When purchasing a washing machine, we place a lot of worries on it, from washing small children's clothes to washing bulky jackets and blankets. But, unfortunately, not many people think about the fact that a washing machine, which is indispensable in the modern world, must be carefully maintained.
When a washing machine breakdown takes you by surprise, owners begin to look for ways to “revive” expensive equipment. Sometimes repairs can cost much more than purchasing a filter that could save money and nerves. Did you know that running water can send even a premium-segment machine to the landfill?
Poor-quality hard water with impurities is the main reason why the washing machine becomes clogged and limescale deposits appear on the components of the washing machine. To avoid these problems and prevent parts from breaking, you should install a filter for your washing machine. Such a filter will help make tap water softer, rid the washing machine of various impurities, rust, magnesium, sand and preserve the duration of use. It can also improve the quality of washing and the effect of washing powder on products.
What is a filter for?
Ordinary running tap water comes in varying degrees of hardness and the amount of impurities. In different regions of the country, water quality differs markedly. With an increased level of hardness, the composition contains particles of sand, dirt and rust. At high levels, water hardness is determined by the magnesium and calcium bicarbonate it contains. When water heats up, salts crystallize, which subsequently forms limescale and scale on the components of the washing machine. The heating element and solenoid valve also wear out.
Hard water can cause corrosion on washing machine parts. It is worth noting that due to low quality water, the washing process itself suffers, because things can fade, not be washed off from dirt, or, conversely, acquire new stains from rust. Also, large particles of debris can clog the internal cleaner and cause pump failure. If the pump is damaged, the washing machine will stop drawing water during washing.
In addition, water with impurities can:
- Affect the quality of washing things. During washing, salt particles may settle on the heating element, seals and drum.If you do not pay attention to the layer of such particles in time, the washing machine may subsequently fail.
- Cause damage to the drain pump, solenoid valve and exhaust valve. Particles settle on parts and reduce service life.
- Clog the filter and reduce the outlet pressure.
- Provoke the occurrence of corrosion, which adversely affects parts.
- Reduce the elasticity of rubber seals, and depressurization may occur in the future.
- Reduce the capacity of pipelines due to blockages.
Household filters for water purification cope well with this problem, preventing the formation of scale and clogging of parts.
The filter makes the water softer and provides comprehensive care for the washing machine.
The principle of operation of a water purification filter
The filter is installed directly on the source of running water itself. When water enters, pressure is used to force it through filtration stages depending on the type of filter installed and its cleaning method. Filtration can occur thanks to:
- polyphosphate salt crystals;
- sorption parts with activated carbon;
- magnetic field radiation;
- mesh design.
Washing machine filters should be changed several times a year, just like drinking water filters.
Before making a choice in favor of one filter or another, you should determine which type of running water purification is suitable in your case, for example, conduct a water analysis. It is worth noting that when installing a filter for additional cleaning, the life of the washing machine can be extended even longer.
Types of filters for water purification
There are a huge number of water purifiers on the market.Sometimes you can make a mistake and buy something completely different from what you need. To avoid making a mistake when choosing a filter, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the types of water purifiers.
There are several types of filters for purifying running water:
- main lines;
- magnetic;
- polyphosphate;
- rough cleaning.
All filters differ from each other in shape, cleaning method and type of installation. Among them there are budget options and those that are more expensive. In order to figure it out and understand what kind of filter you need for your washing machine, it’s worth considering them in more detail.
Trunk
Perhaps the best purchase for solving problems with contaminant particles would be a mesh filter, which has cells ranging in size from 50 to 500 micrometers. It is installed directly into the pipeline, hence the name of the filter. Thanks to this type of filter, all water is purified from small particles and impurities, and it also makes the water softer. There are several types of main filters: for hot and cold water.
It should be noted that a filter for purifying hot water can also be used for cold water, but in no case vice versa. But this type of purification does not involve changing the chemical composition of water. If you need more thorough purification with this type of filtration, you can install an additional purification device that will bring the composition of the water to sanitary standards.
There are also types of main filters that have activated carbon parts. When installing such a filter, additional purification of running water is not required. To remove rust and sand particles, the filter can be installed on the outlet of the water supply system where the inlet hose is connected.Before installation, you should turn off the water supply, make a cut in the pipe and install a filter on the cut area.
Magnetic
This type of filter has a magnetic field, due to which the structure of running water changes at the molecular level, but the chemical composition does not change. As water passes through the magnetic filter, calcium carbonate turns into argonite.
This is the same as calcium carbonate, but in the new form it does not allow crystallization, which prevents the formation of precipitation. Thanks to this transformation, the water becomes much softer, and there will be no sediment in the form of limescale on the SMA nodes. Such a filter should be installed in the hose through which the water flows, as close as possible to the equipment.
Polyphosphate
This type of filter is a flask filled with sodium polyphosphate crystals and performs the function of chemical water treatment. As running water passes through the filter, the polyphosphate crystals contained in it gradually dissolve (they resemble salt). Thanks to sodium, carbonates do not have a path to the heater and other elements of the washing machine, as a result of which the formation of scale can be reduced to zero.
The filter also makes the water softer. It is worth paying attention to the fact that this type of filter is under no circumstances installed on a water supply system, because Water passed through polyphosphate cannot be drunk. The polyphosphate filter is installed only on the washing machine. It is worth noting that polyphosphate filters have a fairly low price; anyone can afford such a device.
Coarse filters
This type of filter is designed to reduce the amount of impurities in water.It does an excellent job of purifying running water from small and large particles, but such a filter needs regular cleaning, because... it often gets clogged. The coarse filter does not make the water softer, because... does not affect its chemical composition in any way. When installing this type of filtration, you may need an additional cleaning device.
There are two types of coarse filters: cartridge and mesh. They must be installed in front of the inlet hose.
How to clean a clogged filter
- Cartridge: to replace the cartridge, you need to turn off the water, remove the cartridge from the flask and put a new one in there.
- Mesh: the filter should be washed and put back.
What should you pay attention to when choosing a filter?
In order to finally make a decision in favor of any type of filter, it is first necessary to determine the quality of the running water. If there are a large number of impurities in tap water, then you should pay attention to a magnetic filter for the entire apartment. If this type of water filtration is not suitable for you for some reason, a deep purification device would be a good option.
If the water is too hard, it is recommended to install a polyphosphate or magnetic filter in front of the washing machine in order to soften the water as much as possible. Ideally, if you stop at cleaning with two filters, because... local water is often highly hard and contains impurities. In this case, the level of water quality will increase: it will become soft and clean, without particles of rust and dirt. The quality of washing will also noticeably improve, because in purified water the active components of the washing powder will be more effective.
We recommend paying attention to the following top filter models, among which there are budget options and more expensive ones.
Top 6 best models of water purification filters
Geyser 1-P 
This filter from the Geyser company is a main filter. Its main function is to purify absolutely all the water that enters the living space, this applies to boilers, dishwashers and other water heaters.
The filter is installed on the inlet area of the cold water pipe. The Geyser 1-P filter has a cartridge made of plastic polymer propylene. It qualitatively purifies water from impurities and small debris. The cartridge cannot be cleaned, it can only be replaced with a new one. One such cartridge can be enough for one month of regular washing. This water purifier can capture small and large particles of dirt, sand and rust. Geyser 1-P can function in water even with a pressure of 30 atmospheres!
Aquaphor Styron
This filter from Aquaphor is a polyphosphate type of purification. It is designed to purify only the water that is used during washing. Water that has passed through a polyphosphate filter is considered unsuitable for drinking.
This cleaning device makes water softer, eliminates old scale on the parts of the washing machine, does not allow rust particles to pass through, and also prevents the formation of new limescale. It is very easy to install, anyone can handle the installation. It is worth noting that the water purifier flask is made of transparent plastic, which allows you to track the amount of polyphosphate. This filter can also be used to filter water in dishwashers.
Aquashield ProWe recommend paying attention to the following top-end filter models, among which there are budget and more expensive options.
Top 6 best models of filters for water purification
Geyser 1-P
This filter from the Geyser company is a main filter. Its main function is to purify absolutely all the water that enters the living space, this applies to boilers, dishwashers and other water heaters.
The filter is installed at the inlet area of the cold water pipe. The Geyser 1-P filter has a cartridge made of plastic propylene polymer. It qualitatively purifies water from impurities and small debris. The cartridge cannot be cleaned, it can only be replaced with a new one. One such cartridge can be enough for one month of regular washing. This water purifier can capture small and large particles of dirt, sand and rust. "Geyser 1-P" can function in water even with a pressure of 30 atmospheres!
Aquaphor Styron
This filter from Aquaphor is a polyphosphate type of cleaning. It is designed to purify only the water that is used during washing. Water that has passed through a polyphosphate filter is considered unfit for drinking.
Such a cleaning device makes the water softer, eliminates old scale on the parts of the washing machine, does not allow rust particles to pass through, and also prevents the formation of new limescale. It is very easy to install, anyone can handle the installation. It is worth noting that the water purifier flask is made of transparent plastic, which allows you to monitor the amount of polyphosphate. This filter can also be used to filter water from dishwashers.
Aquashield Pro
The electromagnetic filter from the Generation company is one of the best cleaning devices that have a magnetic field. If you do a water analysis before choosing a filter, and the result is an increased iron content, then this filter will be an ideal option for you. It has a plastic body, circuitry, processor and buttons. Thanks to the buttons you can adjust the frequency of the waves.
When installing this type of filter, emitter wires should be tied to the pipe. The filter requires a voltage of 220 V to operate. The main advantage of this water purifier is that purification occurs without any chemicals.
Electronic flocculating device "Aquaflow"
The Aquaflow electronic device purifies water without chemicals. Thanks to high-frequency electronic pulses, water is purified and softened. With the help of electrical space in the pipe channels, harmful impurity particles are charged. All debris is collected into large clumps, which are literally destroyed by fine cleaning technology. This technology is sold separately from the device itself.
This filter also has membranes in which it is capable of trapping bacteria and microorganisms. Aquaflow is not a budget option, but the degree of water purification is worth the money spent.
Helfer
The Helfer polyphosphate filter is capable of protecting washing machines and dishwashers from limescale and scale. The filter contains an ion exchange resin, which improves the quality of water purification.
- This device can reduce the iron and chlorine content in water. Thanks to this polyphosphate filter, salt will not settle on the heating element, and in general the washing machine will last you longer.The filter is designed for 8 thousand liters, which can be equivalent to 200 washes.
- New water B120 – softening mainline “reusable” water purifier
- This sodium polyphosphate filter is an effective water purifier that makes water as soft as possible. A main-line type filter that is installed in the water supply. When water passes through the sodium polyphosphate crystals, they dissolve and form a protective film on the parts of the washing machine.
- This polyphosphate film protects the heating element and other various parts of the washing machine from scale and corrosion. If the crystals in the container run out, they can be purchased separately and poured into the filter.
How to install a water filter for a washing machine?
To install any filter for a washing machine, you do not need the help of a specialist. But there are some rules and work steps to ensure that the installation process is completed successfully.
The first step in installing a filter is to turn off the hot and cold water. Don't forget to drain the remaining water in the taps, this is a very important step.
After this, you can begin installing the filter. In order to connect the filter to the washing machine, you will need a tee. A silicone gasket should be installed on the threads of the tee to firmly install all the parts and avoid future problems from leaks.
When all stages of work have been completed and the filter has been installed, it is recommended to keep a notebook in which you will record the months of operation of the filter. Such control will help you change cartridges or filter flask fillers on time.
Each filter type has its own algorithm of actions:
- The main type filter must be installed in front of the washing machine.An incision should be made in the pipe into which the water purifier is installed.
- The deep cleaning filter should be installed directly in front of the washing machine. You need to draw a conclusion and then install a filter.
- The polyphosphate filter is installed similarly to a deep cleaning device.
- The magnetic filter is mounted using a screwdriver and fasteners. This filter should be installed as close to the washing machine as possible.
- Cleaning the washing machine drain and fill filter
- Let's first look at why drain and fill filters are needed in a washing machine.
- Fill filter and its cleaning
- The inlet filter has the function of purifying water from dirt that enters the machine. After all, running water contains many different particles of sand, dirt and rust. This type of cleaning can be considered rough because... it purifies water only from large particles of debris and dirt.
The harder the water, the more often you will have to clean the inlet filter. It also depends on how often you wash and whether you have a main filter to purify and soften the water. Even if you have a basic water purifier, it still doesn't hurt to check the inlet filter for debris as often as possible. It should be noted that not every washing machine has inlet filters.
Clean the filler filter as follows:
unplug the washing machine;
- turn off the water;
- turn the back of the machine towards you;
- unscrew the nut counterclockwise;
- remove the filter and clean it under running water;
- install the filler filter back into the machine;
- screw the hose;
- tighten the nut.
- Drain filter and cleaning it
- The drain filter performs the function of purifying water after washing to prevent clogging of the drain pump, hose and sewer.
Clean the drain filter as follows:
turn off the washing machine;
turn off the water;
move the machine away and tilt it slightly;
open the hatch, you will see a filter;
prepare a rag for water leakage;
