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Whole House Water Filters

A whole home water filtration system treats every drop the moment it enters your house — the kitchen tap, the shower, the ice maker, even the laundry. No more drinking-water-only protection: filter at the point of entry, once, for the entire household.

AShop by water problem BShop by housing size CCompare 1·2·3-stage systems DInstallation guide

1M+ gal

rated cartridge life (system)

15 GPM

peak flow, 20" Big Blue

97%

chlorine reduction, NSF/ANSI 42

6 mo

typical cartridge change

Compare Systems — from $129 Not sure? Run the Whole-House Finder →

Choose by Problem — what's in your water?

The right whole house filter depends on what you're actually fighting. Pick the symptom you see at home — each card links to a full contaminant guide with test data and the exact media that removes it.

Cloudy, gritty or discolored water

Sediment & turbidity — sand, silt, rust flakes after pipe work or on well water. Clogs fixtures, shortens appliance life.

5 µm spun PP1-STAGE OK

Sediment & turbidity guide →

Chlorine taste & smell

Municipal supply — pool-like smell in showers, dry skin, flat-tasting coffee and ice. The #1 reason households upgrade.

coconut carbon blockNSF/ANSI 42

Chlorine taste & odor guide →

Iron & rust stains

Orange rings in toilets and tubs, metallic taste, whites turning yellow — classic ferrous iron, common on wells.

KDF/GAC stage 33-STAGE REC.

Iron & rust staining guide →

Lead & heavy metals

Older homes with lead service lines or pre-1986 solder. No taste, no smell — only a test or NSF/53-rated media tells you it's gone.

NSF/ANSI 53 carbonTEST FIRST

Lead removal guide →

Hard water & limescale

White crust on faucets, soap that won't lather, water heaters working overtime. Be honest with yourself here — read the card.

FILTER ≠ SOFTENERPAIRS W/ SOFTENER

Hard water vs filtration →

Well water, multiple issues

Private wells combine sediment + iron + sulfur smell + bacteria risk. Start with a $30 test kit, then match stages to results.

3-STAGEWELL CONFIG

Well water setup guide →

Don't know what's in your water? Start with the $30 test-kit walkthrough — every recommendation on this page maps to a test result.

Choose by Size — Big Blue 10" vs 20"

Housing size sets your flow rate and cartridge life, not what gets filtered. Count your bathrooms before you count anything else. All three fit standard 1" plumbing with the included mount kit.

Standard 10" Housing

Slim line — condos, apartments, single-fixture protection

Flow rate5 GPM
Best for1 bath / 1–2 people
Cartridge life3–4 months
Cartridge from$11.99

Browse standard 10" cartridges →

Big Blue 10"

The everyday whole-house standard for most homes

Flow rate10 GPM
Best for2 baths / 2–4 people
Cartridge life6 months
Cartridge from$18.99

Browse Big Blue 10" cartridges →

Big Blue 20"

Max flow + longest life — large households and well setups

Flow rate15 GPM
Best for3+ baths / 4+ people
Cartridge life6–9 months
Cartridge from$29.99

Browse Big Blue 20" cartridges →

Compare Whole House Water Filter Systems

Three home water filtration systems, one chassis — pick how many stages your water needs. Every system ships pre-assembled with brackets, shut-off valves and a bypass: the household standard for point-of-entry purification, without the plumber-platinum price.

	1-Stage CF-WH1	2-Stage CF-WH2	3-Stage Big Blue CF-WH3 · Best Seller
System price	$129.00	$189.00	$289.00 SAVE $60
Stage 1	5 µm sediment	5 µm sediment	25 µm washable sediment
Stage 2	—	Coconut carbon block	5 µm carbon block
Stage 3	—	—	KDF/GAC iron & lead media
Chlorine reduction	—	97% @ NSF/42	97% @ NSF/42 + taste polish
Lead / heavy metals	—	—	NSF/53-rated reduction
Sediment / turbidity	99% @ 5 µm	99% @ 5 µm	99% @ 5 µm, longer life
Peak flow rate	10 GPM	10 GPM	15 GPM
Best for	Sediment-only concerns, small homes	Municipal water, chlorine & taste	Wells, lead risk, 3+ bath homes
Cartridge kit (per change)	$18.99	$41.98	$89.00 → $71.20 on subscription
Change interval	3–6 months	6 months	6 months (S1: 6–9 mo)
Housing	Big Blue 10"	Big Blue 10" ×2	Big Blue 20" ×2 + 10"
	View CF-WH1	View CF-WH2	Add CF-WH3 — $289

Installation: DIY or Plumber?

How to install a whole house water filter system: the honest answer is 2–4 hours with basic tools if your main is accessible, or $150–350 for a licensed plumber if you'd rather not touch the supply line. Both paths are normal — about 60% of our customers self-install.

DIY PATH · ~60% OF OWNERS

Self-install

2–4 hours · $0 labor · skill level: confident homeowner

✓Pipe cutter, two wrenches & Teflon tape — under $40 if you own none of it
✓Mount kit, shut-off valves and bypass included with every ClearFit system
✓Step-by-step video below follows a real 3-stage install, not a highlight reel
!Get it inspected if your county requires a permit for point-of-entry work

PLUMBER PATH · ~40%

Hire a licensed plumber

1–2 hours · $150–350 typical labor

✓Best for copper main lines, tight crawlspace mounts or HOA rules
✓They handle main shut-off, drainage & code-compliant bypass
✓Hand them the included template — fittings are standard 1" NPT
✓Many bundle the install with a water heater flush for one trip fee

STEP 01Shut off & drain the mainClose the main valve, open the lowest faucet in the house to drain pressure.

STEP 02Cut & fit the bypassCut 14" of pipe, dry-fit brackets and the included bypass manifold first.

STEP 03Mount housings, load mediaAnchor to stud or masonry; hand-tighten housings with the wrench tool.

STEP 04Slow-open, flush & checkOpen the main a quarter-turn, run an outside tap 5 min, check every joint.

INSTALL VIDEO SLOT · CF-WH3 3-STAGE, REAL-TIME (7:42)

Whole House Filter Questions

What's the difference between a whole house filter and an under-sink filter?

Placement and coverage. An under-sink (point-of-use) filter treats one tap — usually the kitchen. A whole house (point-of-entry) system mounts on the main supply line and treats every tap, shower, appliance and ice maker. Many households run both: whole-house for chlorine, sediment and scale-feeding grit; a small under-sink or RO unit for drinking-water polish.

Do I still need a water softener if I have a whole house filter?

They solve different problems and are not substitutes. Filtration removes particles and chemicals (sediment, chlorine, iron, lead); softening exchanges dissolved calcium and magnesium — the minerals behind limescale. A carbon system will not soften hard water. If your test shows hardness above ~7 gpg, run the filter first, then a softener. Our hard water guide compares the two side by side.

What size / flow rate does my home need?

Count simultaneous water users, not people. One bath running is roughly 2–3 GPM; a 2-bath household peaks near 8–10 GPM. Rule of thumb: 1–2 baths → 10" Big Blue at 10 GPM; 3+ baths or a well → 20" Big Blue at 15 GPM. The size comparison above maps every option.

How often do whole house filter cartridges need replacing?

Sediment stages last 3–6 months (wells run the short end); carbon stages 6 months; specialty iron/lead media 6–12 months. Pressure drop is your real gauge — when flow at the farthest faucet slows, the sediment stage is loaded. Subscribers get the full kit every 6 months automatically, synced to the Home Filter Calendar.

Will a whole house filter work on well water?

Yes — wells are actually where multi-stage systems earn their keep, because wells combine sediment, iron and sulfur issues that city water doesn't. Match stages to a test result: our well water setup guide maps each test line to a media choice. For bacterial concerns, filtration is step one but disinfection (UV) is a separate, required stage.

How much does it cost to install a whole house water filter system?

DIY: $0 labor beyond ~$40 of tools (2–4 hours, guide above). Plumber: typically $150–350 for a straightforward main-line mount, more if you need copper work or a crawlspace rig. Every ClearFit system ships with brackets, valves and a bypass so either path is a standard job.

Does a whole house filter reduce water pressure?

A correctly sized system drops pressure less than 2 PSI at normal flow — imperceptible. Pressure loss happens when a cartridge is overdue or the housing is undersized for the house. That's why flow rate (10 vs 15 GPM) is the spec that matters most; size up if you're between two options.

Beyond the Water Line

This page is one hub in a system: filter specs on one side, water chemistry on the other, and one calendar that keeps the whole house honest.

ENGINE 01 · SPEC MATRIX