Big blue filter housing: how it works, and why you might need one in your home!

Lately, I’ve been thinking about my home’s water. I mean, we use it for everything, right? Drinking, cooking, showering… the whole nine yards. So, I got it in my head that I should really make sure our water’s as clean as it can be. That’s when I started looking into this whole “big blue filter housing” thing. Sounds kinda technical, but it’s actually pretty straightforward.

I started digging around, trying to figure out what these things even are. Turns out, a big blue filter housing is just a big container that holds a water filter. You hook it up to your main water line, and bam, all the water coming into your house goes through this filter first. I found some information that explained these housings are usually connected to a valve where the water comes in, goes down into the housing, passes through the filter, and then goes back up and out to your taps.

So, I decided to get one. I went with this Pentair Big Blue model I kept seeing mentioned. The “Big Blue” name isn’t just for show. It means it can handle a higher water flow, which is great for a whole house. Smaller filters are more for just one faucet, but I wanted the whole shebang.

Installing it was a bit of a chore, I won’t lie. Had to do some pipe cutting and connecting, but I managed. The idea is that the water goes into this big blue container, and inside there’s a filter cartridge. This cartridge is the real hero.

From what I gathered, these cartridges work in a few steps. First, they physically trap stuff like dirt and other gunk because they have a large surface area inside. Then, there’s activated carbon in there that acts like a magnet, pulling in things like lead or these things called “volatile organic compounds.” I’m not entirely sure what those are, but they sound bad. Finally, there are some chemical reactions that happen inside that help reduce stuff like chlorine.

• Step 1: I got the Big Blue housing and a filter cartridge.
• Step 2: Shut off the main water supply (very important!).
• Step 3: Figured out where to install it on the main line, near where the water enters the house.
• Step 4: Cut the pipe and connected the housing using the right fittings.
• Step 5: Put the filter cartridge inside the housing.
• Step 6: Turned the water back on and checked for leaks.

Once it was all set up, I gotta say, I did notice a difference. The water just tasted… cleaner. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like that subtle chlorine taste was just gone.

So, that’s my little adventure with the big blue filter housing. It was a bit of work, but honestly, knowing that my family’s drinking and using cleaner water makes it all worth it. If you’re thinking about your water quality, I’d say it’s definitely something to look into. You don’t need to be a plumber or anything. Just do your research, take it step by step, and you’ll figure it out.