6) | $265 | $213 | $722 | $379 | $737 |
* big company (LS) has requested that any reference to them be removed as of 4-12-2011
** BC2 (EW) name removed on 6-7-2011
(1) prices may vary from these
(2) The problem with estimating gallon capacity is that water quality will vary in every city and how long a system will last depends entirely on the level of chlorine in the water along with the levels of other contaminants.
The amount of KDF and carbon and other media or the type of carbon used are also factors. In this comparison I am using 2 mg/l of chloramine in city water and catalytic carbon as the media to derive the numbers provided.
What is misleading about the certified systems is that they have been tested to the gallons listed but only have to remove 50% of the chlorine or chloramine to gain certification. So some large percentage of the gallons listed as certified are at less than optimum treatment.
(3) I assume a 10 year life with one media change at 5 years. The Urban Defender could easily be used again and that would lower the cost to $220 per year or $18.33 per month. Big company claims a 16 - 20 year life. Since both systems use similar media one would have to evaluate the contaminant levels upon which big company bases this claim.
(4) The Urban Defender uses NSF certified media. Big company is certified for NSF 42 Aesthetic Effects, which basically means that it removes chlorine.
(5) Systems that do not backflush are subject to decreased effectiveness in a short time. I have considered manufacturing such a system but can't bring myself to do so. Ask me why backwash carbon systems are more effective than upflow systems.
(6) As I stated above, how long the media within a system will last depends on the level of contaminants as well as the amount of water used. In this case I assume a 10 year life for the purpose of comparison.
All performance claims and pricing are based on the Manufacturer’s or Authorized Distributor’s literature.
These water filter comparisons illustrate that the Urban Defender is an affordable backwashing whole house water filter.
As I note at the top of this page it is a challenge to compare whole house water filters because there are subtle differences between the various models. I have attempted to provide this information for those who find it useful.
The Urban Defender is equal to or more effective than the more expensive water filtration systems listed above. You have my word on that.
To learn which specific features to look for when purchasing a whole house water filter or when comparing whole house water filters, read this post on my blog:
Choosing the best whole house water filter
To see customer reviews of the Urban Defender: Rave Reviews
To learn more: Email me at Send Me Your Urban Defender Specs and Pricing
To learn more about the Urban Defender whole house water filter click this link.
To learn more about which water purification system will meet your needs:
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***
"What's in YOUR Water?"
James P McMahon
Ecologist
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