Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV

If you have a problem with rust or sediment in your water, whole-house filters are an options. They don't remove contaminants such as cryptosporidium cysts -- you'll have to add a faucet-mount or other secondary filter, like the PUR FM-9400 Faucet Mount Filter (*est. $35), if you need that level of filtration. When it comes to stopping dirt, sediment, rust and scale, with a fast flow rate and little clogging, whole-house filters are a good solution, reviewers say. Whirlpool seems to have discontinued its inexpensive whole-house filters, including this model, replacing them with the newer Whirlpool WHELJ1 (*est. $430). This model gets good ratings from more than two dozen owners rating it at Lowes.com, but we found no professional comparison tests of it. The main advantage is that it's self-cleaning and requires no filters. We didn't find enough reviews of these models to recommend them, but if your problem is rust and sediment rather cysts, they are an option that bears more research.

Consumer Reports and The Green Guide both compare the now-discontinued Whirlpool WHCF-DWHV whole-house water filter to other models of its kind.