A Buyer’s Guide to Wolverine Water Systems
Everyone’s water is different. If your home’s water is untreated, it likely has a unique combination of contaminants depending on its initial source, the age of the pipes it travels through, the industries and businesses surrounding your home, and a multitude of other factors. So when you decide to treat your home’s water for improved taste, health, and function, where do you start?
Start with an In-Home Water Test
Before you close this tab because this sounds like another marketing gimmick, stay with us. You can’t fix what’s wrong with your water until you know what the problem is. Many contaminants facing Michigan groundwater can’t be seen or tasted, but they can impact your home and your health. In-home test kits from big-box home improvement stores may provide some insight, but they can be difficult to use, provide ranges of hardness levels that are too broad, and miss key contaminants that you’d want to test for, such as heavy metals or bacteria.
Our Wolverine Water team will perform a free in-home water test at a time that works for you. Then they’ll have an honest conversation with you about what’s in your water and recommend a system that works for you. No gimmicks. No pressure. Just a team that’s been doing this work for decades and wants to help Michigan families enjoy fresh, pure water.
From the first water test to the final installation, we know there are a lot of factors to consider. This buyer’s guide will serve as a helpful tool as you make this important water quality decision.
Best Option for Drinking Water: Reverse Osmosis System
RO systems are by far one of our most popular water purification products. In reverse osmosis filtration, pressure is used to push untreated water through a sediment filter (to remove any larger particles), a carbon filter (to remove chlorine), and a semipermeable membrane (to filter out remaining contaminants), leaving pure, clean water on the other side. RO systems are installed directly under the kitchen sink and purify the water coming out of a single tap.
Pros:
- Cost effective
- Removes 99% of contaminants (dissolved solids, minerals affecting taste, trace contaminants that pass through basic filtration)
- Improves the taste and quality of drinking and cooking water
- Requires minimal maintenance
Cons:
- Only purifies water flowing from one tap in your home
- Does not protect your laundry, hair, skin, appliances from water hardness or contaminants
- Does not remove all inorganic and organic contaminants
Best For Everyday Hard Water: Water Conditioners
The majority of homes in the United States have hard water, so chances are, your home’s water has excess minerals. Some homeowners want to mitigate the hassle and expense of mineral buildup on faucets, fixtures, and appliances, while avoiding traditional salt-based water softening systems. For these cases, we recommend our water conditioning systems.
Rather than removing the excess calcium and magnesium from your home’s water, they change their structure. Calcium and magnesium ions become crystallized, making them less adhesive and easier to break apart.
Pros:
- Maintains your water’s “mineral” taste
- Makes excess mineral spots on dishes and faucets easier to clean
- No salt maintenance required
- Uses no electricity
- Produces no wastewater
Cons:
- Water is still hard in some cases
- Conditioners do not tackle other contaminants
- Not a good fit for water with excessive hardness
Best Well Water Option: Iron Breaker System
Michigan’s bedrock is rich in iron, sulfur, arsenic, manganese, and other heavy metals. This means that privately owned wells, which are sourced from groundwater, typically contain some level of these contaminants. Our Iron Breaker System and other speciality systems are designed to tackle these nasty contaminants at their source, preventing further damage to your health and your home.
Pros:
- Can help ensure your well water is safe to drink
- Prevent negative health effects from excessive heavy metals
- Prevent staining in your tubs and sinks from excess iron
- Specialized systems can be custom-built for your home’s well water
Cons:
- Since these systems are specifically designed for your home, they tend to be more expensive than standard options
- Some maintenance required
Best Overall Option: BlueLine Whole Home System
Our BlueLine whole-home system is versatile and robust. The system combines softening (or conditioning) with whole-home filtration to make sure that pure, fresh water is flowing through every tap in your home. Depending on the unique contaminants in your home’s water, it can be a good fit for homes with well water or municipal water.
Pros:
- Can be custom-built to meet unique water needs
- Removes 99% of impurities
- Works on every tap in your home, preventing costly hard water damage in pipes and appliances
- Improved taste and freshness
Cons:
- Bigger investment than point-of-use systems
- Some maintenance required
Enjoy the benefits of fresh, clean water throughout your home. Contact our team for your free home water test today!
