How to Install a Whole House Water Filter: Installation Guide

In this guide, we're going to cover everything you need to know in order to properly install a whole house water filter.

• Whole House Twin Water Filter
• Whole House Triple Water Filter
• Whole House 10” x 4.5” Water Filter
• Whole House 20” x 4.5” Water Filter

These systems are supposed to be installed by a plumber, and you won't find a lot of information on how to install a whole house water filter anywhere else because you're supposed to be a plumber.

We've noticed that some plumbers are having trouble when they install these whole house systems, so we've created this quick video for you. Every section of this guide can save you a lot of trouble with split head caps, water leaks and other unnecessary issues.

In this video, discover expert tips on installing and maintaining a whole house water filter system, from avoiding common installation mistakes to ensuring optimal water flow. 

Learn how to properly use thread tape, adjust the water flow direction and prevent cartridge damage. Plus, get advice on managing hard water with the Limetron Hard Water Conditioner and improving water quality. 

This guide is perfect for homeowners looking to enhance their water system and ensure long-lasting, efficient performance.

When you buy a whole house water filter, we'll get this video to you via email. Feel free to share it with your plumber for a smooth and easy installation process.

Whole house water filters have a one inch BSP threaded ports on either side of the head cap.

These ports are where the pipework from the mains water comes into your water filter and out to your home. If these are not sealed properly, they will leak.

You must only use thread tape to seal the ports on the head cap. The head cap of the water filter is made of strong, high-quality plastic that has been used for decades, and they don’t falter unless you use sealant.

If you use sealant, as the sealant sets, it will expand inside the head cap and crack it, and it will make your whole house water filter leak.

If you have a steel head cap, which is not very common, a lot heavier and a lot more expensive, you can use as much sealant as you like. However, if you are going with the standard plastic head cap, you can not use sealant.

Here is what has happened before:

A customer will come in and say:

"The water filter's no good, "it's leaking."

When we check all the fittings, they are all fine, but the water filter still leaks. Why? Because they sealed it up with sealant and it expanded, putting a crack in it, which caused it to warp. When this happens, we need to pull the whole thing apart, replace the split head cap and mention it to the plumber - thread tape only.

We don’t want you to go through this unnecessary headache, so make sure your plumber only uses thread tape. Most plumbers will already be aware of this, but just confirm, and you will be good as gold.

Our Australian plumbers are fantastic, so once they know, they will set it up for you and you will be good to go.

The water comes from the mains, fills the housing, penetrates through the cartridge, gets to the centre core, comes up through the centre core and flows over into the next housing.

They're all the same, but water flow direction is important. When you are working out where to install your water filter, if you need your whole house water filter to flow from right to left, you can do that too with this water filter.

The stainless steel or white bracket will come off. You can simply undo the bolts in the bracket, take the plate off, spin it around and put it back on.

You can't just run the water from right to left without turning the bracket around. You must turn the bracket around or it just won’t work. If the water comes through the opposite way, you'll be pushing your water out through the centre of your cartridges. The system is not designed to work that way and you will only have problems.

The whole house water filter gauges on the top are great because they give you a bit of an idea what the filter's doing and how it's performing.

If the pressure is very high, then something is blocking one of your cartridges. It is usually sediment, and it is the reason we have a sediment cartridge in position one. You never know how much sediment will come down your main water line.

Once again, don't put any sealant on your water filter gauges. A little bit of thread tape is all that is needed to seal them up.

When the gauges are brand new, they can be tight to screw in. If you give it a turn or two and it's stiff, don't keep forcing it. Just simply wind it back out. You don’t want to cross-thread them. Take your time and be patient with them.

Make sure it's level and make sure you're screwing it in the thread. These should go in perfectly every time.

There's never an issue unless you're in a hurry or you're not paying attention, and you happen to cross-thread it. If you keep screwing it in, you will strip the thread and that means you will not be able to get a seal on the head cap and it will need to be replaced.

It has happened before, and that is why it is in this guide. Take your time with the gauges.

When you receive your water filter, we recommend you check the cartridges if they come inside the system. They may still have plastic wrapping on them. Take the plastic wrapping off the cartridge and check if there is any damage to the cartridges. A damaged cartridge will not filter the water. The whole house water filter cartridges must be straight and in alignment with the head cap.

In this video, learn how easy it is to replace the cartridges in your whole house water filter. Watch as we demonstrate the step-by-step process, from depressurising the unit to removing and replacing the pre-filter and carbon filters. 

Get helpful tips on handling the filters, ensuring a proper seal and maintaining your system for clean, chlorine-free water all year round. With just a few minutes of effort, you can keep your home's water clean and your skin happy!

Depending on your system, you will likely have a sediment cartridge in the very first housing. In the bottom of the housing, there is a little stem that goes inside the centre of the cartridge to centre the cartridge.

Just hold the cartridge nice and centre and screw it up by hand. There's no reason to use the cartridge tool until it's all screwed up and in place.

When you finish screwing it up by hand, the last part of it will tell you if the cartridge is straight. If it feels stiff or awkward to tighten by hand, the cartridge is not straight or centred. If you force it with the cartridge tool, you might either break the cartridge or the centring prongs inside the top of the head cap.

Do not use unnecessary force when using the cartridge tool. If the cartridge is not straight or centred, wind it back and centre it in the bottom and the top and it will tighten up very easily.

Once the cartridge is in and screwed up by hand, use cartridge tool and turn it an inch or two to nip it up and it will be good to go.

Don't keep screwing it and overtightening it. It is unnecessary and harder to get the cartridge housings off next time you need to change the cartridge.

First, check for washers. It needs the washers to create a seal at the top and bottom so the water can’t get around the cartridge. Similar to other cartridges, centralise the carbon cartridge using the stem in the bottom of the housing. This will help the top of the cartridge sit within the prongs in the top of the head cap.

If it's off or on an angle when you tighten the housing, the top of the cartridge head cap will break, and you will need a new cartridge.

We have had customers call and say: "Oh Rod, "I've got a broken cartridge."

We will know why. That's what happens to them if they are not are centred, so take your time. If you're screwing it up by hand and it doesn't want to go any further, give it a rattle, and it'll fall into place, and then you'll be able to screw it up.

In this video, discover a simple tip to avoid costly mistakes when changing your whole house water filter cartridges. Learn the importance of keeping the cartridge vertical to prevent damaging the top and ensure a perfect fit. 

We walk you through the correct way to install the filter, using lubrication for easy installation and avoiding the need for tools. Watch now to see how easy it can be to replace your water filter and keep it working perfectly!

If you're screwing it by hand and it stops and gets stuck, and you get a cartridge tool out, and you start forcing it with the tool, your cartridge will have a hole in it.

No matter where you install your water filter, it’s a good idea to set up a bypass using on/off ball valves.

It's great to have an on/off ball valve on both the inlet side and the outlet side of your water filter.

We now have a full step by step home water filtration system installation video including setting up a bypass below:

In this video, learn how to install the whole house triple water filter with step-by-step guidance. Whether you're in the city and using a plumber or out on the farm and doing it yourself, we will walk you through the entire installation process, from unboxing the system to securely mounting it on the wall. 

Get tips on checking parts, using a bypass and ensuring your system is strong enough to handle extreme weather conditions. Watch now to see how easy it can be to set up your own water filtration system!

This will allow you to isolate your whole house water filter any time you want. It makes replacing whole house water filter cartridges a lot easier as you can turn off the water to your system. Just make sure you open a tap on the other side of your water filter to drop the pressure.

Ask your plumber to set this up for you. It’s worth it.

The sediment cartridge is great at removing sediment, and the carbon cartridge is great at removing chlorine. Unfortunately, nowadays, our water's not as good as it used to be.

Depending on where you live in Australia, many states now use a lot of bore water. We get a lot of hard water minerals in the water and calcium, and magnesium is often through the roof - destroying bathrooms, hot water systems and tapware.

It’s about $800 a year more expensive to live in a hard water house than a soft water house because mineral just goes straight through your things, destroying everything.

Your whole house water filter will take care of the sediment and the chlorine and chemical, but you need a different device to treat the mineral. What we generally use is a Limetron Hard Water Conditioner.

While Melbourne is generally okay, places like WA, South Australia, Alice Springs and the top of Queensland are usually really high in mineral and will require a Limetron Hard Water Conditioner.

It’s a half-inch in diameter with 3/4 ends and is perfect for Australian water with a lot of mineral in it.

If you are in a hard water area, particularly Northern, Western or Central Australia, this device will save you a lot, making your house and all your appliances work much, much better.

It will treat the mineral and stop it costing a lot of money every year. Install the Limetron before your whole house water filter.

The government has to throw a lot of chemical into the water to kill the bugs and bacteria, and when it does, oxygen dissipates out of the water, and the molecules lock up together. This is called clustering.

Then they pump it into our homes and when you go to the kitchen tap and get a glass of water, you get a glass of water with all the molecules locked up together. When you drink it, you can't absorb half of it because the molecular structure is too large, and that is why we are half dehydrated most the time.

Hence, we use the Grander Whole House Unit. These are great little devices that break up the molecular structure, making the water more structured, similar to how water flows in nature. Your garden will love it too.

If you don’t have a Limetron, install the structured water unit before the whole house water filter.

This will open up the molecular structure and allow the water filter to get more contamination out so you can have the best water flowing into your house.

We hope the videos and this article have been helpful. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to contact us — we're here to help!