IMHO, so little of daily water usage is consumed, you would be better off with spot filters/point of use for kitchen and refrig. dispenser (if you have one). Really, who drinks significant water from any other faucet but the two areas I defined? Save ya some $$ and still give you some yummy h2o.

Bomb

Bomb,
Thanks for the reply. I'm interested in the whole house filter because of the benefits of showering with non-chlorinated water.

The chlorine number came quite high in the Culligan man's test, though he neglected to write it on the report. Usually I can smell the chlorine.

I guess in part I'm confused because there are so many companies that list whole house filters for much less that claim to remove a lot more than just chlorine and sediment (e.g. pure-earth etc.). I realize there is installation cost, but I still don't get it why the culligan is so much more, considering it removes only chlorine and sediment.

If there's anyone on the forum who's used culligan, please do speak up!

Thanks to all,
Deepti

I'm for point of use applications also. I have used aquasana products including a shower filter. Very cost effective. Check the link

Here is a link that might be useful: Aquasana

I would like to know what the advantage of showering without chlorine is?

Thanks busboy, I looked at the aquasana site. Can you tell me if the shower filters resulted in a pressure drop while showering? This is especially important in one of the older bathrooms, where the pressure is already lower because of clogging in old galvanized pipes.

Also, how often do you need to change the filter on it?

Can you also clarify why you prefer point of use over whole house?

Lazypup -- showering without chlorine is better for skin, hair, etc. Same reason why you wouldn't want to shower with pool water. I've also read about health hazards caused by chlorine byproducts, and that maximum intake of chlorine byproducts into our bodies is when we shower, not drink, chlorinated water.

Thanks,
Deepti

I have plenty of pressure while showering. The only problem is a few second delay when adjusting the temperature, while the canister fills with water. The filters are replaced every 6 months. They will last longer but that is what is recommended for max efficiency. I went on the water for life program: they automatically send you new filters every six months. I once had an RO system for kitchen but it wasted water and was overkill for a municipal water system that was tested with good quality. Point of use is just cheaper. I don't need to de-chlorinate the water to wash my car. Don't be suprised if water tastes a bit salty at first..That goes away quickly.

Thanks Busboy and others for your help! Today I had a Kinetico person come over. Knowledgeable and patient with answering all my questions.

I did ask him concering my fear of un-disinfected water (after dechlorination) running in the house plumbing. He said that in a sealed system, the only way for bacteria to get into the system would be a reverse contamination from the faucet back into the water treatment. Further, he said we could periodically bypass the filters, and flush our pipes with the chlorinated city supply. That made sense to me, so I'm leaning toward whole house dechlorination, plus an additional filter (Macguard) under the kitchen sink to take out VOC's.

The kinetico price came in within a couple hundred dollars of the culligan on the dechlorinator, and almost the same for the kitchen faucet. Their warranty is much better, and it seems their system is sturdier, with fewer moving parts and no electrical. I also liked the the POU had a meter that shuts off when it's time to change.

Regarding Aquasana, I'm not sure the difference in savings after installation charges are factored in (quite a bit here in my area) is worth sacrificing the convenience of having one point person do it all, and someone to call if anything goes wrong.

I'd love to hear back if anyone has any more comments!
Thanks to all for your help,
Deepti