Water Filtration

Water is a crucial resource which many of us living in the cities have come to take for granted. Our survival and health depend on the water we drink, but yet we hardly give a thought to the water we use each day.

Here are nine reasons why we should not take our water at face value, and why a water filter could be the best investment we can make for our health:

1. The Water Myth

Pure natural water is a myth. In nature, water picks up minerals as well as contaminants like arsenic, viruses and bacteria as it flows through streams, sits in lakes, and sips through soil and rock in the ground. It is the amount of these substances that determines whether the water is safe or unsafe for consumption.

2. Great Polluted Lakes

The five Great Lakes — Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario, and Superior — make up more than 80 percent of the U.S.’s freshwater supply and more than 20 percent of the world’s. But they have been increasingly polluted by agricultural, industrial and recreational activities that take place around and within the lakes. Pollutants, such as discharged waste water from factories, untreated sewage and toxic contaminants, enter and get trapped in the lakes, increasing in concentration over time.

3. Massive Contamination Power of Oil

Used oil is a major source of oil contamination of waterways and result in pollution of drinking water sources. Spilled or inappropriately disposed used oil from one oil change can contaminate up to 1 million gallons of fresh water, or a year’s supply for 50 people.

4. Chlorine: The Double-Edged Sword

Chlorine is a commonly used disinfectant to remove viruses and bacteria from water. But chlorine is also toxic to humans and it reacts with organic compounds in the water to form by-products like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids that can lead to cancer and reproductive disorders.

5. Killing with Ozone

Ozone is another popular disinfectant that is used standalone or in addition to chlorine to kill germs in the water. However, ozone can react with natural occurring bromide in the water to form bromate, which is a known carcinogen.

6. Chloramine: Deadlier than Chlorine?

Chloramine is an increasingly common disinfectant used as an alternative to chlorine as it is more stable and does not dissipate from the water before it reaches consumers. It also does not have the distinct smell and taste which is characteristic to chlorine-treated water. However, chloramine has been found to create more disinfection by-products than chlorination and increases the leaching of lead from pipes.

7. Mouth Wash or Drinking Water?

Fluoride is often added to drinking water by water suppliers to prevent tooth decay. But this controversial additive has also been linked to bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones, in some studies.

8. The Convoluted Journey of Water

Treated water from public water suppliers can be further contaminated as it makes its way to our homes — by dissolving unwanted chemicals and substances such as asbestos, bacteria, viruses, lead and PVC from corroded pipes.

9. Drink to Even Weaker Immune Health

Seniors and young children, as well as people with immune systems compromised by chemotherapy, AIDS and other chronic diseases are more vulnerable to microbial and toxic contaminants in drinking water, even at levels determined safe by the authority.

So, you see, water filters can be the best investment we can make for our health.

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According to the ads, Wellness shower filters create an atmosphere where you slowly get well. Wellness is a brand of chemical and chlorine removing shower filters. They do a good job, but the price is a little high, to say the least.

Like other chlorine removing shower filters, Wellness shower filters let you use hot water with no ill effects. If you used the same amount of hot water without a shower filter, it would open up your pores and allow you to absorb 600% more chlorine than if you drank the same amount.

Chlorine causes a number of diseases, most of which can be serious. The wellness shower filters gets rid of the chlorine and reduces the risks to your health. Chlorine removing shower filters, built by wellness, block about 99% of the chlorine present in shower water. After only a few days, you will notice that your skin and hair are softer.

Cosmetic benefits to the skin and hair were the first reasons for chlorine removing shower filters. But, the bigger problem is that your skin absorbs everything it is exposed to. So, bathing in water contaminated with chemicals and chlorine is bad for your overall health, both for now and in the future.

The diseases linked to chlorine are many and they include one of the big killers; cancer. According to researchers at the medical college of Wisconsin, showering, drinking and living with chlorinated water has increased our risk of cancer by 93%. Wellness shower filters and other chlorine removing shower filters can help improve our odds.

The wellness shower filters remove more than chlorine from the water in the shower. Things like pesticides, VOCs, THMs, lead and copper are also blocked. The only problem is that chlorine removing shower filters by Wellness cost a whole lot more than other brands that do the same job. There is no doubt that you need chlorine removing shower filters, you just might want to do some comparative shopping before you buy the Wellness brand.

Why do you need chlorine removing shower filters? The EPA says that when it comes to chlorine, 4 parts per million is an acceptable level, but when pool water is tested, anything over 3 parts per million is considered unsafe for swimming. If it’s not safe to swim in, how could it be safe to shower in? Wellness shower filters and other chlorine removing shower filters can make your water safe again.

Now, not all chlorine removing shower filters are the same. Only two other companies can do the same job as Wellness shower filters and both cost less. The initial prices for the systems are lower and the cost of use is lower. Here’s what we mean.

Wellness shower filters cost $249 retail and the cost of use is $16 per month. As mentioned above, two other companies do the same job as Wellness shower filters. For the first, the retail price is $95 and the cost of use is $9.25 per month.

The other is our personal favorite. It is one of the best chemical and chlorine removing shower filters on the market and at a price of $67.99 and only $7 per month, anyone can afford it.

Some chlorine removing shower filters cost a lot more and are much less effective. Two popular brands only block 50% of the chlorine and nothing else. When you are shopping, remember that price is no indication of quality. You have to look at product performance data. If you do, you will see that Wellness shower filters do a good job, but they are not the best buy.

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Under sink water filters were very confusing to me when I first started to research them. I was starting to worry about the purity of the water my family was drinking on a daily basis. So I decided I should investigate purchasing an under sink filter.

What I found is there are a wide variety of under sink water filters that are currently available in the market. There are kinetic degradation fluxicon (KDF), reverse osmosis, distillation, and carbon filters just to name a few. All these options just gave me a headache.

But after some more research I was able to boil it down to a few things you should look for in a under sink water filter, they are:

The filters that you buy should be NSF certified. If a water filter conforms to the ANSI / NSF 42 and 53 standards you can be guaranteed that it will filter out the highest level of contaminants. These include chlorine, cysts, lead, mercury, turbidity and even pathogens in the water.

Look for a filter that is easy to install. The installation should be easy enough for a person to do themselves without special tools or knowledge. Of course you can always hire a professional to install it for you.

Consider the size of the unit that will go under the sink. You don’t want one that will take up all the storage space you have under the counter. I’d also look to see where the tubing will be running to make sure there isn’t an obstruction along the way.

Understand how to change the filter. You don’t want a under sink filter that will be next to impossible to swap out the filter when needed.

Shop the internet for the best price. But be careful, the price on under sink water filters varies widely from site to site. You really have to check the specifications of each one to do an apples to apples compare. Remember, like most things in life you get what you pay for.

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In common office folklore, we all meet around the water cooler to swap gossip and compare notes. While, this may be a bit of an overstatement, the drinking water cooler is, in fact, a central figure in both offices and homes – always available for a refreshing break in the day.

The office drinking water cooler maintains its popularity simply because of its convenience. No matter when you’re in need of a drink throughout the day, you only need to walk down the hall and refill your cup. More importantly, it provides a healthy alternative to office vending machines that offer high calorie soft drinks. While a caffeinated soda may seem like a good way to get through the day, the truth is that water will go a lot further to keeping you awake and on-task. Savvy water drinkers know that it’s water that makes them feel energized – not endless coffee.

Many offices will also carry a drinking water cooler that provides hot water as well as cold. This can be a great amenity for morning or midday herbal tea drinkers who don’t have access to a kettle at the office.

The reasons that the drinking water cooler has fans at the office are the same reasons it is just as popular in the home. More and more people have turned to the drinking water cooler for a ready supply of clean, refreshing water. While most public water supplies are clean, healthy, and adequate for drinking, some carry toxins, that while unseen to the naked eye, compromise the quality of the water. And bottled water that is purchased in large quantities can be expensive and difficult to store.

For this reason, more and more people choose to have a drinking water cooler right in their home. They know that the quality of the water is never compromised and always consistent; and they have access to it at all times. Many people even claim that drinking water cooler water improves the taste of their coffee and other foods.

Water coolers can be a wonderful way to enjoy quality water on a regular basis – improving the health of you and your family.

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Have you looked at those whole house water filtration systems that are available to you?  If high levels of chlorine are a big problem where you live then you may want to consider buying one.  A lot of people have been switching to this kind of unit because it leaves them with only one filter that they have to change.

The problem with having individual point of use countertop and showerhead units is that you may have to remember when to change a half dozen or more filters twice per year.  These point of use filters only have a 500 gallon capacity at best, while a whole house filter has a life of 300,000 gallons.

The one thing that you have to be careful about when buying whole house water filtration systems is that as with every other kind of filter quality varies greatly and that quality is not denoted by price.  There are filters that cost $3,000 that don’t do nearly as much as the $1,000 model does.

Here is an example of what I mean the replacement filter for the more expensive model costs $1,789, and only has a life of 225,000.  The replacement filter for the $1,000 model costs only $639.20, and has a life of 300,000 gallons.  That makes you the annual cost of use three times as much for the already overpriced system.

The more expensive whole house water filtration systems boast that they remove just as much chlorine from your drinking water, but can only remove particulate only down to 10 microns, whereas the lower priced unit reduces particulate all of the way down to 5 microns.

Of course there is really no way for you to know if the numbers that the more expensive unit claims is accurate, because the unit is not UL or NSF certified while the lower priced one is.  Without a UL or NSF certification the unit’s actual performance claims cannot be verified.

Another thing that bothers me about the more expensive whole house water filtration systems is that they require back flushing, which means that they produce wastewater.  The less expensive model does not require back flushing therefore none of your water is lost.  This is good from a conservation standpoint.

So there you have it so far as what I said about quality variances.  The $1,000 model won out over the model costing three times as much, and it is the only UL and NSF certified model on the market at such a low price range.  Considering that prices on models equal to this one can cost you up to $5000, it’s quite a bargain.

Whole house water filtration systems are seen as the perfect answer for many people simply because they are more convenient to use and maintain.  Unlike the point of use models that you can install yourself, these do require about 30 minutes of a plumber’s time, but it is money well spent.  You will make that cost back up simply by not having to worry so much.

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The thought of taking a shower in heavily chlorinated pool water is not an appealing one at all. However, most people have no idea just how much chlorine they’re being exposed to by not using a shower filter. The regular tap water coming out of your shower head contains just as much chlorine, if not more, than the amount allowed to be in standard public swimming pools. By using a quality shower head filter you can reduce or even eliminate chlorine completely from your daily shower.

Chlorine can make for an uncomfortable shower experience because it usually strips away natural oils, which can easily disrupt the natural metabolism of the skin. This can lead to excessive dryness and unnecessary cellular damage, greatly accelerating the signs of aging. By installing a reasonably priced shower filter in your home, the benefits of softer skin and more manageable hair become a reality almost immediately.

Standard shower filters have only been shown to reduce free chlorine, and in some rare cases, chloramine (a devastating combination of chlorine and ammonia). Although there are many claims to the contrary being made by several shower filter sellers all over the Web, a simple fact remains. The combination of a relatively small amount of media within a short bodied shower filter simply cannot remove other contaminants from fast flowing hot water using standard methods. Basically, the water is too hot and moving too quickly for the small amount of “stuff” inside to do it’s job with any meaningful results.

Using a shower head filter will ensure your skin and hair feel and look much healthier, but also provides tremendous protection for the rest of your body by not forcing you to inhale toxic chlorine fumes. Because of this, it is highly recommended that you get a shower filter if you have asthma or any other sort of respiratory condition. It can be extremely beneficial to those that have serious asthma and/or allergy symptoms. Chlorine and chloramine are notorious for causing irritation to the sensitive mucus membranes of the eyes, nose and throat.

Another advantage to having a shower water filter is that it can help enhance the pH of water and bring it much closer to the “neutral” range of 7.0. There are several different shower water filtration systems out there that use their own technology or techniques to filter the water. Some even claim to have some type of complex, multiple stage filtration system that promises to remove of all kinds of synthetic and volatile organic chemicals. However, most of these types of claims are based entirely on clever marketing instead of real data. When in doubt, always ask to see data substantiating any claims that sound too good to be true.

The best thing about shower filters is how relatively inexpensive they are and how easy they are to install and maintain. An average shower filter will run anywhere from $40-$90 and should perform with average results. Even if you are willing to spend a little more money, higher priced shower filters do not necessarily provide greater protection. Look for shower filters that utilize Vitamin C (Ascorbate), KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) or Chlorgon (Calcium Sulfite); with the Vitamin C and Chlorgon type shower filters also providing excellent protection from chloramine. Shower filters that contain any type of carbon generally do not perform as well and have been known to produce large amounts of bacteria within a short period of time. The bacteria feed on carbon within the moist, warm confines of a shower filter and quickly multiply. This can lead to bacteria being released into the stream of shower water and onto your body.

The most important aspect of purchasing and using a chlorine shower filter is whether or not it will perform to your level of expectation. If in doubt whether that very attractive shower filter hanging in your shower stall is actually working, go out and purchase some total residual chlorine test strips and test for yourself. A bottle of 25 test strips will generally run less than $10 and can be found on eBay for even less. Just make sure you purchase and use test strips that check for both free and combined chlorine, otherwise known as chloramine. With the rapid implementation of chloramine across the globe, free chlorine disinfection of our public water supplies is sure to quickly become nothing more than a distant, unpleasant memory.

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If you are like me, you are probably aware how contaminated tap water can be. Drinking this water as it is, is a sure way to invite a host of diseases. This is the reason more and more people today are looking for water purifiers and that too whole house water filtration systems.

But are whole house water filtration systems really useful? What benefit do you get from them? Let’s find out.

One thing is certain. Drinking unfiltered water is out of the question. Tap water contains a ton of impurities inside - Chlorine, pesticides, prescription drugs, heavy metals and bacteria too.

So if you install a simple faucet water filter, it should be able to take care of this problem.

But have you thought what happens when you shower with this contaminated water?

When we shower, the pores in our skin open up and absorb the water inside. This is an easy route for the chemicals present in the water to get inside our body and cause health problems later.

Chemicals like chlorine, evaporate easily and then form other deadly compounds which we inhale while showering.

So it becomes essential to install a shower filter too to get complete protection from contaminated tap water.

If you have more than one bathroom, then it begins to get complicated. You then have to install a faucet water filter in your kitchen, and a shower filter in each bathroom.

An easier way out is to setup a whole house water filtration unit. This unit is installed at the point where your home connects to the water supply. The water is filtered there only at the point of entrance to your home, and then all the taps in your home - be it the kitchen or the bathroom - get clean and pure water.

The hassles of separate installation and maintenance are avoided this way.

The only catch is - you have to use a good water purifier like those that use a combination of new technologies like Sub Micron filtration, Carbon filtration and Ion Exchange mechanism, otherwise all your efforts will come to naught. These filters can take care of all the contaminants of the water and can give you pure water that is safe for consumption.

So there you have it. Whole house water filtration systems are an easy way to get pure water in your home easily. Just do some research and choose the right one.

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Recent scientific reports have revealed that hormones are present in our water supplies, really I hear you ask? Think about it, chemicals and drugs are disposed all to easily and when you think that most water is recycled at some point is there any wonder that traces of hormones will be found?

If you and your family are concerned about the unwanted chemicals, minerals and bacteria in your family’s drinking and cooking water or if you are interested in just better tasting water, whole house water filtration systems are an excellent idea.

Since water is an essential part of good health, you must be sure that your drinking water source provides the healthiest water possible.

Filtration systems, purifiers and whole house UV systems can really increase the quality of not only the water you drink but the water used throughout the whole of your house.

There are several different types of whole house water filtration systems, some types use a single water filter, and some can be used in whole house auto flush water filtration systems as well.

Whole house water filtration systems are beneficial in the following ways:

This system provides almost 99 % pure drinking water for a lifetime depending on system design. It removes the bacteria, chemicals and salts that a comparable reverse osmosis system would allow to pass through and its purity is reliable.

These systems do not waste any water during the process of water purification. These can be easily moved from one place to the next, unlike reverse osmosis filter which is permanently attached to the waterline and drain under the sink.

This system helps in the removal of chlorine, chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, dirt, sediment, parasites, bacteria and much more, and softens the water thereby eliminating odor from it. Thus safe drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning and bathing water is obtained from every tap in the house.

No matter what your whole house filtration needs are there are a number of companies which provide entire systems. It is recommended that if you are going to choose a whole house water filtration system that you should consider your sanitation needs as well. This is the only beneficial water treatment system that is complete in its package as it provides water of your choice from every tap of the house.

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Whole house water filtration systems can be a waste of money if you install the wrong system, or a real health boost to you and your family if you get it right.

If you’ve ever had to limit the amount of water you use in a day you’ll know how much we take water for granted and how much we need. It’s water we reach for when we’re cooking, drinking, washing, cooling down, bathing and cleaning up.

Good quality water is something we need through the day and not just when we reach for a cool drink or brush our teeth. So whole house water filtration systems make a lot of sense if your local water authorities are doing a poor job of getting clean water to your home.

And many municipal and rural water officials are delivering unhealthy water to their communities. It’s not all their fault, but tiny traces of pharmaceutical drugs, chemicals and other harmful contaminants are regularly found in tap water.

For example, official testing in Philadelphia has found 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in drinking water there, including drugs for mental illness, high cholesterol, pain, heart problems, asthma and even epilepsy. This is treated water that has been through the city’s water purification plant. It’s the water that has passed federal government regulations and is legally permitted to go to your tap. (Even worse, out in the water catchment areas of that city an alarming 63 of these pharmaceuticals and byproducts have been found.)

Officials defend their water quality by saying minute amounts of these things are not harmful. Well, is that correct? Male fish living in water with parts per trillion of pharmaceuticals become feminine — remarkable as it sounds, they begin creating egg yolk proteins, something only females do naturally. Why would this not be happening to people drinking contaminated water in the so-called safety of their own homes?

It is remarkable that complex, modern water purification equipment is not able to stop these dangerous contaminants. But this is a fact. And if you live in a community where chlorine is regularly added to the water after it has been treated you will know this is correct. Because chlorine is a last-ditch attempt to kill whatever got through the municipal filters.

Equally alarming is the fact that of the dozens and dozens of common pharmaceuticals found in treated water, officials will almost never test for more than five or six because this is all that federal government requires them to look for.

So, it is likely that your household is being drenched in contaminated water. Whole house water filtration systems suddenly become good investments.

Actually, decent whole house water filtration systems can be a rather small investment because you don’t need to go high-tech, rather you just need to install equipment that will do two things: first catch the drugs and chemicals, and second keep the natural essential minerals like calcium that are removed by some systems like reverse osmosis. You can do all this for a modest price with a small collection of different filters, each doing a different job.

Let me recommend you look around on the Internet and find the whole house water filtration systems that will remove chemicals and retain healthy minerals as I’ve just described. But whatever you do, seriously consider investing in a set of filters that, together will give you one of the whole house water filtration systems that can truly protect your and your family from the harmful contaminants your water authorities turn a blind eye to.

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With all of the systems available today to purify your drinking water, have you ever considered the advantages of whole house water filtration systems? These units make it possible to block contaminants from every possible access point in your house while using a single filter.

Point of use countertop filters are wonderful tools for keeping your drinking water free of contaminants because they typically remove a higher percentage of impurities than most whole house systems do, but with their use comes the disadvantage of also having to buy showerhead filters for your home.

Purchasing these multiple units can easily add up to or exceed the price of whole house water filtration systems. Plus there is the disadvantage of still coming into contact with chemical contaminants through brushing your teeth, or through the ice from your icemaker.

Then there is the chloroform gas that is the natural form of THMs in your water. These are natural byproducts produced by the chlorine disinfection process. Chloroform is released into the air of your home by the steam that is produced by your washing machine and dishwasher.

Good whole house water filtration systems will reduce THMs, and a whole lot more. The systems are capable of reducing chlorine, lead, synthetic chemicals VOCs, MTBE, Turbidity, and removes odors from your water. They will do this in most cases as well as any of the point of use models by blocking contaminants up to 99.99%.

The best way that these systems can manage to be so efficient in blocking out these contaminants is through the use of a four stage filtering process. The pre-filter removes contaminants down to five microns, then a zinc and copper mineral media removes chlorine, the taste and odor are improved through a bituminous activated charcoal media, and finally a high grade coconut shell based activated carbon media removes the rest.

These whole house water filtration systems have a high water capacity of about eight gallons per minute, so you will never have a drop off in pressure, they are virtually maintenance free, and they require no back flushing. Also, as I pointed out earlier there are fewer filters to worry about changing with these models.

The main filter has a 300,000 gallon capacity, and only needs to be replaced on average once every three years. The pre-filters should be replaced every three to six months. This is certainly a lot easier to remember than if you had various filters spread out all over the house.

So you can see how many advantages whole house water filtration systems offer over the popular point of use systems can’t you? Now that you know a little bit more about these systems you can make a decision for yourself as to which kind of set-up you want to have in your home.

No matter whether you choose to go with whole house water filtration systems or if you want to purchase point of use models, the important thing is that your family is protected from the impurities found in our water supply. But for the best bang for your buck, and your health, follow my advice and go with a whole house water filtration system.

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