Heavy Metals Whole House

I ordered the Express Water Heavy Metal Filtration System for the following reasons: 1. Very detailed and favorable reviews; 2. The sleek look of this system paired with the stainless steel; 3. Preinstalled pressure guages; and, 4. The availability of a variable range of replacement filters, all at an exceptional cost. The system was installed inside a barn that contains my water well and is attached to a line leading to my home. Water testing showed my primary concern to be water hardness and I contemplated getting the recently released Express Water Descaling system. (Note: I did purchase a set of Express Water Descaling Filters through Amazon). I opted for the Heavy Metal system because of the extensive filtering capability of its KDF filter. The system was installed by the contractor and team who constructed my country home. The system was installed on a piece of 3/4 inch ply board attached to the barn wall and elevated on the advice of the installer to simplify filter changes. In order to address descaling issues the system was paired following an ISpring spindown filter that contained pho, a compound that restricts bonding of calcium and magnesium that creates scaling. In addition, an ISpring electronic descaler was installed on the water line coming out of the Express Water system. I have attached a photo of the filtration system as completed. It operates through a bypass of the main line that can be closed to allow unfiltered water to flow from the well to the house bound line (I do have two outdoor faucets built from my house water system that are occasionally used for outside yard watering, and if excessive water usage becomes an issue, I will have the option of bypassing the system for that use). As shown, the filter system is constructed out of pvc piping. The system has been in operation for about one month. Following great advice provided in earlier reviews, installation was prompt and improvement to the clarity and purity of the water was almost instantaneous. This improvement has encouraged us to commence drinking the water, which now has a clean and pleasant taste. Recently my wife suggested we add an ice making machine to our refrigerator, to eliminate buying ice which we have been doing since building the home in late 2014. My contractor who installed the system and has installed many others in this rural area indicated it was the best designed system he has seen and indicated he is probably going to install an Express Water system at his new home. I am encouraged the company will live up to the fine reviews it has received. The cost of the system, including all components, with installation, was less than $1,000, which is about half the cost of many comparable systems being installed in the area. I will supplement this review if problems arise, but at the present time I rate it five stars and am glad to be free of the hassles of a salt based system, yet have good clean water on hand.

Update 11-30-20 Still going strong. Can’t believe we didn’t buy this sooner. We’re replacing the filters every 6 months. If you have the $$$ buy the 10 pack of filters on their site . . . It’s 1/2 he cost of a single pack. Update 1-18-19 Filter has been doing a great job but we have finally started to see a drop in noticeable water pressure. I ordered a replacement set of filters and got to installing them. The way that I installed this bypass system allows me to drain the water and still use water in the house with the bypass. I decided to cut open the sediment filter to see how far in the sentiment and particulates have penetrated and it’s almost completely through ( see updated pictures ) One important note is when you were installing the new filter make sure you pick up some silicone grease from your local hardware store because this is critical to completing a good seal on that gasket and not having that is going to cause problems Also lastly remember that the threads on the filter are REVERSED so right is loose and left is tight. —————————- Main review from 2018 This is a really great system, and I'm overall very pleased with this. The other reviews that I have seen up to this point have a few pictures, but nothing really in full detail of unboxing, setup, installation, and configuration. I ordered this unit after lots of research and settled on this unit by Express Water over other similar 4.5 x 20 x 3 stage house filters because it came with a few extra upgrades. The metal rack that encloses the unit is helpful and the 3 individual pressure gauges are also a nice touch. The box is heavy and well packaged, and everything arrived intact except for one of the gauges (it holds the oil liquid but it shows no pressure). Another reviewer had the same issue and I've contacted Express Water for follow up and I'm waiting to see if they can ship me a replacement. I decided to mount my unit on the wall of my basement and not have it on the ground.... however this unit in particular COULD be installed at ground level because it includes rubber feet (grommets) on the unit. For my installation and setup I decided to unscrew the 3 cartridges and drill 2 anchor bolts (sleeve bolts) for this unit. My basement walls are 6+ inches thick of poured concrete so I used a 4.5 inch sleeve anchor for this installation and it is rock solid on the wall (see images) I also cut my main water line and installed this filter as a bypass with shut off valve If you go with a 3 stage filter like this I still suggest going with a pre-filter from ispring if possible. It extends the life of your filters and removes the large particulates before the first stage filter. After the unit was mounted on the wall I picked up all the needed adapters / parts for the build. I ended up going with 1 inch copper and shark bite fittings for my install and it went well. I would caution you to read the manual (single page) and take their advise of wrapping the input threads on this unit TWENTY TIMES with teflon tape to avoid any leaks. I went about 15 times on mine and the threads are so coarse that I had to re-do my fittings with more tape to fix a slow leak. The cost of my sharkbite fittings came out to be around 300.00. So if you want an out the door cost (with a pre-filter) you are looking at around 750/800 US. It could be slightly cheaper if you go with PEX or PVC so YMMV. After everything was installed I flushed my house water and opened up my cold water for a good 30 min's. The water that came out of the system was a milky white color and then became clear. Any time you install a new filter you need to let the GAC (carbon) get settled before you start using the system. Overall I'm very happy with the cost of the unit and the filters provided. The replacement cost of the filters is a bit higher but that is expected because this unit includes the KDF filter which pulls out more particulates. At some point I might install an RO system for our ice maker and kitchen, but at this point I'm happy with the results. The water TASTES better and it removes the rust and sediment from our city water. If you look at the white filter in my images you will see the color change... and that is after only 48 hours! Get your water tested and get this installed. You will be happy

I took a leap on this system as there were not any reviews when I bought this system. We purchased a cottage up north earlier in 2016. Water was tested and it came back fine for drinking and is a deep artesian well about 300' down. As you would expect, there are a lot of minerals in the water and it is very hard. From the start we noticed an orange/red build up in sinks, toilets and shower/shower head. We also were having an issue with random orange iron/rust stains on white sheets and towels. I did some research and spoke to my plumber and he confirmed that the heavy rust/iron issue would not go away long with a water softener and within two years we would destroy it with the sediment buildup. I was hoping this would alleviate the issue of rust/iron and also take the mild sulfur smell out. My plumber said the system installed just fine off main water well line. It is a heavy system so he mounted to a 2x4 top and bottom that was screwed into my foundation wall. About 1.5 hrs. of install time and checkout. I purchased all new towels and did some test runs through washer. I was very happy to see the bright white towels still looked bright white and there was zero staining. We have now had the system in three months and I am completely satisfied and very happy with the results. The newer towels still are bright white, no stains on any of them. Also the shower, sinks and toilets have no orange/iron build up. The first filter is the sediment filter and it is clear. You could instantly see the orange/red color of that filter and I can't believe the amount of sand and crap that the filter is taking out. You couldn't see it in the water, but it obviously was there. The sulfur smell is pretty much gone. Now just has the well-water smell. I was worried it would cut pressure to the water, but it has had zero affect. I looked at other systems and this was the only one that had the gauges and pressure release already built-in. A big plus in my opinion to be able to watch the pressure and easily de-pressurize to change filters. Express Water customer service is great! I called them to make sure the three filters I was running should stay the same. They said based on my conditions I could even run another KDF filter behind the other KDF for the third one. That filter removes the iron and heavy metals. Right now the system is fine "as is", but I will run two KDF's in future behind the sediment. The sediment filters are pretty inexpensive when purchased in quantity. The KDF is the pricey one, but Express Water said it will last a good 6 months or more if sediment is changed every 3 months. No power to run system so no electricity wasted. If you have bad iron/rust issues on well water, I highly recommend this system. Hope this helps!

Mounting on the wall was simple - mine is hanging directly on a concrete block wall using masonry bolts through the four holes on the stainless hanging flange behind the gauges. I am using a sediment pre-filter in front of the unit - the housing supporting the filters does impede the pre-filter from threading in fully so plan for that with some adapters if you are going that route. I pressurized the system after I installed and it started leaking. I was using standard white pipe tape and it was too thin. The threads in the plastic housing seem to be cut deeper than the metal threads on the brass fittings. I removed the fittings and reapplied heavier, grey tape and gave it another go. No leaks! Pressure reduction overall is minimal but it does drop a bit. My standing pressure is about 70-75 PSI at the 1st filter on full pressure county water supply and it drops to somewhere around 65 PSI across all 3 filter housings when water is flowing. More than adequate for my household needs. After flushing the filters as called for in the instructions, my Central Florida (think water fountains at Disney World) water has no smell, no harsh taste and is clear (no tinge/brownish color). Overall, I’m pleased and I would recommend this to anyone looking to improve the water quality in their home.

After thoroughly researching well system whole house filters, decided to go with Express Water Heavy Metal System for two reasons: 1. Reviews were outstanding along with great customer support. 2. Needed a filtration system that would eliminate heavy metal, ie. Iron. For over 12 years used whole house filter that had to be replaced every 90 days and was a pain in the neck to spin off with supplied plastic filter wrench. Had to use pipe wrench along with a piece of pipe for added leverage to remove and reinstall and then if the O-Ring didn’t seat properly you had leaks on start up of system. And no this was not done while attached to 1 inch pvc line. I had disconnect couplings on either end of the filter so I could remove entire filter housing and work from a bench. This new system is installed in guest house kitchen adjacent well house with plumbing lines running to main house. Utilized 3/4 inch PEX lines, fittings, gate shut off valves, Shark Bite fittings, ISpring 50 micron sediment filter and a Flows Water Meter. System was easy to install, spent more time making layout diagrams with numerous changes. After installation was completed, ran system through and flushed out contaminants as recommended, there were a few leaks, none from the PEX crimp collars but from gate valves with PEX adapters. Having wrapped the threads with plenty of Teflon tape, it still wasn’t enough. Removed valves and adapters and reapplied Teflon tape with around 15-20 wraps around threads. After all said and done it still leaked but only drops. If I can’t live with it will remove and use “pipe dope” on threads. Installation is new, a week old and hopefully iron stains will disappear over time in tub and shower and inside old copper lines throughout home. The system is rugged and smart in appearance. Nice water filled pressure gauges and a very sturdy stainless steel mounting stand, which I have mounted on the wall. I feel for the price this was an excellent buy. I recommend to anyone on a well system. System designed for 100K gallons or 6 months before filter change.

When I lived in a rural environment I had well water and septic. It was not big deal to have a reverse osmosis water filter. I didn’t have to worry about paying for the 3 to 4 wasted gallons to get 1 good gallon of drinking water. Where I live now, I am on city water and sewer. It doesn’t make sense to pay for all that wasted water. I needed another solution and opted for a whole house filtration system. The Express system fits the bill nicely. My unit was installed professionally by a plumber. It has been in service for several weeks now. The difference in the taste and the feel of my water is remarkable. The city water was so high in chlorine one could smell and taste it. I joked about chlorinating myself in the shower. Now the smell and taste of chlorine is gone as well as other common contaminants. And I’m getting great drinking water from every spigot in the house. No more going to the single outlet in the kitchen. I teamed my Express filter system with a whole house UV water filter. This is as close to reverse osmosis as I can get without all the wasted water. I can highly recommend this unit for whole house filtration. There is only ONE DRAWBACK I came across recently. My wife and I went to an upscale restaurant. The food was superb. The water was terrible. It smelled and tasted like chlorine. I couldn’t drink it. It tasted like they pumped the water from a swimming pool. Yuk! I have gotten so used to fresh filtered water at home. Now it is hard to settle for anything less.

This is a very preliminary review as I just installed this filter system, but I am very happy so far. Installation took about 5.5 hours, but I also installed a heavy duty sendiment filter before this filter system and replaced all of the original iron pipe with PVC. The Express Water system is very well built with excellent gauges (oil filled). Used the gray thread tape on the 1" pvc adapters at the inflow and outflow connections and no leaks. After letting the water run for 30 minutes the taste, clarity, and odor was remarkedly better. We have well water and have struggled with these, but hopefully no more! Helpful Hint: Just hand tighten the gauges until snug. If you wrench them down too tight the pressure will not register on the gauges. UPDATE: The system has been installed and in use for one week now and is working great. Water quality (taste, clarity, odor) is greatly improved and no more staining. Highly recommend installing a sediment filter before the whole house system...I am amazed at the amount of sediment that is being filtered out before the water gets to the whole house system.

Update #2 . Great filter after a month of use out water taste and smells of iron again. We still have pressure and I was under the impression when the pressure dropped it was time to change the filter so I’m confused. After two months sitting on my garage floor , I am not sure to be excited or worried ? 200$ in piping later ... I have removed my salt water system that left my water tasting full of iron, and I have installed the filter system. We chose to do just one because of our water pressure . The install was fairly easy. after wrapping my head around 4 Home Depot trips trying to figure out how the heck to install a new system and the different pipe sizes for each brand that was in the house .we have no plumbing experience. Long story short pex piping clamps etc . The filter works! But how is my well water I have so much sediment in this filter . I literally watched a dirt wirl of water destroy that beautiful white filter. So we’ll see how long these filters last with high iron, and now sedement. I will post a follow up review for the filter . Update!!! Wow my water is incredible! It’s drinkable ! No more iron smell and it taste great!!

I bought the whole home heavy metals filter because my wife and I returned from our Caribbean sanctuary and could not believe the taste and smell of our drinking water in Oshawa, Canada. Rather than risk poisoning we installed the whole home filter and immediately noticed a complete difference in the smell and taste of our water. I recommend this product to anyone who wants to take the risk out of drinking municipal water. Fluoride is an industrial byproduct (toxin) and should not be in our drinking water. This system deals with it too, so when your municipality fails you and adds it, you can eliminate it too.

Relatively easy to install for non-professional with basic plumbing skills. Mounted mine so is easily removed when moving. We live in city with heavily chlorinated water, and we now love the great fresh taste of clean water to drink and cook with and enjoy cleaner bathtubs, toilets and other fixtures - even dishwasher works better.

this unit is well made and after installation reduce TDS by 100 - 287 TDS to 187 TDS. Just be aware that inlet and outlet require 1" fittings.

this water filter is very good I will recommend to anyone to buy this filter water taste good, and clear good job Express

I am on a municipal well and for the last two years, our water seems to be getting worse. My water was never “clear” to the eye. Sometimes the water was yellow/brown even after running the water for a while. They shock the well too and we can smell chlorine in our water. My wife also has bad reactions to the water when showering. I installed the heavy metals whole house water filtration system with a sediment pre-filter. I also decided to replace my old water softener. We immediately noticed a difference. The photos are from one day after insulation. I'm honestly blown away by how well the system is working. Our water is completely clear! Tip for insulation, use shark bite fittings for the inlet and outlet so you can tighten the nylon fittings if they leak. The copper pipe will spin in the shark bite fittings so you won't need to mess around with re-sodering. I had to tighten the fittings twice and it took me seconds using shark bite fittings. Don't be shy with the teflon tape either.