Residential water filter question -

[5-90]

Here's what I'm getting ready to look for:

I'd like to find an inline water filter (coarse-ish mesh is fine - this is going to be for biggish chunks of scale. A mesh of .030" or so would be perfect!) that can either be plumbed inline with the service entry for a house (typically 3/4" NPT) or into the supply lines for a faucet (1/2" IPT, I think, or thereabouts,) or - potentially - behind the angle stops for supply (1/2" NPT.)

I'll be starting my search shortly, but I wanted to ask and see if anyone knew anything that I could use for a shortcut.

I've got a client that I do handiwork for, and her faucets keep getting blocked up with loose bits of scale.

Ideally, I'm thinking a medium-mesh filter that can be easily broken down and cleaned (as I said, a screen would be plenty) in 10-15 minutes, or that an older woman could do herself (if she's so inclined) in a half hour with no special tools. I'm envisioning the thing needing cleaning once every 6-12 months or so.

Any ideas? Any good "jumping-off" points for my search? Local stores have been looking at me like I've grown a third head when I ask for something like this...

 

[tbburg]

We have that problem at the apt. complex where I work. We've tracked the scale deposits to the water heaters. Chances are if you put a screen at the service entry, you wouldn't catch the problem.

Only thing I've come up with is I put a stainless screen under the aerator washer before installing a new one. The style aerator we use has a tight mesh screen on the output. I just rip the old aerator apart, scavenge the screen, and drop it in the back side of the new one. Then the next time there's a problem(usually 3-6 months) we just unscrew the clogged aerator, rinse it off, and reinstall it.

 

[5-90]

We have that problem at the apt. complex where I work. We've tracked the scale deposits to the water heaters. Chances are if you put a screen at the service entry, you wouldn't catch the problem.

Only thing I've come up with is I put a stainless screen under the aerator washer before installing a new one. The style aerator we use has a tight mesh screen on the output. I just rip the old aerator apart, scavenge the screen, and drop it in the back side of the new one. Then the next time there's a problem(usually 3-6 months) we just unscrew the clogged aerator, rinse it off, and reinstall it.

The aerator screens are just ducky - the problem is the scale and crud get to clog up the stem ports, which requires that I unship the stems and dig out the ports. Yeah, I get paid by the hour - but I prefer keeping jobs simple.

The water heater is old, but I'm not convinced that that is the sole source of the crud.

 

[Cottontail]

We have the GE Smart water system in our house. They are two inline filter systems that are mounted side by side in our garage where the water line comes in from the street.

Each filter is housed in a seperate cylinder that is about 12 inches long and about 4 inches wide. One of the cylinders houses a charchol filter and the other a simple paper filter.

The filters last about 6 months and run about $12 or so each. Made a huge difference to the quality of water in the faucets and the clothes washer and dish washer in the house.

You can pick them up at either Lowes or Home Depot. The model number is GXWH04F.

 

[old_man]

I have a setup I made some years ago that uses the removable large filters. You can get them in many grades of filtration. It is all plumbed with shutoffs and unions on either side of the filter and is made to be installed in the main supply for the house. It was never installed. If you are interested, I can post up some pix and I am sure we could work out a deal. It is a first class industrial type filter and the elements are available most places.

 

[blubullett]

These http://www.faucetdirect.com/webston...ps/p1112495?source=amz_1112495&baid=437611261 work great for stopping bits of sand and rust. You just turn off the water and pull the bottom of the Y out and empty it whenever you need to. It will hold a tablespoon of sand so they don't need to be emptied often. It catches stuff in a screen and dumps it to the bottom of the Y.

 

[5-90]

These http://www.faucetdirect.com/webston...ps/p1112495?source=amz_1112495&baid=437611261 work great for stopping bits of sand and rust. You just turn off the water and pull the bottom of the Y out and empty it whenever you need to. It will hold a tablespoon of sand so they don't need to be emptied often. It catches stuff in a screen and dumps it to the bottom of the Y.

I'll have to check later when the site is back up (maintenance message right now - 14JUN2010 @ 1118 Pacific,) but that sounds like about what I'm looking for...

It would save me the trouble of designing something!

 

[Wayne Sihler]

I have the "Omni whole house "sysyem, hooked in -line after the pressure tank.I have a well..... filters last about a month.My water has red clay and rust flakes.
I get DuPont brand filters from Lowes,Walmart or any hardware store about $6 for a pack of 2,or higher if a carbon/specitily type.

 

[blubullett]

I'll have to check later when the site is back up (maintenance message right now - 14JUN2010 @ 1118 Pacific,) but that sounds like about what I'm looking for...

It would save me the trouble of designing something!

The ones I linked were just the first that popped up in google when searching for "brass Y strainer". They aren't CA legal due to a small ammount of lead. You can get CA legal ones at plumbing supply places like Slakey Brothers, Ferguson Plumbing Supply, or Granger.