Water Softener Installation & Repair
Install a softener or get an existing one working again.
Hot water and water quality
Water Filtration Installation in St. Petersburg
Filtration depends on what you want out of the water. Taste and smell, sediment, and specific contaminants each need a different kind of filter.
Name the problem first. The right filter follows from it.
Common reasons to filter
- Chlorine or chloramine tasteThe disinfectant gives water a pool-like or chemical taste.
- Sediment and cloudinessParticles in the water that clog fixtures.
- Specific contaminantsLead, PFAS or other items found in a test.
Start with the problem
The first step is to know what is in the water. The city publishes a water quality report each year, and a lab test of your own tap shows what the home plumbing adds. Taste, smell, and cloudiness each point to a different fix.
Do not buy a system for a problem you have not confirmed. A filter that does not target your issue costs money and still needs replacement cartridges.
Types of filtration
Sediment filters strain out sand, rust and silt. Carbon filters remove chlorine, many tastes and odors, and some chemicals. Reverse osmosis pushes water through a membrane that removes dissolved solids and many contaminants, and it is usually installed under a sink for drinking water.
Whole-house systems treat all the water as it enters the home. Point-of-use systems, such as an under-sink filter, treat just the drinking tap. Many homes do best with a whole-house sediment and carbon filter and a drinking-water filter at the kitchen sink.
Cost
What affects the price of filtration
Cost depends on what you filter and how much of the house is covered.
Ask for the cartridge cost and replacement interval before you agree.
In St. Pete
City water and chloramine
The city publishes its water quality results in an annual report. Filtration is a choice for taste, smell and added assurance, and it does not replace the city's treatment.
Homes with older pipe may have rust or sediment come through the tap after work on the main. A sediment filter helps, and so does flushing the lines.
Chloramine and carbon
The City of St. Petersburg disinfects its water with chloramine, which is chlorine combined with ammonia. Chloramine lasts longer in the pipes than plain chlorine, and it is harder for basic carbon filters to remove. Ask for a filter media suited to chloramine, such as catalytic carbon.
If you keep fish or have a dialysis patient at home, ask the city about chloramine, since it can affect them. Many people simply want better taste.
Installation and upkeep
A whole-house filter goes on the main line after the meter and a shutoff, with a bypass. An under-sink unit needs a dedicated tap and a drain connection if it is reverse osmosis.
All filters need cartridge changes on a schedule. A filter left too long stops working and can become a place for bacteria to grow. Ask the plumber for the replacement interval and the cost of cartridges.
Showers, ice makers and refrigerators
Filtering the whole house is not the only option. A shower filter reduces chlorine on skin and hair for a modest cost, and an inline filter on a refrigerator line improves ice and water. These are easy to install and replace, but they treat only one outlet.
Refrigerator and ice maker filters have their own change schedule, usually every six months. If the water from the fridge tastes worse than the tap, an old cartridge is the first thing to check.
Related services
Water Heater Installation & Replacement
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Faucet & Sink Repair
Repair drips, weak flow, stuck shutoff valves and leaking outdoor spigots.
Common questions
Water filtration questions
Basic carbon removes it poorly. A catalytic carbon or similar media does better. Ask the installer which media the filter uses.
It removes many dissolved contaminants and improves taste. It wastes some water and needs a tap and drain connection. It makes sense for drinking and cooking water.
It depends on the filter and use. Follow the maker's schedule, since an old cartridge stops working.
Yes. A test shows what is actually in your tap, and it lets you choose a filter that targets it.
Yes, under-sink systems are common. Ask about the faucet, the drain connection and where filters are changed.
Whole-house filters treat all water for taste and sediment. Under-sink units treat drinking water more finely. Many homes use one or both depending on the goal.
Not always. It depends on your water. A water test or a conversation with the contractor can show whether hardness is the issue.
Water tastes or smells off?
Call and describe it. A plumber can recommend a test and a filter that fits.