Many people choose to install a water filtration system in their homes or businesses to improve the aesthetic qualities and to prevent contamination. But, if you have an older filter or a new system that was recently installed, you may be surprised if the water tastes bad. In this article, we will cover four main reasons why this may be happening.

1.  Poor Quality Water Filters

If the water filter you chose was made by a non-brand manufacturer, it’s likely to be a poor quality model. Even branded units can suffer from these problems because there is a lucrative market for counterfeit water filters. Some of these filters may have no filtration or purification capability at all. To protect yourself against these scams, purchase your water treatment equipment from a local and reliable dealer. There are three certifications that you need to look for: NSF/ANSI Standard 42 and 53. These cover the removal of impurities that degrade the aesthetic and health of the water.

2.  The New Filtered Tastes Sweet

If you’ve recently installed a water filter and it tastes sweet and/or it has a strange chemical odor this is pretty common. The filter element is coated with protection liquid that keeps the filter fresh. This is an easy problem to fix, simply open the faucet and sewage outlet and rinse the filter for approximately 15 minutes. The sweet taste and chemical odor are usually completely gone and the filter is ready for daily use. If you’re not sure how to do this, contact your water treatment specialist and they can do it for you.

3.  The Filter Has Expired

When a water purifier has been used for too long without a filter change the element becomes weaker and the filtration function becomes degraded. This can be exacerbated by a number of external factors including bacteria filtration, hot weather, mold growth, and more. Fermentation can occur inside the filter as the temperatures rise and the only solution is to change the filter element.

4.  An Aging RO Filter Membrane

Reverse osmosis (RO) filter systems can clean water to an exceptional standard without adding chemicals. This is a purely mechanical system, but it is a little complex, and at the core is a semi-permeable membrane filter with tiny pores that trap contaminants. This filter is effective, but it is prone to damage from chlorine, chloramine, and sediment. This is why modern RO filters are a 4-stage system as follows:

  • A prefilter to remove the sediment.
  • A granular activated carbon (GAC) filter to remove the chlorine and chloramine.
  • The RO filter membrane.
  • A final GAC filter stage to add back some character to the filtered water.

There is an optional final remineralization stage to make the water more palatable for drinking, cooking, and baking.

With all these filter stages it should come as no surprise that they need regular replacement in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If you’re concerned about your home water filtration system, contact your local water treatment specialist.

By EcoWater Systems.
EcoWater Systems of Nebraska is the largest water treatment company in the state and is a member of Water Quality Association.