AlkaWay Whole House – Essential Safe Water Filter

All whole house systems use the same basic filter media: a combination of sediment filter, carbon filter and antibacterial ultraviolet. Filter capacity is maximised because we don’t like to change filters too often, and yet we need large filters because satisfactory performance is only achieved with a flow rate that doesn’t ‘die’ when you are in the shower, and someone turns on a tap and the sink.

Review our Installation manual.

* Reduces chlorine, endocrine inhibitors. Ibuprofen trace hydrocarbons, and Volatile Organic Compounds. Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Silver, Iron, Mercury, and Selenium.
** While whole-house filters may struggle to successfully and reliably remove Fluoride, because the water needs time to interact with the media in order to remove or reduce the fluoride in the water, the flow rate will be slow.  An effective way to address Fluoride is to combine these systems with the UltraStream drinking water filter.
*** Most customers add an UltraStream drinking water system to remove bad taste, colour or odour issues.
**** On average, each filter should last up to 12 months. This will depend on the water usage over that time and the condition of your water source. So, it may need replacing sooner than 12 months.

Our key ‘Consider this’ factors are: 

1. Water sources: Creek water, spring water, rainwater… all have very different characteristics.

(a) Creek water is a prime source of bacteria, mainly from faecal matter, either animal or human upstream. It can also be high in sediment especially after solid rain upstream or in the area. We take into consideration your need to be able to remove and clean a sediment filter without stress.

(b) Spring water is thought to be a wonderful water, but today it’s not necessarily so. In vast areas of Australia, spring water can be highly alkaline. While not a bad thing, (it has been shown to be very healthy) it often has serious effects on your hot water service, your shower rose, your kettle, and we look at alternatives to prevent accretion of calcium in this form. In other areas such as Western Australia, iron can be a major component of spring water. Around our area we often find spring water to be quite acidic, because of the accumulative effect of composting layers of subtropical foliage.

(c) Tank water labours under another myth that water from the sky is clean. It is not, because it falls through a layer of quite mixed pollution onto a roof that is a catchall for airborne pollution (in its myriad forms), sweeping the accumulated pollution into a tank that usually accommodates at least one form of dead mammal. A recent serious problem for tank owners has been the discovery that bats (flying foxes etc) faeces carry many very serious diseases. Flying overhead, the bat faeces drop onto roofs and are washed into our drinking water tanks. As we know, in some areas thousands of bats pass overhead twice a night.

2. Tanks are also commonly thought to hold pH neutral water. This is seldom the case. A concrete water tank will leach calcium into your water for up to 20 years, whereas the modern plastic or fibreglass tanks seriously acidify your water.

3.  pH: This brings us to the whole question of pH for a whole of house filter. We do offer the alkaline pH system, but generally only recommend this for areas that have highly acidic water. In general, we try to make sure that the only water with high alkalinity is your drinking water. This is most easily achieved with an at-tap system like the UltraStream, simply because alkalising all of your home water has no real benefit except (as already stated) your water is so acidic that it needs alkalising.

4. Bacteria and Viruses are a much bigger problem with water tanks than with city/municipal water supply, simply because it does not have chlorine in it. Some farmers have even taken the step of installing a chlorine generator to keep their water tank clean, but we feel that it’s more economical and more healthy to kill bacteria using ultraviolet light rather than a known carcinogen. Tank water users also regularly report that their skin is far better cared for and supple with no chlorine in the system. A good UV system, regularly checked, will achieve extreme kill rates for all manner of bacteria.

5. Media: As we mentioned, we will select the right media for your particular installation and budget. Generally, we offer two forms of sediment filter and two forms of carbon. We don’t want to bore you with all the tech specs, so we suggest giving us a call or email.

6. Quality: We only source NSF approved media and replacement cartridges. Most pre-made units on the market use substandard filter media. We have learned the ‘tricks of the trade’ over the years and have made the decision that happy clients are better than high profits.