Water Filtration

It is a known fact that our water supplies are contaminated with chlorine, bacteria, fluoride, parasites and many other pollutants. A counter top filter can help to ensure that when we are drinking and cooking, we are safe from harmful contaminants. Typically, counter top filtration systems come in two forms. One with a cartridge that periodically gets changed and the other where no interference is needed.

The changeable cartridge systems usually have a period of use from 6 months to a year. They are easy to install and usually very effective.

The filters that don’t require any cartridge changing usually have a period of use from 1 year to 3 years. However after that time a whole new filtration system will need to be installed.

There is a wide range of counter top filters that use different filtration technologies. One of the best types of filtration technologies is the KDF Filters. They remove 99.9% chlorine, heavy metals (lead, aluminum, iron, mercury, chromium, cadmium, barium), pesticides, THM’s, MTBE, inorganic arsenic and bacteria.

Shop and compare online to find the right counter top water filter that will suit your needs. Different filtration technologies will remove different pollutants. The best thing to do is to have your h2o tested so that you know what you are dealing with. A countertop filter is easy to install and can be highly effective. After the filtration process, you will be left with a clean and safe drinking water supply.

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Why countertop water filters?

All of your life, you’ve probably been told how important it is to drink at least six glasses of fresh water per day. There’s nothing like cool, fresh water to kill thirst, help flush out toxins in your body and help give you energy. However, you probably don’t trust (or like the taste) of your tap water. So, you get bottled water. But the cost of bottled water is getting out of hand. On top of that, environmentalists say that water bottles are not biodegradable. Now what do you do?

One of the most economical and safe ways to get clean water is with a countertop water filter system. You have a large up front cost - but hardly any long-term maintenance costs. Compare this to having to shell out more an more per week for bottled water. In the long run, a count ertop water filter can help save you money and help save the environment.

Storage Space

You ever think about how much energy you have to spend for buying bottled water? You have to drive to the store, carry the bottles or jugs to your car, drive them to your home and unload them to wherever you store them. By then, you can certainly use a refreshing drink. Or, you could avoid all of hassle that with a countertop water filter system.

Countertop water filters have also become smaller over the years and more portable. This not only has made them more economical, but easier to store. Decades ago, if you wanted a countertop water filter system, you were basically out of luck. The only water filter systems were under the counter and seemed to be as large as a baby elephant.

And they last a long time, too. It used to be that many water filters were carbon-based. Carbon can get quite messy and doesn’t filter out bacterial contaminants very well. Now, with some countertop water filters, you can have a small filter that doesn’t need changing for six months or 500 gallons.

Don’t Need Special Training

Unlike almost anything else having to do with plumbing, you can install a good quality countertop water filter system in a few minutes by yourself. The best brands will come with a video detailing the installation instructions. Special tools aren’t necessary, either. So, you don’t have to take the day off of work and sit around twiddling your thumbs waiting for the plumber to show up.

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You can seemingly get almost anything else in the known universe off of eBay, so why not maintenance free countertop water filters? Well, there are a lot of reasons why not. This is not to say that eBay or any other online auction website is a bad thing. Far from it. Online auction sites have helped to transform mail order and home based businesses. However, they’re just not up to par with getting a clean & pure countertop water filter.

The Time Factor

Although online auction sites have come a long way in eliminating scammers and cheapskates, you still are taking a chance getting anything from eBay. This isn’t a big deal if you are looking to eBay to get something like a collectable or home improvement tool. But a maintenance free countertop water filter does have a perishable part to it - the removable cartridges that help transform a little canister into a clean & pure countertop water filter.

On average, a maintenance free countertop water filter does live up to its name. You don’t need special tools to take care of it and don’t need to hire anyone to install it. But you do need to change the water filter cartridges every six months in order to get the healthiest and best tasting water possible. This translates to about 500 gallons.

If you buy an older clean & pure countertop water filter off of eBay or from a flea market, you might not be able to find any filter cartridges to replace the ones you have. That means after 500 gallons of water, your new maintenance free countertop water filter will be maintenance free only in the sense that it will have to go in the trash.

No Customer Service

You also don’t get any kind of customer service or answers to any questions you might have about your clean & pure countertop water filter when you buy it off of an online auction website or a flea market. You might even wind up buying a supposedly maintenance free countertop water filter only to discover that the manufacturer isn’t in business anymore.

The best clean & pure countertop water filter manufacturers even remind you about when you have to change your filters by sending them to you every six months. This is an extra service that not all maintenance free countertop water filters can provide. This service lasts for the life of your filter.

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The countertop water filter is a marvel of technology because the system is so simple yet effective in doing what it is supposed to do. The countertop water filter system is both efficient and practical. All they do is filter water but in doing that they protect us from a lot of harmful things which would normally cause a number of diseases.

The countertop water filter is hooked up to your water supply and filters the water that comes through it. The countertop water filter system protects you from diseases like headaches, diarrhea, asthma and cancer. Yes, bad water can cause even cancer. And the worst part is that we are the cause of the cancer causing chemicals. We put them in the water.

Chlorine is a chemical that the water company adds to our water, and if left in, it is one that can cause cancer. Fellows at the research department of the University of Wisconsin found that chlorine in our water has a link to a certain kind of cancer. A good countertop water filter can protect us from the harmful effects of chlorine.

If you have frequent headaches, gastrointestinal problems, acid reflux, frequent diarrhea or allergies, the cause could be chlorine. By using a chemical and chlorine blocking countertop water filter system, you may save a lot of money on over the counter and prescription medications.

The best countertop water filter also blocks other chemicals, like pesticides, herbicides and thousands of other synthetic chemicals that have been found in the public water supplies. One should not have to spell out that these are bad for your body. They were never meant for human consumption. At the very least you may be open to unnecessary health risks. Why would you want to take a chance?

Countertop water filters generally last a good six months. The cost of use for a good countertop water filter system is about 10 cents a day. That is about 20 times less than a cup of coffee. Would you not spend 10 cents to gain peace of mind for a day? It will not only help you but also the ones you love.

A quick word about minerals, our body needs them, so countertop water filters leave them in. With carbon filtration and other technologically advanced stages, a countertop water filter can leave the good minerals in while taking all the bacteria and the impurities out.

A countertop water filter is needed in every house today. The risks of not having it are high, and the price of a countertop water filter system is relatively low. There are good systems and better systems. Some say that any system is better than no system at all. Just be sure to do a little comparative shopping before you buy. There’s no reason not to get what you pay for.

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Water is a very important ingredient to your overall health. So, you should never rush into a choice of countertop water filters. Your health (and your bank account) is too important. You need to do comparison shopping to find the best countertop water filter, but what things do you need to compare? I’ll tell you right now, price is actually one of the last things you should consider.

How Easy Is It To Work?

Have you ever received a great new time saving, life improving tool - only to have it sit on your basement and gather dust? This was because this wonderous gadget took a Master’s Degree in Quantum Physics to understand. Who has time for all of that hassle?

Don’t let this happen to your countertop water filters. There’s no point in getting one if it’s just going to sit in the box. The best countertop water filters can be easily installed, uninstalled and maintained. They shouldn’t need any special tools or the every expensive labor of a plumber. You should also be able to easily understand how to take the filter cartridges in and out of the filter canister.

You should be able to get a hold of the instructions either online from the manufacturer or from the store you want to buy your prospective countertop water filters from. If you are doing your comparison shopping online, try to get a hold of the customer service email or phone number and see how long it takes for them to get back to you.

Any Recommendations?

You might already have the name of the best countertop water filter that was right for your friend, relative or business associate. Ask them about how they like their filters and if it’s easy or hard to maintain or any other questions you might have.

Although countertop water filters are getting more and more popular, chances are that you might not know of anyone who has one. Then, what do you do to find what other customers think of particular brands or kinds of water filters?

You could try “Consumer Reports”, which did an extensive comparison of the best countertop water filters a few years ago. They have a free website now that holds most of their archives.

You could also try customer ratings websites like MeasuredUp, Buzzillions or ConsumerSearch.com (which puts together a lot of reviews from all over the web). You can also check out the customer reviews on Amazon.com. You will certainly read a lot of unbiased opinions about the best countertop water filters - and the worst!

Now, The Price

After comparing all of those and getting a short list of countertop water filters, then you take a hard look at the money involved. With few exceptions, regardless of the initial cost, over time it will prove to be less expensive than buying bottled water.

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The Clean & Pure countertop water filter is one brand that is highly advertised. It is supposed to be a maintenance free countertop water filter. But, you can’t believe everything you read. Here’s what we’ve learned.

The Clean & Pure countertop water filter is available via the Home Shopping Network for $34.95. It promises to be a maintenance free countertop water filter, because it has a “built-in carbon granule filter that never needs adjusting or cartridges”.

The Clean & Pure countertop water filter also promises that installation is “astonishingly simple.” Or not… Read the customer reviews, they seem to tell a different story.

Apparently quality control is an issue for the Clean & Pure countertop water filter. The majority of the complaints concerning this “maintenance free countertop water filter” have to do with leakage, installation problems and missing parts. The adaptors that the company provides appear to be “adaptor challenged,” in that they fit sometimes and sometimes, not so much.

It also seems that sometimes the adaptor fits the faucet, but then will not attach to the unit itself. Hm…? Homeowners have complained that they could not find an appropriate adaptor, even at the local hardware store, and that the parent company (Paragon) could not provide replacement parts or working adaptors, either. That can’t be good!

Many hardware stores are aware of the problems with these units. One employee told a customer who had purchased the Clean & Pure countertop water filter that he had “seen units like this before, all with the same problem.” Considering the thousands of people who order products from HSN, he was likely telling the truth.

The biggest problem with the system though is something completely different. The Clean & Pure countertop water filter promises to provide “15,000 gallons of clean-tasting, odor free water”. Some ads say that the unit provides “pure water, the way it was meant to be”.

The truth is that this supposedly maintenance free countertop water filter does nothing to “purify” water. It is certified by the National Sanitary Foundation (whatever that is) to reduce chlorine taste and odor. And Paragon itself says that it only filters out chlorine and odor. This filtration system does nothing to purify the water.

There are thousands of chemicals in tap water. Many of them are known carcinogens. Chlorine is just one of them.

There are wonderful in home water filtration systems on the market. The best ones remove chlorine and nearly all of the other possible contaminants, including lead, parasites, gases, hormones, drugs and other pollutants.

They best unit may not be a maintenance free countertop water filter, because in order to effectively block all of these contaminants, the filtering cartridges have to be replaced occasionally. The Clean & Pure countertop water filter advertises that you will never have to replace the cartridges and that’s the truth. What they forgot to mention was, you will have to replace the entire unit, though.

Some customers have said that the unit only worked long enough to make it past the 30 day return period. If you had to replace the Clean & Pure countertop water filter every thirty days, you could easily afford a better product that only requires cartridge replacement every six months.

At a cost similar to the cost of really good replacement filters and cartridges, you get a unit that may not fit your faucets. If it does fit, it may leak everywhere. And, it only filters chlorine taste and odor, leaving all those other contaminants in there for you to enjoy! One final complaint filed by one customer was that she ended up with a black substance in the bottom of her glass, probably from a defective charcoal filter.

The real maintenance free countertop water filter is one that is well made, attaches to any faucet and provides contaminant free, healthy water for a reasonable period of time. The Clean & Pure countertop water filter does not fall into that category.

Now that you know this, which do you prefer? A not so maintenance free, maintenance free water filter, or a countertop water filter system that will actually remove the contaminants in your water and provide your family with quality, healthy water?

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After doing a little research, I’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that countertop water filters are an easy and relatively inexpensive way to maintain the integrity of your drinking water. The best countertop water filter will remove any contaminants that could be in your tap water. They are not particularly large and come in an enormous variety of styles.

Many people wonder if they really need countertop water filters or any in-home water purifier. Some people think that companies that make countertop water filters are overstating the need for them, trying to create fear in the public’s mind.

There certainly is plenty of fear in today’s society. Just watch the local evening news on any given day for a litany of dangers and threats to your family’s well being. It can be overwhelming, and separating the credible risks from the more incredible might drive you mad.

Let’s face it. The culture of fear aside, there ARE some aspects of modern life that can adversely affect us. It is a fact that the water that is entering our homes is quite often laced with any number of contaminants. If you choose the best countertop water filter, you’ll have less to worry about.

Testing water for chemical contamination is simple and 100% accurate in most cases. Some of the things that have been found in tap water include lead, MTBE, cryptosporidum cysts, THMs, VOCs, TCE, lindane, alachlor, atrazine, benzene, prescription drugs and hormones. Only the best countertop water filter can block all of these things. If you look up the individual contaminants listed here, you will see that all of them are toxic and potentially deadly.

Some might opt for purchasing bottled water. Countertop water filters are a less expensive and safer choice. You can bottle your own water at home for a fraction of the cost. The FDA has this to say. “Companies that market bottled water as being safer than tap water are defrauding the American public.”

You see, as the water sits in the plastic bottle, chemicals used to create the bottle seep into the water itself. The best countertop water filter manufacturers certify that your water will be clean and chemical free.

The chemicals and other contaminants that are in your water may vary, depending on where you live. Learning what’s in your water can help you choose the best countertop water filter. The safest choice is always choosing the countertop water filters that block most anything.

A lot of the inexpensive countertop water filters only remove chlorine and odor. Incredibly, reverse osmosis filters, which are the most expensive, do nothing to remove chlorine or any other chemicals. Obviously the best countertop water filter is not a reverse osmosis unit.

Everything in the environment eventually ends up in the water supply. Treatment facilities can do very little about chemical contamination. It’s a relatively “new” problem. High quality countertop water filters use the latest technology, so they CAN do something about chemicals.

The long-term effects of chemical contaminants in drinking water are still not completely understood. Help yourself make the right choice for your family by taking the time to search out the best countertop water filter system for your home.

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When you go shopping for the best countertop water filter, it is easy to get confused and even easier to be mislead by advertising hype. There are a large number of countertop water filters on the market, mainly because they have become a necessity for most homes.

Studies show that America’s tap water is contaminated with heavy metals, synthetic and organic compounds, as well as biological parasites. E.P.A. reports show our water supply is contaminated with over 2300 known cancer-causing chemicals. The best countertop water filter will protect you from all of them, but not all countertop water filters are the same.

Studies show that bottled water isn’t, for the most part any purer than tap water it just costs more. In fact some bottled water comes from various municipal water systems - so read the label before you buy. The best countertop water filter that we have found also sells glass and plastic bottles, so that you can “bottle your own”. You’ll save money and the water will likely be safer.

In our highly industrialized society, we use 80,000 different toxic chemicals every day. 1000 new ones are developed each year. Despite popular beliefs, municipal water treatment facilities were not designed to filter out synthetic organic chemicals. Even toxic heavy metals like lead is found in tap water, in many cities around the country. Some countertop water filters do not remove lead. Again, it is necessary to read the label.

In-home water purification is the most effective way to provide cleaner drinking water for your family. You can choose from countertop water filters, under the counter systems, whole house systems and additional choices, such as shower filters that are becoming increasingly popular.

For a moment, let’s just focus on countertop water filters. Performance claims can easily be verified by reviewing the Performance Data Sheet. In some states, countertop water filters and other purification systems are required to supply performance data along with the product brochures.

The performance data sheet will list all of the contaminants that the countertop water filters have been certified to remove. The best countertop water filter that we have found removes practically anything contaminant that could be in municipally supplied tap water. By reviewing the performance data sheets, you can easily compare systems and choose the best countertop water filter for your family.

In addition you should look closely at the replacement cartridge cost as well as the number of gallons a cartridge will filter before replacement is needed. A filter, which is fairly low in cost, but only filters a few hundred gallons, is not necessarily a bargain when compared to a higher priced cartridge that lasts longer.

The best countertop water filter for home use would be one that offers selective filtration - which means it removes contaminants while leaving the naturally occurring minerals, that your body needs.

You’ll want to consider the quantity of water you need to filter, too. A large family will and should consume a lot of drinking water. Therefore, a higher capacity filter may be a better choice. Normally these are under the countertop water filters or whole house systems.

Then, of course, there’s the initial cost of the unit. The more costly units don’t necessarily work any better than those in the mid range. Compare the performance data sheets and then look at the replacement cartridge cost and volume of water the system will process.

Water is essential to healthy living. Clean water should not be a luxury, it’s a necessity. Shop around. The best countertop water filters for your family do not have to come with a luxury price tag.

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If you’re like most people these days you’re probably considering whether purchasing a countertop water filter system is the best option when deciding which home water purifier to get.

I once had the same question and you may be pleasantly surprised just as I was, at how effective and affordable a countertop water filter can be.

In fact, the benefits of purchasing one of these units, if you get the right one, don’t end at price and effectiveness by a long shot.

Here are just a few benefits to owning one of these units.

1. A good countertop water filter is an easy install- There’s generally very little involved in the installation of a good system.

2. They are easy to uninstall and reinstall if moving to a new location- This fact actually has a double upside especially if you live in an apartment or are planning on moving or even traveling. Often an apartment dweller has little or no options in adding a water filter to the plumbing of the building and very few apartments have them included or even allow a tenant to add one. This is where a simple to install countertop water filter system comes to the rescue.

3. A countertop water filter is fairly compact- In fact, they can be much smaller than a lot of the other appliances that can clutter a counter or vanity.

4. They can be surprisingly well constructed - the better countertop water filter systems are both attractive and well constructed.

5. They cost relatively little- of course this is a big benefit to a countertop water filter system. These can be surprisingly light on the pocket, a big plus for many of us that are cash strapped in the current economic climate.

6. Cheaper than bottled water- a good water purifier system costs a mere fraction of what bottled water costs. In fact, research found that one top rated filter cost 111 times less than bottled water when compared per gallon ( the average cost of the bottled water added up to $10 per gallon where as the tested filter purified water at the cost of a mere 9 cents per gallon ).

7. A countertop water filter can be extraordinarily effective - Despite their relatively small cost and size, the better systems are very capable. In fact, tested and certified systems can rival many larger and more expensive systems.

Make no mistake about it, short of a whole house water filter a countertop water filter is a champion in protecting your health and the health of your family.

Now that you are armed with this information you can get busy finding a top notch system so that you can start drinking to your good health.

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Countertop water filters used to be one of those things that no one had much use of. Sure, they cleaned the water that people used for food and for cooking, but the early ones took up so much space on the counter that there wasn’t much room for cooking and cleaning. Since then a lot of things have changed. In most places, the public water system is now full of who-knows-what, so drinking tap water is not a very good idea regardless of how much water your body needs. There is of course bottled water, but that isn’t the most cost effective method of getting healthy as bottled water is going up in price every day. This is where the revolutionary new countertop water filters come into play. They are chic and stylish as far as kitchen appliances are concerned. They now fit into a small section of the counter, and they can give you as much fresh, clean water as you desire. Best of all, all of this convenience can be yours with a one-time purchase unlike routinely purchasing cases of bottled water.

Countertop water filters are also easy to install and even easier to use.  In just a few minutes, you can go from disgusting water in your sink to a clean, fresh glass of water any time you want it. It takes a lot of time and money to stay stocked up on clean water if you aren’t interested in a filter in addition to the fact that a case of water will only last so long before you find yourself lugging another one home.

With a countertop water filter the only recurring cost is the need for a replacement filter every so often, depending on the amount of water you use, but the cost is still less than buying bottled water. So, if you want to be healthier, drinking more water is a good place to start, and the most economical and sensible way to go about that is to invest in an easy-to-use countertop water filter.

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