Questions, answered
The things people actually ask us before booking a water test.
- Is the water test really free?
- Yes. We come to your home, test your water at the tap and walk you through the readings. You keep the results whether or not you buy anything, and there's no obligation.
- How big is a whole-home system? Will it fit in my garage?
- Smaller than most people expect. The UPSTREAM whole-home filter is 8 inches square and 56 inches tall — about chest height on an adult and narrower than a household bin. It stands against a garage wall and takes up roughly the floor space of a shop-vac. If you add a softener there's also a salt tank about waist height beside it.
- Does it need electricity?
- The UPSTREAM filter doesn't — its upflow design stirs the filtration media without power. A water softener does need a standard outlet for its control head.
- What does a whole-home filter actually remove?
- HomeWater's UPSTREAM uses a blend of Red Flint, KDF55 and catalytic carbon to reduce chlorine, chloramines, hydrogen sulfide, VOCs, trihalomethanes, PFOS/PFAS, heavy metals, turbidity, dirt, rust and microplastics.
- What's the difference between a filter and a softener?
- A filter targets what you can taste and smell — chlorine, sediment, contaminants. A softener targets hardness: the dissolved calcium and magnesium that leaves scale on fixtures and shortens the life of your water heater and appliances. Much of Texas has hard water, so plenty of homes benefit from both.
- How often do filters need changing?
- The 11-inch sediment pre-filter is replaced every 3–6 months depending on your water and usage. It's a top-loading design you can do yourself in a couple of minutes, or we can handle it on a schedule. The main media tank lasts far longer — the standard UPSTREAM is rated to 1,000,000 gallons.
- Do I still need a drinking water filter if I have whole-home?
- Not necessarily, but many people add one. A whole-home system treats everything; an under-sink reverse osmosis unit polishes the water at the kitchen tap specifically for drinking and cooking. If bottled water is what you're trying to stop buying, the under-sink system is usually the one that does it.
- How long does installation take?
- A typical whole-home install is a half-day job. We handle the plumbing tie-in at your main line, mount and plumb the equipment, flush the system and check it before we leave.
- Which areas do you cover?
- Houston, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth, plus the surrounding metro areas. If you're not sure whether you're in range, call us and we'll tell you straight away.
- Who is Bulldog Water?
- We're the water treatment division of Bulldog Security Services, a Texas company operating since 2010 with an A+ BBB rating. We install and service HomeWater systems.
Still not sure?
Book a free water test and we'll answer it at your kitchen sink, with your actual water in front of us.
Serving Houston · Austin · Dallas · Fort Worth