1. How do I know what type of filter to use?
This will depend on what you may be attempting to remove from your water supply or other water quality concerns that you may wish to address. Often it is beneficial to have your water tested - particularly if your local water source is a private well. If you water is supplied from your local water utility, under the new "right-to-know" provision in the Drinking Water Law, they must provide annual water quality reports to their customers.

DIRT / RUST SEDIMENT FILTERS

Whole House Filtration - 1" or 1-1/2" Supply
Keystone's "Giant" Series Housing will accommodate flow rates up to 30 gallons per minute. This housing combined with our Pleated Filter Cartridges will provide excellent sediment removal capacity and long service life.
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Whole House Filtration - 3/4" Supply
Our popular full size #21N (clear body) or # 11N (blue body) filter housings with standard cartridges (2-1/2" diameter x 9 3/4" long) will provide satisfactory filtration capacity for most homes with 3/4" incoming water lines up to 10 gallons per minute.

Although our Giant Series filters feature 1" / 1-1/2" pipe connections, they are also frequently selected for use in homes with 3/4" supply lines where the dirt load is high.
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TASTE / ODOR FILTERS

Improving the taste of your drinking water or removing objectionable odor is accomplished through the use of carbon filtration. Activated carbon filters are available in Block, Granulated or Powdered form. Carbon is highly effective in eliminating or reducing unpleasant contaminants and chlorine. Carbon filters can also reduce levels of volatile organic compounds (VOC's), trihalomethanes (THM's) and in certain cases, other organic compounds.
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2. How often should my filter cartridge be changed?
This will depend on variables such as your household's water usage, the flow rate through your filter, dirt load and the installation location or some combination of these factors.

Although difficult to assess how long a particular filter would last in a given application, as a guide dirt / sediment filters should be changed every four to six months.

More specifically, sediment filter cartridges should be changed when a lower flow than normal is noticed. Taste / Odor cartridges should be changed when the off taste or odor returns or when the flow is noticeably reduced.

3. Will a Keystone filter remove iron from my water?
Depending on its type and amount, iron in water will require water treatment options other than the type of filtration products offered by Keystone. You may need to determine the best treatment technique to solve your iron problem.

4. Where is the best location to install my water filter?
This will depend on your filtration need. For example, sediment reduction can easily be accomplished and is most effective at the Point-of-Entry (P.O.E.). These filters are installed on your incoming cold water line prior to your water heater. Installed here, the filter will protect the water heater from collecting harmful sediment.

Often a carbon (Taste / Odor) filter is installed on the cold water line under the kitchen sink. At this location with its low flow rate, the essential contact time between the carbon and the water is maximized which assures effective performance of the filter cartridge. Point-of-Use (P.O.U.) carbon filtration is also practical in that you are not filtering water used for non-essential needs such as laundry, toilet use and bathing.

It should also be noted that there are significant advantages to Whole House carbon filtration. In this case, the carbon filter is installed at the same location as the Whole House sediment Point-of-Entry filter described above. It is important to point out, however, that the selection and the proper sizing of carbon filters in this service are essential for optimal performance.

Keystone's 20" long Giant Series (4 1/2" diameter) filters are the preferred cartridges for this service.

5. I have hard water - will a Keystone water filter help?
There is a common misunderstanding about hard water and sediment. A sediment filter is not a substitute for a Water Softener. Typically, however, sediment filters are used in conjunction with water softeners to enhance their performance.

6. My water source is well water and it smells like rotten eggs. Do you have a filter for this?
Hydrogen sulfide gas is a by-product of bacteria. Its presence in water is indicated by rotten egg odor. At very low levels carbon filtration may be effective - however, at elevated levels other more complex removal techniques such as chlorinating may be required.

7. I just installed one of your filters and my water appears cloudy. What's wrong?
The "cloudy" water is caused by tiny air bubbles that, while not aesthetically pleasing, are entirely harmless. These bubbles should dissipate over time.

8. I'm having difficulty removing your filter bowl while attempting to change the filter cartridge. What should I do?
Keystone offers wrenches for all our filter housings to make it easier to replace your filter cartridge. In addition, our Operating Instructions provide suggestions for maintaining the important O-ring seal between the filter head and bowl.

9. I currently have a "30 micron" Keystone sediment filter installed on my main water line. Would a "20 micron" offer better filtration?
No, not necessarily. A "micron" is a unit of measure equal to 25,000th of an inch. A human hair is about 50 to 75 microns thick. A filter cartridge with a 30 micron rating may be the best choice for a given application such as sand removal or heavy sediment removal. Switching to a "tighter" filter like a 20 micron cartridge in this instance, might actually cause the filter to plug up much sooner than the original 30 micron filter.

10. I have a filter housing made by another manufacturer. Can Keystone's filter cartridges be used in this housing?
Yes, unless the filter housing is a special or unusual product, Keystone's filter cartridges should fit in other housings. There are two basic industry standard cartridge diameters - 2 1/2" and 4 5/8".

11. I have a sediment problem after my water heater. Is there a filter that can handle hot water?
Yes, for hot water flow rates up to 10 gallons per minute our Standard High Water / High Pressure Model #1131 can be used. For higher flows or for greater dirt holding capacity, our Giant High Water / High Pressure Nylon Reinforced HTGX Series should be used along with our Polyester filter cartridges - GPE Models.
More Information - Standard Hot Water High Pressure Filters
More Information - Giant Hot Water High Pressure Filters

12. Where can I find Keystone's Filter Housings and Replacement Cartridges?
Keystone's products are available for purchase on-line in this website and through a network of Professional Water Treatment Dealers or Plumbing Wholesalers.
CLICK HERE - To Order On-line
CLICK HERE - To Locate a Dealer/Distributor in Your Area