Quick answer
A whole-house (or point-of-entry) filter is fitted where water enters your property, usually near the water meter, so every tap and appliance gets filtered water. Most systems use stages: a sediment filter first, then carbon or specialised media for chlorine, taste, odour and other substances.
Point of entry vs point of use
A point-of-use filter treats water at one tap: a jug, a benchtop unit or an under-sink system. A point-of-entry or whole-house filter treats all the water coming into the property, before it splits off to the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry and garden.
What each stage does
- Sediment filter. Catches sand, rust, silt and other particles. Filters are rated in microns; a 1-micron filter catches particles far smaller than the eye can see. This stage also protects the stages after it.
- Activated carbon. Holds on to chlorine and many of the compounds behind bad tastes and smells.
- Specialised media. Some systems add media for a particular job, such as KDF for reducing heavy metals, or limescale-reduction media that make scale less likely to build up.
What it doesn’t do
- It isn’t a water softener. Limescale-reduction media reduce scale build-up but don’t remove hardness minerals the way a softener does.
- It isn’t reverse osmosis. Sediment and carbon systems leave most dissolved minerals in the water, and generally aren’t designed to remove fluoride.
- It doesn’t replace your supplier’s disinfection. Town water already arrives disinfected.
What your home needs
- A town mains water connection (bore and rainwater tank systems need a different approach).
- Space on a wall, fence or the ground near where water enters the property.
- Installation by a licensed plumber, connected into your main water line.
Looking after it
Cartridges fill up over time and need replacing on a schedule, typically every 6 to 18 months depending on the stage and your water. Sediment and carbon systems run on mains pressure and don’t need electricity.
Common questions
Does a whole-house filter remove fluoride?
Most sediment and carbon whole-house systems are not designed to remove fluoride. Reverse osmosis at the kitchen sink is the usual option if you want it removed from drinking water.
Do whole-house filters need electricity?
Sediment and carbon cartridge systems work on your mains water pressure and don’t need power.
Where is a whole-house filter installed?
Usually on an outside wall, fence or the ground near the water meter, connected into the main line before it reaches the house.
General information for homes on town water in Victoria. It isn’t a substitute for advice about your specific property or water supply.
