What is the Best Whole House Water Filter for Removing Metallic Taste?
In this blog, you’ll learn:
• Iron, manganese, lead, zinc, copper, low pH and other heavy metals all cause a metallic taste in water.
• Whole house water filters remove all these contaminants.
• Some of the top filters include chlorine injection systems and reverse osmosis systems.
• The ideal filtration system for your home depends on which toxins are causing the metallic taste.
• You can find out which impurities are in your water by getting a free water test from Angel Water.
If you’re tired of agonizing over the metallic taste of your tap water, we’re here to help you solve your problem! The problem has several potential causes, and you can solve any of them with the right whole house water filter.
In this post, we’ll help you understand all the best possible ways to fix the issue. By the end, you’ll be ready to find the right whole house water filter to remove that metallic taste for good!
Your Water’s Metallic Taste Has Several Possible Causes
We wish this problem had one cause and one solution. That would make things a whole lot simpler and this blog a whole lot shorter. But unfortunately, there are many ways water can acquire a metallic flavor, and not all of them have the same solution.
Because of this, we can’t tell you which whole house water filter will fix your metallic taste in this blog. But what we can do is familiarize you with the most likely causes so you’ll know how to deal with whichever one is terrorizing your tap.
So, let’s get to know these problematic toxins, shall we? The most common culprits for producing metal taste in water are these contaminants:
- Iron
- Manganese
- Lead
- Copper
- Zinc
- Low pH (acidic water)
- Other heavy metals
Here’s a quick rundown of what these pollutants are and how they get into drinking water.
Iron
Iron is one of the most common chemical elements found in the earth’s crust. Because of this, it often infiltrates private wells and is found in high concentrations in well water. Iron also contaminates city water when it flows through old iron pipes, which are still common in many home and city plumbing systems.
The good news is iron does not pose any significant health risk when consumed. However, it can cause many annoying problems along with a metallic taste. These include reddish-brown stains on appliances and clothing and the production of smelly and sludgy iron bacteria.
Manganese
Manganese is another naturally occurring mineral in the earth’s crust that most often infiltrates private well water. The human body needs manganese to function properly. However, consuming water containing too much manganese can contribute to neurological problems over time (but this only occurs at extremely high levels of contamination).
Like iron, manganese can also make your water do many irksome things, including staining your sinks and showers and turning a brownish-red color.
Lead
We probably don’t have to tell you how harmful consuming lead can be. The toxin has become infamous for its long list of poisoning effects, including coma, convulsions, cognitive disorders and more. Considering all this, metallic flavor seems like the least of our worries.
But is lead still a common contaminant in our water? Yes, unfortunately, major cities like Chicago still have infrastructures consisting largely of old lead pipes. Even though the federal government banned the use of lead pipes in water main construction in 1986, most of the old lead pipes remain in use. And it’s going to take a long time to replace all of them. In the meantime, water continues to flow through those decaying pipes and right into people’s homes.
Copper
Copper contamination largely comes from water flowing through copper or brass plumbing pipes. Drinking water with extremely high concentrations of copper can cause nausea, stomach cramps, liver damage and kidney disease, among other issues.
Zinc
Zinc sometimes also infiltrates water as it flows through old pipes. High levels of zinc contamination make your water appear cloudy or milky, along with the metal taste. Drinking water containing excessive amounts of zinc can cause vomiting, stomach cramps, low blood pressure, seizures, fever and more.
Low pH (Acidic Water)
Water can also develop a metallic taste when its pH drops below 7 and becomes acidic. Not only can acidic water have a metallic flavor to it, but it also corrodes the plumbing it flows through over time. As a result, more metallic minerals get into the water and make it taste even more like metal.
Since it tends to collect metals, low-pH water comes with a wide variety of health risks, including many of the problems we listed above. Aside from this, it can also wear away at your teeth and bones.
Other Heavy Metals
Many other heavy metals can cause a metallic taste, including mercury, cadmium and arsenic. Fortunately, these toxins aren’t as common as the others listed above. Still, prolonged exposure to them can lead to heavy metal poisoning, the symptoms of which include muscle weakness, nerve damage, fatigue and nausea.
Whole House Water Filters Fixes All These Problems
Okay, now that we got the bad news out of the way, it’s time for the good part. The right whole house water filter will eliminate whichever of the above toxins is causing your problem. So, you won’t have to live with your water’s metallic taste or any of the threats to your home and health that come with it!
Of course, cheaper alternate remedies do exist. For example, running tap water for several minutes before filling your glass can make the taste go away. You can also purchase lower-priced pitcher or point-of-use filters. However, all these options are only partial solutions that don’t guarantee you’re protected from the toxins in your water. Only a whole house water filter can do that while also getting rid of that annoying metal taste. The system will produce the cleanest and safest water possible at every tap in your home.
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The thing is, no single whole house filter can eliminate every contaminant out there. Each filter specializes in removing certain contaminants. So, in the next section, we’ll review the types of filters we’d recommend for the different toxins.
How to Filter Metals Out of Water
Before we get into the different filters for removing these metals, let’s go over some general guidelines for finding a good whole house water filter.
First, you need a water filter system you can trust. Buying one of these large filters is a major investment, so don’t waste money on a system with questionable credentials.
Instead, choose a filter that is NSF-certified and 100% made in America. NSF-certified systems have gone through extensive testing to prove they work. And American-made equipment is usually much more durable than parts from other countries with suspect quality standards.
And once you find the right system, you need to have it installed by a licensed professional. The whole house water filters we’re about to discuss are not cheap. Why spend your hard-earned money on a system only to have it incorrectly installed so that it doesn’t work right? The best way to guarantee this doesn’t happen is by trusting your filter to a fully licensed expert who’s done it before.
Finally, it’s also crucial to have your whole house water filter serviced at least once a year by a licensed professional. If you fail to maintain your water filter, that metallic taste will start creeping into your water again.
With these best practices in mind, let’s get to know the top whole house filters for metallic taste.
Chlorine Injection Systems or Ozone Filters for Iron and Manganese
You have a few options to choose from for filtering out iron and manganese. One is a chlorine injection system. This whole house filter removes these toxins by oxidizing them with chlorine. Once the oxidizing process is complete, the system removes the chlorine from the water before sending it to your home.
An excellent whole house chlorine injection system we recommend is the PurAClear Chlorine Injection System. This filter has a patented valve, which applies exact chlorine dosing to the water to avoid over-chlorination. It is also NSF-certified and made in America.
Another option is an ozone filter. What’s great about ozone filters is they don’t require chemicals like chlorine to remove iron, manganese and other contaminants. Instead, these filters use a powerful gas known as ozone to oxidize and eliminate them.
One of the top ozone filters we sell is the PurAClear AO3 Ozone System. Its NSF-certified and American-made components will give you the better-tasting tap water you’re looking for.
One final option to consider is a water softener. While the primary purpose of a water softener is to eliminate calcium and magnesium minerals, which cause hard water, many NSF 44-certified models also remove iron and manganese. One top water softener to consider for this is the PurASoft ECR370.
Reverse Osmosis Systems for Lead, Copper, Zinc and Other Metals
The best whole house water filter for heavy metals like lead, copper and zinc is a reverse osmosis system (RO). This filter forces water through a semipermeable membrane, which filters out these and many other contaminants.
RO filtration is so effective that it strips the water of good and healthy minerals. However, the best RO systems come with features that add those minerals back into the water before sending it to your tap.
A quality reverse osmosis system you may want to consider is the PurASure HERO385 Plus. This NSF 58-certified system contains all American-made parts and is completely BPA-free. You can also control it with your smartphone and over Wi-Fi!
Corosex Water Neutralizing Systems for Acidic Water
If your water has a low pH, then it likely has many of the metals listed above in it as well. This is because low-pH water corrodes the metal it flows through, causing it to leach into the water. Therefore, you’ll likely need one of the systems listed above to remove those metals.
But beyond this, you should also invest in a Corosex water neutralizing system to fix your water’s pH balance. Corosex is a magnesium oxide that rapidly reacts with acidic water to get it back to its ideal neutral state.
Get Started by Getting Your Water Tested
Now you know the best whole house water filters for removing metallic taste. The only question left is, which filter is right for you?
You can find out by getting your water tested. At Angel Water, we provide free home water tests to help people understand what’s in their water. We’d be happy to do the same for you!
Interested in a Water Softener System for Your Home?
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Please give us a call at (847) 382-7800 or visit our water softener page to learn more.
