What is a good whole house water filter that I can buy?

I’m commenting because I’d like to follow this question, as it is a topic that interests me.

The water where I live now is better than where I live previously, but I’d still like to have a whole-home system someday. When we moved in, there was already an under-sink filter in the kitchen which we use for cooking and watering the plants, and we double-filter the drinking water from there through a Brita pitcher.

I recall a past conversation years ago on Fluther where someone was a strong proponent of reverse-osmosis systems. That sounds like the best way to know the water is pure, but I’d guess it’s also expensive.

Lime scale is a dissolved Calcium salt in the water.
You need a water softener to remove the Calcium, you cannot “filter out” dissolved salts.

Filters remove sediment, smells, metals ( Arsenic, Iron ) and protozoa

FWIW, here’s what the Vermont Department of Health”:http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/water/hardness.aspx has to say about hard water (which I have here from my 200’ well.)

“There are no known health risks associated with the consumption of hard water. In fact, studies have shown that people who regularly consume hard water throughout their lifetime have a lower rate of cardiovascular disease.

There are some problems associated with hard water. These include:

gray staining of washed clothes
scum on wash and bath water following use of soap or detergent
reduced lathering of soaps
buildup of scale on electric heating elements and boilers
reduced water flow in hot water distribution pipes due to scale buildup
accumulation of whitish-gray scale in tea kettles and other containers used to boil water.”

I keep several half/gallons of white vinegar around to clean scale off tea kettle and other pots and pans. I dump some down the toiltets from time to time.

I keep some pitchers of water in the refrigerator and use that to drink. It tastes delicious.

I do get a sulphur odor from my taps from time to time.

I’ve been told a need a water softener for that problem. I’m going to get one for my new house.

@hearkat @Tropical_Willie @gailcalled @JLeslie: I have one on my shower at present and it works. The old shower head was covered with white scale, the new shower head has been clean as a whistle for months. This is the one I have on the shower -

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006VVN1S/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

You can see from the description that is specifies that it reduces scale.

When I want to fill up my Keurig, I go to the shower and get water out of that, if I don’t have bottled water. I don’t want to clog up the delicate Keurig so if that’s what it takes, that’s what I do. I also have aquarium animals, and I use bottled water for them.

I am thinking that instead of having to use bottled water for the Keurig, the aquariums and the filter shower head, I will get a whole house filter.

@gailcalled – I have no problem drinking tap water – scale or no scale. It tastes good to me!

I have been using a RainSoft water softener for 26 years, and I am mostly happy with it, mostly.
You will be amazed at how your skin feels after showering.

Your Culligan shower head filter is produced by one of the largest companies for water softeners, the filter replacement is not only a filter but also a water softener insert.
Why not get a Culligan whole house filter with lime and scale removal, I think it called KDF Treatment.

Water at my house is not so hard so I don’t use a water softener. It tastes terrible, though, so I installed an RO system from Costco. We have not bought bottled water in 6 years.