Is your big blue sediment filter leaking? Dont worry, its fixable!

Today, I finally got around to tackling that big blue sediment filter we’ve got hooked up to the main water line. It’s been a while since it got any attention, and honestly, I was a little nervous about what I might find.

First things first, I turned off the main water supply to the house. Safety first, right? No one wants a surprise shower in the basement. Then, I closed the valve on the reservoir tank – that thing holds a lot of water, and I didn’t want it backflowing or anything. After that, I went upstairs and opened the faucet connected to the filtered line, just to relieve any leftover pressure in the system.

Now for the fun part. I grabbed my trusty filter wrench – that specialized tool made just for this kind of job, placed it around the big blue housing, and tried to unscrew it. Man, that thing was on tight! I pushed and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. It’s essential to make sure there is no pressure before unscrewing the blue housing. I checked if there is a union inline to the filter inlet/outlet to disconnect.

With the housing off, I carefully pulled out the old filter. Let me tell you, it was pretty nasty. All kinds of gunk and sediment had built up on it. Definitely time for a change. I took a good look inside the housing, too, to make sure there weren’t any cracks or damage.

• I took the new filter, still in its plastic wrap, and carefully unwrapped it.
• Then I slid it into the housing, making sure it was seated nice and snug.
• I carefully screwed the housing back onto the main unit.
• This time, I didn’t overtighten it, just enough to make sure it was secure.

Finally, I slowly turned the main water supply back on, keeping a close eye out for any leaks. I also opened the valve on the reservoir tank again. Then, I went back upstairs and ran the filtered water for a few minutes, just to flush out any air or loose sediment. I also checked and tightened any loose plumbing components.

Everything looked good – no leaks, and the water pressure seemed normal. I’ve got to say, it’s a pretty satisfying feeling to get a job like this done. Now we’ve got clean, filtered water flowing again, and I don’t have to worry about that nasty old filter anymore. I’ll probably set a reminder to check it again in a few months, just to stay on top of it.