Different types of drinking water filters flood the entire market and online nowadays. That’s why it makes it difficult for consumers to choose what type of drinking water filter best suits their needs.
Every type of water filter has its advantages depending on one’s needs. In rural areas, local water distributors use chlorination processes. You are not sure if contaminants and other toxic substances such as lead and fluoride are very dangerous to your health and your family.
Some reviews are comparisons of different types of water filters, whether from simple to more complex filters. They usually focus on its effectiveness and being a budget saver sometimes for a sell.
Some reviews reveal the truth about it. That not all drinking water is the same and having the same contaminants or toxic substances present.
So that’s why you can choose a variety of water filters in the market made specifically on different types of waterborne contaminants such as bacteria, protozoa, viruses and not to mention those toxic substances on it like lead and fluorides too!
When creating reviews for drinking water filters, it is best to choose water filters by their performance, features, significance to your health, their length of the warranty, and if they’re easy to use, and for easy installation too! But of course, lastly, if it is approved and had reached EPA’s standard for safe drinking water.
There are different drinking water filtration systems for pick, such as reverse osmosis, water distillers, ion exchange filters, ultraviolet disinfection, and black carbon filters. They may be considered as under sink water filters and or countertop water filters too.
Here is a simple review of different types of drinking water filtrations that can guide you in choosing what’s best for you.
What are They?
A water filter is an entity used to remove impurities in the water by decreasing its contamination. This may be using a chemical process, physical barriers, or biological process in cleansing the liquid.
There are various types of water filters being sold; they could be connected or unconnected to the water supply. Connected water filters have direct plumbing linking into the source, while the unconnected filters have a reservoir which makes it more convenient.
And as a part of the marketing strategy, the manufacturers would create a vision indicating the effects and the hazards of contaminated water. Sometimes their statements make the viewers or the buyers concern about the water they are using, thus pushes them to buy the product.
Some manufacturers claim that their filters could remove pesticides, taste, or odor by using activated carbon filters, minerals, or hardness using reverse osmosis, particulate matter using 1 micron rated filters, and nitrates using ion exchange.
Are they Necessary?
The local water companies are obliged to supply the citizens with wholesome water that could be used for various domestic purposes; this includes cooking, drinking, and washing.
In England and Wales, their water supply is being tested regularly, and the results are published and distributed to their respective customers. This indicates that their tap water is safe for drinking and the installment of additional treatment is unnecessary, thus making the people less concerned about it.
Pesticides
A few numbers of natural water sources are at risk of being contaminated by common pesticides. Due to that, the local government and water companies primarily treat the water to remove the pesticides. The government also requires the government because they have European standards and regulations for drinking water, thus securing the tap water to be safe and clean.
Color or Particulate Matter
There may be some instances where a customer experiences tap waters having a color or particulate matter. This was caused by some localized problems such as improper plumbing or pipe fittings. If the fault is indeed within the pipes, then the building owner should be responsible for fixing the problem and installing a suitable filter to improve the water quality.
For further information, the local water supplier should be contacted and asked for advice before purchasing a product. A better remedy and proper maintenance must be given so that the problem will not occur again.
Taste and Activated Carbon Filters
Some persons are not used to the taste of the water they are using right now; this may be because they have a different water supplier before. And to fix this issue, buy a good standard water filter that contains activated carbon and clean the filter cartridge regularly to remove inanimate objects.
If the water happens to have small black particles after installing a filter with the said carbon, do not be alarmed because these particles came from the activated carbon.
In addition, if installing the said filter is too pricey, then another alternative is recommended; experts have said that a covered jug of tap water stored in the refrigerator would lessen its taste and odor, thus making it as good and as tasty as bottled mineral water.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter all kinds of waterborne contaminants and toxic substances present in the water. It is very keen and helpful to get rid away those harmful contaminants, even those heavy metals. It is easy to clean and easy to maintain because it consists only of very few parts.
Although this filtration is one of the safest systems used by water suppliers, this is still not suitable for some people, is only considered for specific domestic purposes such as the hydroponic culture of photographic processing, and is more expensive than a regular filtration system.
In short, it is loved by many because it improves taste, removes impurities, saves money, and only needs simple maintenance. The reverse osmosis system uses 4-5 stages of filtration compared to other types of filtration that make it a good choice. It is approved and passed the EPA standards, so you are assured of its system’s quality.
Ion Exchange Softening
The water softener is the most common treatment system for home water. This involves a process called ion exchange, in which sodium is replaced with magnesium and calcium. Through this, the formation of scale is reduced in the hot water system, the production of the lather is improved, and the water becomes more efficient for appliances such as dishes and clothes.
However, the Department of Health advised that the unsoftened tap water should be retained in the kitchen for cooking and drinking purposes if installing a softener. This is because the softened water has higher sodium content, thus increasing the probability of a person having cardiovascular disease.
Distillation
Safe drinking water is produced through a process wherein water undergoes boiling, evaporated, and let its vapor condensed and become distilled drinking water.
This process eliminates unhealthy substances, organic and inorganic chemicals, and heavy metals, the same as reverse osmosis. It kills all bacteria and pathogens that make people sick.
Distillation is the most natural way of purification. It removes simple natural contaminants and those harmful heavy metals too in your water, making it one of the best buy drinking water filters in the market and online.
It also passed the EPA standards of drinking water. You can check out those countertop distillers available for you on the market. It may be kind of expensive, but it always depends on one’s budget in the end.
Carbon Black Filters
Activated carbon and carbon block filters are considered the most commonly used drinking water filters. It can stand alone, or it is also being used in one of the stages in reverse osmosis and UV filtration system too.
It makes use of granular activated carbon and carbon block that works like a magnet of those impurities found in water. It is also known as “charcoal water filters.”
There are many types of carbon block filters you can purchase in the markets and online. Different kinds of it have different uses depending on those impurities found in your drinking water, like fluoride.
When used with tap water, it readily removes its chlorine taste and odor. Some carbon block filters reduce fine sediments such as rust particles that are also bad for your health.
They can also filter out hard metals without destroying their filter medium or cartridge. There are carbon block filters available for NSF certified to remove turbidity and protozoan cysts that usually cause diarrhea. It is also approved and the EPA standard on safe drinking water to reverse osmosis and water distillers.
Ultraviolet Disinfection
Ultraviolet water purification is the most effective way to kill waterborne bacteria. Their way of killing bacteria or microorganisms is somehow unique. It attacks their genetic core or the DNA that kills them or disables them. It can kill not only those bacteria but also those viruses and protozoan cysts too that cause diseases.
You can say that UV disinfection is a natural way of purification, too, because it doesn’t use chemicals during the process. It is a natural process that doesn’t compromise water’s taste.
UV disinfection is natural, but it is not cost-friendly and having unreliable equipment makes it hard to purchase and was not commonly used.
There are other types of filters for home use that is available in the market and online. They are the countertop and under sink water filters. You can choose as many countertop water filters for your homes as pitcher filters, faucet filters, gravity-fed drip water filters, reverse osmosis filters, and countertop distillers.
Among those countertop water filters, you can choose one from Berkey water filters which are cost-friendly compared to others. With all those types of water filters available, it is known that Berkey has it all. Choose whatever suits your needs at home with its great budget-friendly cost.
If you are buying a water treatment unit
It is advisable to have knowledge and ideas about water filters before buying and installing one. Contacting the local supplier and asking for regular reports about the water flowing in the community’s pipes is a good start.
The maximum and minimum levels of particles present in the raw water and the type of filtration system they are using will be shown through the given data.
This would then assure the people that the water flowing in their tap is safe, and installing a water filter is optional. Moreover, the data would also help choose what type of filter is suitable for a person’s tap.
Buying a product from a reputable supplier is recommended rather than purchasing it from a “door to door” salesman, specifically to those who wish to demonstrate how contaminated the tap water is.
In installing a device, seek help from an experienced plumber and primarily ask the local water company whether the filter meets the standard and water fittings regulations.
Remember to follow the manufacturers' advice about the regular cleaning and maintenance of the said product to avoid additional risks such as the building up of the deposits and the breading of harmful bacteria that causes the contamination of the water.
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