Whole-house filter to improve plumbing lifespan?

[kyle_w]

Last week I had a plumber out to give some estimates on replacing a 50-year-old gas line to the furnace, etc. and I also asked about removing an old water softener that has been switched off and bypassed for the past 10+ years. (I'd been planning to do it myself, but figured it couldn't hurt to ask.)

He suggested that rather than having them replace the pipe there, that I should consider installing a basic whole house filter there. Specifically one to reduce sediment (and possibly chlorine) with the goal of making the plumbing last longer. Normally I'd ignore something like this, but he suggested that I DIY it, so obviously he wasn't trying to upsell me on anything. On the surface it makes sense... but is this correct, and to what extent?

To be clear: I am NOT looking for a water softener or anything "serious". The water we use in the kitchen & for drinking gets filtered there. We're happy with the water elsewhere, and don't want to spend a lot of money or frequently replace filters. The water comes from a municipal source (City of San Diego), not a well or anything special.

I'm mostly looking at sediment filters, like the iSpring spin-down ones. Would just installing one of those (and nothing else) make sense in this situation? I know they don't filter chlorine, and while chlorine can degrade copper pipes, I'm not sure if the amount of chlorine here would actually make an impact in my lifetime. I intended to do more research there, but if anyone can recommend a simple, small filter that would do both sediment & basic carbon filtering, I'd be very interested.

Thanks!

 

[Reach4]

I'm mostly looking at sediment filters, like the iSpring spin-down ones. Would just installing one of those (and nothing else) make sense in this situation?

I don't think so. Spin down is not for you. I think that a cartridge sediment filter to keep sand and dirt out makes sense. Maybe 25 to 5 micron.

It is not going to help the life of your pipes.

Do flush your WH every year or two. I am not a plumber or other pro.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[ditttohead]

A whole house carbon "filter" similar to a Big Blue or almost any cartridge type is a waste. They simply do not last long enough nor do they have the flow capacity to be worthwhile. A sediment filter will reduce sediment but in San Diego, do you really have any? Typically most of the testing we do in San Diego shows the municipality does an excellent job of sediment reduction prior to the water going out to their customers. A backwashing carbon system would be ideal for your application if you wanted to mitigate damage caused by chlorine or chloramine.