When you say sediment, do you mean that the water is visibly dirty? If not, then you don't need a sediment filter but... they were never meant to be used as a POE (point of entry) "whole house" filter. They were designed for POU (use) like for an appliance, such as an ice maker or commercial dishwasher etc..
What does your sediment look like?
As to the micron rating... we can't see particals less than 50-45 mic. So there is little sence in using any rating below that and they clog up sooner anyway.
No, the water in not dirty or cloudy. I expect it has sediment because the inline to the cold water in washing machine has to be cleaned every few months.I am sure there is fine particules going in and probably will cause a problem some day. Bought a filter at Lowes a couple years back, it is a just a cheaper filter but sold as whole house filter. It is maybe 10 inches high and 3-4 inches in diameter. Just don't want it to cut down water pressure a lot. That is why I have never put it on. I thought it should be installed before the pressure tank but have been told that would be harder on the pump and to put it after the pressure tank.
Thanks
When our house water came from a spring I put in a whole house filter from Home Depot, the one with the white top piece and clear filter cylinder. I would use the medium filter cartridge, all I wanted to do was trap out the big sediment that was messing up the fixtures, washing machine, dishwasher, etc.
It seemed to work fine and didn't reduce the water pressure much if any, I installed it after the pressure tank but before anything else.
In many cases when there is 'dirt' in the inlet screens of a washing machine, it is caused by hardness scale, not sediment. A sediment filter won't prevent that. So I suggest a water hardness test or a tune up of any water softener you may have.
I've been thinking of putting in a whole house filter also. Whenever the pump goes out, we have brown cloudy water for a day or two and then it goes back to clear. I'm not sure if the sediment is coming up with the water or is in the household pipes and is disturbed when the pressure drops to zero and then is restored.
We have an artisian well with the pump at about 500 feet. The pump controller and pressure tank are in a four foot cubed underground 'room'. Unfortunately, the moist atmosphere in the room takes out the pump controller or pressure switch about once a year. I'd love to move them up to the house, but not sure the cost of trenching 100 feet and all the replumbing and rewiring are worth the hastle. [img]/forums/images/icons/confused.gif[/img]
<font color="blue"> We have an artisian well with the pump at about 500 feet. </font color>
If you have a pump at 500 feet you don't have an Artesian well. An Artesian well produces water at the surface without pumping. A spring, in other words.
Rather than a filter to collect the dirt and then require replacement, the best solution for your problem is to run the water through a hose until it clears. Just don't run it at such a flow that the well goes 'dry' and ruins a pump. Draining and then flushing the pressure tank might help prevent the problem.
Thanks, Gary. Flushing the pressure tank is a great idea. That pump is down there on steel pipe and I don't even want to think about what it's going to take to get it out of there.