How to install a main water filter with your own hands

The deterioration of public utilities has led to poor quality of water supplied to the apartments. To free it from mechanical suspensions and other impurities, the installation of a main water filter is increasingly being practiced. This is a simple and convenient way to get clean water suitable for industrial use and drinking.

Advantages of main cleaning devices

Installing such filters has the following advantages:

• Water is purified from mechanical impurities, such as pieces of rust. This will not only have a positive effect on taste, but also extend the life of pipes, as well as household appliances that use water: a boiler, a dishwasher and a washing machine.
• Many mainline devices trap dissolved chemicals, making water not only tastier, but also healthier.
• Installation is simple and is done by hand.
• Replacing cartridges is quick and easy.
• Most filter models are compact in size. There are also volumetric devices, for example, ion-exchange plants and iron removal systems, but they definitely will not work for an ordinary apartment because of their size.

• With proper maintenance, the device will last for many years before it needs to be replaced.

It is mandatory to install a main filter in front of the gearbox, which protects the water supply and household appliances from excessively high pressure and water hammer. Without a cleaning device, this device wears out too quickly. Instead of two separate devices, a combined filter reducer can be installed.

Device and types of main filters

The main devices are placed at the inlet of the pipeline to the apartment and purify all the water consumed in it.

Professionals recommend making additional wiring at the place where the filter is inserted into the pipe, equipped with a system of ball valves. This will allow in emergency cases, for example, in the event of a breakdown or clogging of the filter device, to start up water directly, bypassing it.

There are several types of main filters. Depending on the number of degrees of purification, they are divided into the following types:

• Single-stage, designed for rough cleaning of sand, rust and other impurities of a mechanical type. Such filters are called mud filters. They are simply arranged: it is a flowing vertical flask, in which a metal mesh acts as a cleaning element. The device can contain several grids with cells of various sizes, which improves the quality of cleaning. The service life of such filters is practically unlimited: it is enough to remove and wash the filter element from time to time. There are also single-stage models with replaceable cartridges.

Mud filters are necessarily present in more complex systems with two or three stages of purification. Mechanical impurities are the main problem of worn-out water pipelines in the post-Soviet space. Without solving this problem, it is impossible to guarantee the normal operation of household appliances and the fine filter system.

• Two-stage. The main function of the second stage is the removal of microscopic suspensions and chlorine used for disinfection at treatment plants. Cartridges use fillers made of sorption materials.

 

• Three-stage, where the third stage is responsible for softening the water and removing iron impurities from it. The best option for a city apartment.

There are filtering devices designed for hot and cold water and differ in the material of the housing. Devices made of special plastic or stainless steel are able to successfully withstand the action of high temperatures.

remember, that hot water filters it is allowed to put cold water on the pipe, but the reverse replacement is strictly prohibited.

Read more about main-type filters here.

What else to look for when choosing

When buying a main-type filter, you need to consider several important parameters, which include:

• throughput. Main purification systems can filter from 20 to 50 l/min. Each family has its own volumes of water consumption, which are taken into account when selecting a device.
• Decrease in water pressure after the filter. Particular attention to this parameter should be paid to the inhabitants of the upper floors, where the pressure in the pipes can already be weak. With insufficient pressure in the system, individual household appliances, such as water heaters, simply will not work. Therefore, you should consider this characteristic when buying. Another solution to the problem is to install a pump after the filter that increases the pressure in the system.
• Compactness. Before buying, you need to take measurements to make sure that the selected device will fit in the space provided for it. After all, sometimes meters, filters, pressure reducer and taps need to be placed in a rather cramped space.

• Composition of fine cleaning cartridges. There are no universal cleaning elements that capture all types of impurities. Before purchasing a filter, it is advisable to conduct a chemical analysis of water in order to know its composition and select a suitable purification system. For residents of apartment buildings, such a pooled analysis will cost quite inexpensively.
• Manufacturer. In order for the filter to work for a long time and with high quality, it is worth choosing products from trusted brands. Honeywell, Geyser and Aquaphor are well known on the Russian market.

Installation of the main filter

After purchasing the device, a place for its placement is determined. It must be installed so as to provide unhindered access for cartridge replacement and maintenance. Many owners have a question about where to put the main filter, before or after the meter. The layout of the devices will be as follows:

1. Stopcock.
2. Oblique sump filter, which is sealed, as well as the counter.
3. Water meter.
4. Check valve.
5. A filter, followed by a reducer, or a filter reducer that combines both devices.

For installation you will need:

• perforator;
• screwdriver;
• FUM tape, ensuring the tightness of the joints;
• dry rag.

Connecting a main-type filter is easy. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

• The water supply to the apartment is shut off, the tap is opened in the kitchen or in the bathroom. This will drain the remaining water in the pipes. But before starting installation, you still have to put a basin under the tie-in place for the water remaining in the system.
• Holes are marked on the wall for mounting the filter system. Its rigid fixation is mandatory, otherwise the vibrations that occur when fluid passes through the cartridges can damage the plumbing parts over time.
• Holes are drilled according to the marks, into which the plastic parts of the dowels are inserted.
• The filter is connected to the pipes by means of couplings. The tightness of the joints on the valves is ensured by the wound FUM tape.

It is important to install the device correctly: the direction of water flow is indicated on its body with an arrow. At the inlet to the filter, the marking "in" is placed.

• The device is fixed on the wall with self-tapping screws passing through the mounting holes in its upper part.
• They check the quality of the installation: they resume the water supply to the apartment, after which one of the taps is opened for 4-5 minutes. During this time, the cartridge will be washed, and air will be released from the system. In case the connection leaks, a dry rag is left under it for the first time.
• From the moment the installation is completed, the service life of the cleaning elements is counted.

The entire installation process is clearly shown in the video.

The filter reducer is installed in a similar way, but there are some nuances when installing it:

• The pressure gauge is located with the indicator or regulator up.
• The sump filter turns upside down.
• After mounting and checking the tightness, the gearbox is adjusted by tightening the adjustment screw with a screwdriver. The optimal pressure value for an apartment is 3 atm.

Replacing the cartridge in the main device

The technical passport of the product indicates the volume of water, after which the filter elements need to be changed. Typically, their service life is from one and a half months to six months.

Instructions for replacing the cartridge:

• Turn off the tap at the water inlet to the apartment.
• Relieve system pressure.
• In order not to flood the neighbors, substitute a basin or other container under the flask of the device.
• Unscrew the flask using the key supplied with the package.
• Take out the filter element. Rinse the mesh that provides rough cleaning, replace the cartridges with new ones. The flask is also cleaned of contaminants.
• Put the flask in its original place and make sure there are no leaks.

The video below shows the replacement of cartridges in filters for cold and hot water.

Timely replacement of filters will ensure the purity of the water, as well as prevent a drop in its pressure due to clogging of the cartridges. Compliance with these conditions guarantees long and high-quality operation of the main filtration system.