Whole house filter or under sink filter?
A whole-house filter treats every tap, shower and appliance in the house and is fitted at the main line for $2,990 installed. An under-sink reverse osmosis system treats one tap and filters far finer, for $1,490 installed. They solve different problems, and buying both together is $790 less than buying them separately.
The comparison
| Whole house | Under sink, reverse osmosis | |
|---|---|---|
| What it treats | Every tap, shower and appliance | One tap, at the sink |
| Where it goes | The main line, near the water meter | Under the kitchen sink |
| What it removes | Chlorine taste and smell, sediment | The same, plus dissolved material a main line filter cannot reach |
| What it does not do | Reach dissolved material | Treat any other tap in the house |
| Install time | Two to three hours | Shorter, and confirmed with your quote |
| Typical cartridge life | 12 months | 12 months |
| Every Tap installed price | $2,990 | $1,490 |
| Best for | Houses on the mains wanting every tap treated | Apartments, rentals, or drinking water only |
Pick the whole-house filter if
- You notice chlorine smell in the shower, not just from a glass of water
- You are getting sediment or discoloured water after mains work
- You want to protect a hot water system, a washing machine or a dishwasher
- You want filtered water at every tap without thinking about it
Pick the under-sink filter if
- You rent, or you are in an apartment where there is no accessible main line
- Your only concern is what you drink and cook with
- You want reverse osmosis, which is the finest filtration available on a domestic tap. Pure Only is $1,490 installed
Buying both together is $790 less
Bought separately the two come to $4,480, and bought together they are $3,690, which is $790 less for one visit instead of two.
The two do not overlap in what they do. The main line filter handles taste, smell and sediment for the whole house. The tap at the sink filters much finer, for the water you drink and cook with specifically. The saving is the second call-out, the second compliance certificate and the second set of labour you do not pay for twice, not a discount on the hardware. There is no claim here about how many people choose the combination, because Every Tap has no sales history yet to support one.
What neither of them does
Neither removes hardness, and a Melbourne house does not need that removed. Melbourne's mains supply is soft, and water softeners are a product for other parts of the country, not for Melbourne.
A main line filter does not remove fluoride; a reverse osmosis system at the sink reduces it substantially. Heavy tannin, bore water and stored rainwater are different problems again, and need different equipment: Tank Safe is built for stored rainwater specifically, with a UV steriliser rather than a finer filter stage.