A whole-house water filter with UV: a real example for about $1,000

A tank filter with automatic backwash, a 1" UV lamp and control from your phone with Tuya: what each part cost in a real case, and the maintenance.

Water from the mains or the cistern doesn't always reach the house clean: sediment, chlorine, taste and, in some areas, bacteria. A whole-house filter treats the water where it comes in, for every tap and the shower. This is a real example, with what each part costs.

The system, step by step

The water goes through these stages:

1. Tank filter with automatic backwash: a fibreglass tank filled with filter media (for example silica sand, zeolite or activated carbon) catches sediment and, with carbon, removes chlorine, smell and taste. An automatic valve cleans the filter by itself every so often (backwash), so there are no cartridges to replace.
2. 20" Big Blue housing with a cartridge: catches the fine sediment that gets through the tank.
3. Whole-house UV lamp last: disinfects bacteria and viruses.

UV goes last because it only works with clear water: if the water is cloudy, microbes "hide" behind the particles.

What it costs: a real example

For a house in Manta, with 1-inch connections. The filter parts are from Sumiwater (Quito), a supplier of water equipment and materials that ships all over the country:

• Fibreglass tank 10×54: $135
• 1" automatic backwash valve (Runxin): $264
• Riser tube and top and bottom distributors: about $28
• Shipping from Quito to Manta: $10
• VAT 15%: about $66
• Subtotal for the filter, without the filter media: about $503
• Extra 20" Big Blue housing: $60; each replacement cartridge about $5
• 1" whole-house UV lamp, bought on Amazon and brought in by courier: about $150
• Smart breakers for the Tuya app: about $5 each
• Automatic shut-off valves (bought on Temu)
• Pipes, inline valves and fittings: keeping 1 inch wherever possible, so you don't lose pressure

In total, close to $1,000 for the whole system, put together yourself. The filter media comes on top: from about $70 to about $175 with VAT, depending on the type (see below).

The filter media: which to buy and what it costs

The filter media is what goes inside the tank, and which one you choose depends on what is in your water. These are the prices from Proquimarsa in Manta (Av. 4 de Noviembre y Calle 317), in a quote from October 2026, without VAT:

• Activated carbon 1050 (8x30), 25 kg bag: $87.40. Removes chlorine, smell and taste: the most common choice for mains water.
• Turbidex (HydroSource), 50 lb bag (22.7 kg): $60.36. Catches very fine sediment and cloudiness, better than sand.
• Katalox Light, 28-litre bag (1 cubic foot, 30 kg): $130.85. Removes iron, manganese and the rotten-egg smell; also catches sediment.
• Filter-Ox, 1/2 cubic foot bag: $85.53. For iron and manganese, an alternative to Katalox.
• Cation resin Amberlite HPR1100 (NSF): $152.54, or the cheaper Suqing D001 cation resin: $95.76. They soften hard water: they remove the calcium that leaves white scale on taps and showers.

Add 15% VAT to everything: the quote with all six products came to $704.31. But you don't need them all: a 10×54 tank takes roughly 1.5 cubic feet of media, so you pick one, or combine two in layers.

Which one?

• Mains water, with chlorine: activated carbon (about $100 with VAT).
• Well or water-truck water, cloudy: Turbidex, or Turbidex with a layer of carbon.
• Reddish or brown stains, or a rotten-egg smell: Katalox Light or Filter-Ox.
• Hard water, with white scale: resin. Note: resin only works with a softener valve and a brine tank with salt to regenerate it; with a filter valve (backwash only) it doesn't work.

Before you buy, get a water test (hardness, iron, cloudiness): that way you don't pay for media you don't need.

Control from your phone

With smart breakers that work with the Tuya (or Smart Life) app you can see and switch off circuits remotely, for example the water pump, and get alerts. The automatic shut-off valves close the water if they detect a leak or when you decide from your phone: useful when you travel or the house is empty.

Two precautions:

• Don't switch off the UV lamp while water is being used: without it the water passes through undisinfected. If you control it from the app, also switch off the pump or close the valve.
• Have an electrician check the wiring of the smart breakers and motorised valves.

Buying by courier

What you buy abroad arrives by courier under category B ("4x4"): parcels of up to 4 kg and $400 in value, with a fixed duty of $20 per parcel plus a small percentage (FODINFA), and a yearly allowance of $1,600 per person. Check the weight: some large UV lamps weigh more than 4 kg and then don't fit this category. Rules change: confirm with your courier.

Maintenance

• The automatic valve backwashes by itself; now and then check its settings and that the drain works.
• The filter media is replaced every few years, depending on the type and the water quality.
• The Big Blue cartridge is replaced every few months, or when the pressure drops.
• The UV lamp is replaced about once a year, and the quartz sleeve cleaned now and then.
• UV needs electricity: during a power cut it doesn't disinfect. After a long cut, let the water run for a while.
• If the water comes from a cistern, the filter goes after the pump, and the cistern needs cleaning too.

Rather have a professional install it? Ask plumbers for quotes on Build. Prices from a real case and quotes from September–October 2026: they vary with the supplier and the city.