Sediment is one of the most common issues well owners face. You might be surprised, then, to know that sediment can affect those on city water as well. You could say that sediment is an equal opportunity problem.
Sediment can clog up filters fairly quickly, not to mention the damage it can cause to your home appliances, plumbing system, and water consumption.
The obvious solution is to install a sediment filter for the whole house. Since every brand boasts humongous claims, it’s difficult to separate bogus products from authentic ones. So, I’ve researched, reviewed, and tested the available filters to help you pick the best whole-house sediment filter for well or city water.
1. SpringWell Whole-House Sediment Filter PF-10: 9.70/10
- Best filtration and durability
- $83.23
SpringWell’s PF-10 sediment filter performs exceptionally well compared to other popular whole-house filters. It also has the best capacity to remove sediment particles from contaminated water.
Pros
SpringWell doesn’t disappoint when it comes to durable and effective water purification systems. Its American-made products purify water to the highest level.
The PF-10 sediment filter canister is made of food-grade plastic with a 1” in/out pipe connection. For a 1.5” pipe connection, buy the PF-20 variant.
It felt sturdy compared to Culligan and AO Smith, which have similar designs. Moreover, I experienced no leakages even at higher water pressure.
Inside is an amazing 10” filter that traps sediment and contaminants over 5 microns. The SpringWell PF-10 beats the majority of filters on this list, many of which can’t filter contaminants smaller than 10 microns. Remember, the lower the micron rating, the better the sediment removal.
The SpringWell sediment filter works efficiently for both city and well water. But the brand lists some extra guidelines for homeowners who need filters for well water:
- Water should not contain excess hydrogen sulfide characterized by a rotten egg smell.
- Water should be free of oils, iron, manganese, and copper exceeding 1.30 mg/L.
In case the above-mentioned elements contaminate your well water, it’s better to pre-treat the water supply first.
The filter lasts six months and maintains a flow rate of 20 GPM, suitable for 7+ bathrooms, which is considerable. SpringWell’s filter media and components are high quality and NSF certified. It’s easy to install and doesn’t require professional help.
This sediment filter costs an affordable $83.23, which includes one housing, a sediment filter, an O-ring, a mounting bracket, and a spanner wrench. The replacement filters cost $80.18 annually. The brand also offers a comfortable installment plan and free shipping, which makes the price even more reasonable.
SpringWell also offers a lifetime warranty and a six-month money-back guarantee on all of its products, which definitely instills trust in the quality of both the product and the brand.
Cons
This sediment filter is missing a pressure-relief valve, which is odd considering most whole-house filters have one. But the canister is designed in such a way that you don’t need Herculean strength to open it. In rare cases, you can open any faucet down the line to release the pressure.
Though the filter quality is top notch, the replacement cost is higher than most on the market. A typical sediment replacement filter costs $40.18 and lasts six months. However, the 5-micron effective filtration and high, 20 GPM flow rate make it worth every penny.
Overall
SpringWell’s PF-10 is compact yet packs astounding filter power, targeting all the common sediment particles in tap water. It is maintenance-free and durable enough to last decades. These features make it the best sediment filter available on the market today.
If you want a pure water supply 24/7 free from sediments, the SpringWell whole-house sediment filter is your best bet. Learn more about it here.
2. iSpring Reusable Spin-Down Filter: 8.70/10
- Best design
- $229.99
The iSpring spin-down filter offers extraordinary efficiency and innovative design.
Pros
The iSpring WSP100ARB is a spin-down sediment filter that works a little differently than the SpringWell filter. Nonetheless, spin-down sediment filters are just as effective at removing sediment, rust, and other floating objects in the water supply.
The outer lower body is made from food-grade plastic, while the 1” inlet and outlet are made from lead-free brass. The filter can maintain a 35 GPM flow rate at a 20–140 PSI pressure range. Moreover, it’s reusable, so there is no replacement required.
Generally, spin-down filters require regular flushing, but iSpring WSP100ARB features a smart flushing system that automates the process. The brand recommends cleaning the steel mesh manually after one year using soapy water and vinegar. But in my experience, it’s best to wash it when you feel a drop in water pressure.
The installation is quite easy. Make sure you have an electric supply nearby to make the most of the auto-flushing feature. Though you can set it to manual, it’s a hassle to flush the spin-down filter.
This iSpring sediment filter costs $229.99, a one-time price, since there’s no need for replacement filters. All the products by iSpring are NSF certified and come with a one-year warranty and free shipping in most US states.
Cons
The stainless steel filter inside has a 100-micron rating, which only filters large particles (visible to the human eye) and debris in the water supply. It’s best to install it where the water supply is heavily contaminated with visible sediment and debris that can clog lower-micron filters.
In contrast, most sediment filters, like SpringWell and Culligan, have far superior filtration of 5 microns. That’s why it failed to secure the first spot on my list. That being said, iSpring plainly states that you should install this as an initial filter in conjunction with other, smaller filters.
Overall
The iSpring whole-house spin-down sediment filter has an intelligent design with automatic flushing and a durable body that can clean heavily contaminated water of large particles. It’s most effective against sand, soil, and debris present in groundwater.
3. Culligan WH-HD200-C Sediment Filter: 7.5/10
- Effective cleaning
- $99.50
Securing the third spot, Culligan WH-HD200-C is effective against fine sand particles, shale, and sediment.
Pros
Culligan is a popular US-based brand that manufactures high-quality water filters. I’ve used some of its products already and find its consistent performance impressive.
Culligan’s WH-HD200-C has a combination of steel and plastic body with 1” inlet/outlet pipes. It also has a shut-off valve that can be useful when changing an old filter.
It has clear housing, which makes it easy to know when it needs a replacement. SpringWell should take note of this — an opaque sediment filter housing is inconvenient.
The filter housing is compatible with many different types of filter media, but the brand recommends installing a Culligan RFC-BBSA filter. It can filter particles larger than 25 microns and can also reduce chlorine odor and taste.
I am also fond of the battery-operated timer, which made tracking the filter life quite easy.
Its impressive filter capacity of 10,000 gallons can last three months. During my testing, the flow rate remained consistent throughout, but it wasn’t much to begin with. More about that below.
I’m satisfied with the quality, especially since all products by Culligan are certified by WQA against NSF standards. This particular Culligan sediment filter is priced at $73.52, and the replacement filter costs around $23.79.
Cons
The biggest turn off is its 3 GPM flow rate, which is only suitable for one to two bathroom units.
Moreover, the annual maintenance cost is $95.16, which is quite high. Considering the overall cost, I expected better flow speed. Unfortunately, I don’t see any work-around. All the alternative filters Culligan offers have similar slow flow rates.
Opening the filter canister is also difficult, like you’re-going-to-break-it difficult. The pressure-relief valve makes it bearable, but it also sprays water all over the place, which can damage the surrounding walls over time.
Overall
The Culligan WH-HD200-C is a large-capacity sediment filter that performs well against silt and large sediment particles. However, for better filtration, a higher flow rate and easy maintenance, SpringWell PF-10 is a better choice.
4. AO Smith AO-WH-PREV Sediment Filter
The AO Smith sediment filter is designed to remove any contaminants larger than 5 microns, making it effective against sand, silt, scale, and dust. It has a 15” transparent canister with 3/4” metal inlet/outlet fittings.
Even though the connectors are ¾”, the internal orifice is barely 1/2”, so the flow rate is lower than expected. It comes with a bypass valve and a pressure-relief button. Moreover, it’s NSF certified, which is always a plus.
It feels quite sturdy for the price, but the metal fittings sometimes leak where they meet the plastic housing. So I used extra Teflon tape to secure the area.
AO Smith’s sediment filter costs $62.97, and the replacement filter is $8.50, which lasts six months. Though budget friendly, poorly designed connectors make it a less desirable option.
5. SimPure DB10P Whole-House Water Filter
SimPure’s sediment filter is a well-rounded filter with similar design features to SpringWell PF-10. The opaque outer casing is made of reinforced food-grade plastic. The inlet and outlet opening is 1” in diameter.
You have to buy the brass fittings, O-ring, and mounting bolts separately. For O-rings, search for model B09TR53SD1 online.
It’s designed in such a way that you can easily install universally available sediment, carbon, and pleated filters in it. The brand recommends 4.5” x 10” filter cartridges. The two filters that work the best are Simpure’s CTO-F10B-5 (activated carbon) and MPP-F10B-5 (sediment).
The pressure-relief valve comes in handy. However, since the fittings need to be bought separately, you don’t always get the perfect match. That’s why my connectors started leaking at high pressure.
You can use any standard 5-micron filter with a 20 GPM flow rate, which usually lasts three to six months. It filters roughly 15,000 gallons.
The quality of the product is satisfactory and the components are NSF certified.
The Simpure is an economical option costing only $49.99, but this doesn’t include an installation kit, which can cost $10 to $15. The replacement filter is $10.40 a piece. The brand offers free shipping and a one-year warranty on all the products.
6. EcoPure EPWHE Water Filtration System
EcoPure’s pivoting whole-house filter system has a peculiar filter design. The filter is sturdy, and the installation takes a little effort. But the cool thing is that replacing the filter is a tool-free process and only takes a minute.
It uses an activated-carbon filter that removes sediment, silt, and dust, as well as chlorine taste and odor. The EcoPure filter cartridge is rated for 5 microns and maintains a flow rate of 20 GPM.
The carbon filters are NSF certified and effective, but after a few months, the carbon starts leaking into the water, which can get messy. EcoPure recommends a filter change every six months, but in reality, it doesn’t last more than four.
EcoPure is expensive, and that’s one of the reasons it’s ranked lower despite having effective filtration. It costs $169.99, and the replacement filter is $53.99. The annual maintenance cost can skyrocket with moderate to heavy use. The brand offers a two-year limited warranty on all of its products.
I recommend saving your hard-earned money and going for SpringWell PF-10, which performs better at a lower price.
7. Rusco 1.5″ Spin Down Sediment Water Filter
A great thing about this brand is that it manufactures at least a dozen variants of the whole-house spin-down sediment filter.
The inner filter can range from 24 to 1,000 mesh size with ratings of 700 to 15 microns. You also get to choose different inlet/outlet fitting sizes. The Rusco is effective against sediment, sand, and silt but can get clogged due to higher clay concentrations. The filter mesh is stainless steel and needs a wash every six months.
Unfortunately, it’s prone to algae growth, so look out for any unusual color changes or spots. You also have to flush the system once or twice a week for effective filtration, which is inconvenient. That’s why I personally like regular filters, like SpringWell, AO Smith, and SimPure, which don’t require frequent maintenance.
This sediment filter by Rusco was easy to install, and the material feels strong enough to last years. In addition, the brand is certified by IAPMO and WQA against NSF standards.
When it comes to the price, it’s at the higher end of the spectrum, costing $147.48. However, since the filter mesh is reusable, it doesn’t need a replacement. It can last two years if used with caution.
8. Home Master Whole-House Water Filter
Second to last is Home Master’s whole-house filter, which, compared to others, is huge. It’s 20” tall, which can be a problem in limited spaces.
The carbon filter can clean out most sediment, VOC, TOC, and chlorine particles larger than 20 microns. It has a 1” housing and can maintain a steady flow rate of 20 GPM.
This filter is the most expensive on my list, costing $279.95, and the replacement is $99, which lasts 1.5 to 2 years. During my testing, I found this filter average at best, which doesn’t justify the enormous price.
You can find better whole-house sediment filters at much cheaper prices.
9. Golden ICEPURE Spin-Down Filter
I’ve included this water filter on my list as a stark comparison from the best sediment filters. Golden IcePure is a Chinese brand that manufactures low-budget filters. Yes, the name resembles a popular brand, “ICEPURE,” but the two are totally different companies. Don’t worry! They got me confused too.
It’s a standard spin-down filter design with a 40-micron mesh. Definitely not ideal when it comes to cleaning heavy sediment contamination.
The brass fittings are available in 1” and ¾” sizes. However, the connectors aren’t the standard NPT size, so I had to use tape (generously) to avoid leakage. The build quality seems good, but the product isn’t NSF certified. In fact, the brand is using the NSF label illegally, which is quite concerning.
This spin-down filter costs only $33.99, and no replacement is required. Though cheap, I wouldn’t recommend wasting money on shady brands. The top five recommendations on my list are better choices.
The Bottom Line
A whole-house filter can serve as a pre-filter or standalone system to purify sediment riddled water supply. After testing and researching the best sediment filters, I recommend SpringWell’s PF-10 sediment filter because it outperforms all the others.
The PF-10 is a compact filter with a patented SpringWell sediment filter that can remove contaminants larger than 5 microns. Moreover, the low micron rating doesn’t affect the water flow rate. It maintains a 20 GPM flow rate 24/7.
SpringWell PF-10 is an effective first defense against contaminated tap water. Furthermore, all of its components are NSF certified.
The installation is easy, and the package includes all the necessary tools.
You also get a lifetime warranty and a six-month money-back guarantee on the product.
SpringWell PF-10 is a way to go if you want a long-lasting yet effective whole-house filtration system.
Check out the details here.
Research Methodology
Not sure how I came up with this ranking? Let me give you a brief insight into the research methodology that helped me review the best whole-house sediment filters.
Step 1: A list of whole-house sediment water filters
Finding quality sediment filters to review was naturally the first step in my research. I searched online and visited local stores to gather a list of the nine filters that had the most sales.
Sediment filters for well and city water are commonly used as pre-filters for bigger filtration systems. But I made sure to pick only those that are built to also work as standalone filter systems.
Most brands have similar claims, and I knew I needed some criteria to sort each sediment filter for well water and city water. This brings us to the next step.
Step 2: Product Analysis
Like any other filter system, certain parameters can help define effectiveness. Based on my experience and online search, I came up with the following criteria for initial analysis:
- Micron rating
- Filter life
- Filter type: Cartridge filters and spin-down filters
- Features: Pressure-relief valve, bypass valve, and automatic flushing
- Flow rate
- Ease of installation
- Certification
- Overall cost: Purchasing cost, maintenance cost, and warranty
Step 3: Online reviews
Even though I had everything on paper, my research was missing the real-life experience of customers.
So, I skimmed through hundreds of verified online reviews on credible sites like Amazon, Google, Home Depot, and Consumer Reports.
Step 4: Interviews with real customers
Let’s call a spade a spade. Online reviews can be misleading.
To remove any doubts, I turned to social media and contacted local plumbers and customers for a brief interview. Fortunately, people were more than willing to share their insights regarding their past or current whole-house sediment filters.
Some complained about leaky fittings, while others were fed up with frequent clogging.
Surprisingly, some products had good online branding, but in reality, they were average at best. I made a note of this.
Step 5: Interviews with brands
To keep things fair, I contacted the big brands and asked them about the frequent complaints people brought to my attention.
I also questioned them about certifications, since some brands fabricated these. The brands with forthcoming answers and excellent customer service stood apart from the less helpful ones — SpringWell, AO Smith, and Simpure to name a few. I included this in my final rating as well.
Step 6: Test drives
Finally, the most exciting phase of my research methodology was none other than testing the sediment filters myself.
Most whole-house sediment filters had a 10,000 gallon capacity. So, I ran each filter for at least half of its maximum capacity and examined the effects on flow rate and filter media.
I took water samples after regular intervals and tested them for sediment and other contamination.
The whole process took four tiring days, but it was worth it. I’ve recycled all the filtered water, to keep things eco-friendly.
Step 7: Ratings
Now that I had all the data, I just had to arrange it in a spreadsheet and rank the filters based on my scoring system. Here is the final list of criteria I used to rank the products.
- My testing
- Customer experience
- Product specification
- Ease of installation
- Certification
- Overall Cost
- Warranty
Best Whole-House Sediment Filter For Clean Water
The SpringWell PF-10 sediment filter scored the highest points out of all the products during my research.
The top five recommendations on my list had the potential to be first, but these are the highlights that made SpringWell stand out from the rest of the competition:
- Premium quality material
- High flow rate
- Effective sediment filtration
- Easy installation and maintenance
- NSF certified components
- No leakages
- Lifetime warranty
Though the maintenance cost of SpringWell PF-10 is higher than others, its filtration quality and durability are second to none.
Whether you want a pre-filter for your whole-house water filtration system or a standalone filter to trap unwanted sediments in your water supply, my number one recommendation is SpringWell PF-10.
If you’re ready to filter sediment particles out of your drinking water, buy the Springwell here today.
