We are on city water (which isn't very hard) and we also are looking for a whole house water filter system to filter Chlorine and Chloramine. And also a filter for pharmaceuticals. Most chlorine is injested in the shower and not in drinking water. The POU filters for the shower can't be hidden as well as the POU filters for drinking water in the kitchen, hence my quest for the whole house. From what I can find out, it looks like even if we have a whole house filter for chlorine/chloramine, we also need to install a POU reverse osmosis filter for our drinking water in order to filter pharmaceuticals. I also have read numerous reviews, which all sound "slanted". So if you have learned anything that convinces you in favor of one product over another, I would be very interested. Right now, I'm looking at Aquasana and Puronics. Did you go with a particular product for whole house filtering?

This system has KDF filter media in the top, which is exceptional for low H2S removal, heavy metals removal, it converts chlorine to a chloride also. This media has Copper and Zinc which act as a cathode and anode which introduces a small electrical charge and kills bacteria. The zinc is sacrificial so the KDF has to be replaced eventually depending on water chemistry and usage. They say 3-6 yrs. This system is designed to keep the KDF fluidized (up flow) so it does not solidify and restrict flow. The carbon will help as a polishing agent and remove some things the KDF does not. The KDF is regenerated with sodium so with this system there is no way to backwash or regenerate the media. In a well water application I would expect a very short lifespan for this system (2-3yrs at best) depending on iron content, H2S, heavy metals, etc. I would recommend this as a polishing filter post softener for better performance and longevity. RJ

I can't comment on your city's water report. I am also on city water (Chicago) and was satisfied with an under-the-sink filter and the screw-on shower filters, as far as water taste, smell, etc. with these filters. During my recent bathroom remodel, I decided to get a whole house filter and went with a dual filter BBFS-22 Pentek housing (big blue) with a DGD-5005-20 Pentek filter cartridge and an WRC25HD20 American Plumber filter cartridge. This setup cost $270, which I purchased at discountfilterstore.com. I had my plumber install it along with full bypass, shut-off valves, etc. The system's been in for about 2 months and am really happy with it. Don't need all the point-of-use filters and the water tastes and smells great and feels great against the skin. Of course, I can't yet speak to how long the filters will last. I live alone and the point-of-use filters were usually good for about a year. Here is a link that might be useful: Pentek two housing filter system

I considered installing one, and found that a true whole-house filtration system is expensive and relatively complicated. You would be running a lot of water through it, and there are filters and other components that have to be constantly maintained. I think it would be easier to add a filtration system only for drinking water that you feel really needs it. For example, you could filter cold water to your kitchen sink and refrigerator and probably cover most of your needs. Bruce