Water Filtration

Maytag water filters, like so many others, are somewhat behind the times. Hopefully, they’ll catch up eventually. In the meantime, let’s look at what they currently offer and how we can get better protection. If it’s time to replace your filter, it may be time to take a different approach.

Maytag offers Puri-Clean I and II. System I is advertised as removing chlorine, lead, cysts and sediment. First of all, no system completely “removes” these things. They may “reduce” them by 99% or better, but the brochures that accompany the Puri-clean systems do not indicate the percent of reduction.

System II reduces chlorine, lead, asbestos, cysts, lindane, Atrazine and sediment. That’s a little better, but the filter is not compatible with older refrigerator models. So, you either buy a new refrigerator or you stop using your dispenser and buy a filtration unit for your kitchen faucet, instead.

Even if you bought their latest model, there are some chemicals that Maytag water filters do not remove. One group is present whenever chlorine is used for disinfection. They are called trihalomethanes or THMs.

There have been numerous scientific studies concerning the risk of THM exposure, because they are known carcinogens. At one time, it was believed that the amount that was present in publicly treated supplies was “safe”. Even though, many scientists warned that there was no way to actually determine a safe level of consumption for any chemical, since they combine with other chemicals, which increases their toxicity.

But, regulating agencies needed some sort of guideline, so maximum contamination levels (MCLs) were established. Using those MCLs, researchers evaluated the cancer-risk from consumption, inhalation during a shower and dermal absorption. They also tested individuals in their homes, after drinking and showering in unfiltered water. It was found that the blood levels were higher after a 15 minute shower than they were after drinking a liter.

Since there are no Maytag water filters that reduce THMs, they cannot help reduce your cancer risk. The latest research indicates that the amounts we are normally exposed to increase our lifetime risk of bladder cancer by two-fold. To reduce the risk, you need a faucet filter with special resins that traps the chemicals. To further reduce your risk, you can install one in the shower, as well.

You might be wondering if all refrigerator systems are like the Maytag water filters. From the research that I have done, it looks like many of them are, with a few exceptions like Crystal Quest and Living waters, for instance. The studies concerning THMs continue to come in. The most commonly quoted report was only published in 2008. That means that it will probably be several years before Maytag water filters catch up. Until then, buy a high quality and effective refrigerator water filter. That’s the best choice you can make.

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Tap water can contain quite a few impurities. Chlorine, pesticides, copper, and even lead have been known to be in tap water. Over time, we have to be concerned about what ingesting these substances can do to our health. There is also the chance that harmful bacteria can make its way into your water. Though not normally dangerous, this can lead to an upset stomach.

If you are in the market for a new refrigerator, then you should look at models that have a built in water filter. A refrigerator water filter will work to remove these impurities while providing you with fresh, clean, odor free water day after day, year after year.

How Do Water Filters Work

Water filters have come a long way. These days a filter will have two distinct methods of cleaning the water. They use a physical and a chemical filter. Your physical filter will typically be made out of carbon in the form of a fine mesh. This will work to trap particles that are in the water, filtering them from entering your cup.

People sometimes express concern over the chemical portion of the filter. Why use chemicals when we are trying to get rid of them? Well, the chemicals in the filter are chosen to specifically remove a certain contaminant from your water. They are not harmful.

How Long Do These Filters Last

While the quality tends to be brand dependent, you can expect the filters to have a life of 3 to 9 months. Again, this depends on the make, model, and your family’s usage. Most refrigerators will have a status light that will turn to red when it is time to change out the filter. You can also tell when it is time to change when the water flow has decreased significantly. About this time you may notice a more discernible smell coming from your water and the taste will change.

You want to choose a quality filter as these will allow the important minerals in our water to remain. Fluoride and calcium are beneficial to us. A good refrigerator water filter will ensure they remain.

Before you buy another Frigidaire™ refrigerator water filter, you should know the truth about them. Because the fact is, they probably are not protecting you and your family’s health and well-being as much as you think that are.

Frigidaire refrigerator water filter systems come virtually standard with every new fridge on the market today. Because most people are somewhat aware of the seriousness of drinking water contamination, and since they own a filter that’s built in to their refrigerator, they’re probably going to use it right?

Now let me ask you something…

Since manufacturers of Frigidaire™ refrigerator water filter cartridges KNOW that people with their built-in systems are going to use them and need more filters, do you think that they’re motivated to design top-of-the-line replacement filters that remove all the known contaminants in drinking water?

Of course not!

Now when you go to buy a new Frigidaire™ refrigerator water filter, you’ll see a list of all the contaminants that these filters remove. When reading it, it’ll SEEM like it’s a quality filter. And even though using ANY water filter is better than using no filter at all, it’s important to know if it’s going to effectively protect your health.

What sticks out at me about Frigidaire™ refrigerator water filter cartridges is the fact that they do not remove all volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) and chlorinated byproducts (THMs). VOCs is the term used to describe the THOUSANDS of synthetic chemicals found in public tap water supplies, and THMs are created when chlorine reacts with these synthetic chemicals to form new chemical compounds. Both of these types of contaminants are cancerous, and both are most likely still in your drinking water when using these kind of filters.

Is the health and well-being of your family worth $45.00? If so, then I recommend getting one of the inline refrigerator water filters on the market today.

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We’ve all heard the expression “cleanliness is close to godliness”, and I for one, prefer to practice cleanliness the most when it comes to drinking water.

There are certain things that we don’t know about our drinking water also known as tap water. For the most part, it is more often than not healthy for anyone to consume your tap water. At least, it’s thought safe to consume by the SWDA (Safe Water Drinking Act) and EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) standards anyway.

Yet, there are three essential factors out there that impact the cleanliness of our drinking water. These three elements include the water provision infrastructure, industrial chemical waste, and the increasing population that needs more water each day.

The things you have to know about these is that the circulating water supply base is very old and believed by many to be out dated. It was purchased, installed and paid in full by our great grand parents (1920-1950).

After that, we have to worry about millions of chemical waste finding its way into our drinking water each day. Lastly, our population is growing. This means there is more water being used. Both of these two things are out growing our current power to treat and cleanse the water.

So what do we do? The simplest and safest way is to make sure you and your family are getting good clean drinking water. The best way to do this is to purchase a refrigerator water filter.

When it comes to acquiring the best drinking and cooking water for your house you must make sure you have a filter installed at the point of use. This means you need to have a good quality facet or refrigerator water filter in your home.

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Water is the single most important element for human existence, yet many people do not know much about water. Water comprises 60% of a human’s body weight, counts for 80% of our blood, and comprises over 65% of our brain and muscles. Knowing this, one can see why choosing the best water to drink is of the impost importance. The two main types of water commonly chosen for their healthy properties are bottled water and water that has been filtered via a refrigerator water filter. Knowing the difference between these to types of water will surely help anyone make an educated choice as to what type of water they want to drink.

One of the first differences between refrigerator water filter systems and bottled water is the cost. There is no doubt that refrigerator water filter systems are cheaper than buying bottled water. They are even cheaper than buying cheap store brand water in bulk. Bottled water has to be so expensive because of packaging, shipping and marketing. Refrigerator water filter systems do not have to deal with massive marketing campaigns or packaging, and so they can charge the consumer less.

More important than the cost of one’s water choice is the health factors involved. Many people believe that bottled water is the only healthy water, but this is not true. In fact, some studies have shown that bottled water is less healthy than a refrigerator water filter system. Bottled water suffers because there are often chemicals from the plastic in which the water is stored that become mixed in with the water. Sadly, some companies fill their bottled water with mere tap water. There are no federal regulations concerning the quality of bottled water, so many major companies go unchecked. Refrigerator water filter systems tell the user exactly what has been filtered out of the water, so the user knows the kinds of chemicals he or she is avoiding. The healthiest people are, more often than not, also the best informed. Knowing exactly what is in your water will help you to live healthier.

It is essential to be conscious of the environment in which we live. Bottled water can be recycled, but how much of the plastic is re-used? Additionally, many avid water bottle drinkers do not recycle. The plastics used in water bottles may never fully decompose because of the nature of their chemical bonds. Refrigerator water filter systems are non-obtrusive to the environment. There is no plastic to throw out, and no harmful fumes.

Bottled water versus refrigerator water filters is a heated debate. For consumers who are health conscious, cost savvy, and environmentally sound, the choice is obvious. Refrigerator water filter systems are cheaper, healthier, and better for the environment. Some may think that bottled water is a great new trend, but personal health is more important than any trend. For the best personal health, it is advisable to choose a refrigerator water filter system.

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In this day and age it seems that most of the new refrigerators in the stores now come complete with refrigerator water filter units already installed and ready to go. These filtering systems that are in the new refrigerators are a great boom to the health of your family, as they provide clean and clear drinking right from the front of the appliance.

Most of these refrigerator water filter systems do the job of removing possibly harmful substances in the liquid and provide an additional level of protection for your family. For many families, it is important to have good, clean fluid that is easily accessible so that it can be used for drinking and cooking, rather than tap liquid.

Many times, if the liquid filtering solution that is in your home is not easy and convenient to use, it will simply not be used.

This is one of the primary benefits for having a refrigerator water filter system in your home; they are easy and very convenient for all members of the family to use. This is not the case with some of the other common types of filters found in many homes.

For instance, if you have one of the fluid pitchers that has a filter in it, such as the popular Brita water filter, the pitcher must be refilled constantly. Often this is a task that is readily dismissed or forgotten by the members of the family, especially the children.

The Brita-type water pitchers also must be filled and allowed time for the liquid to pass through the filter. Some families have more that one such filter to address these problems, but even that does not help if people forget to keep the pitchers filled.

However, with a refrigerator water filter in your home, you can be assured that your children will always be drinking purified and clean fluid. This is because the only thing they need to remember to do is to get their water from the dispenser in the door of the refrigerator instead of from the tap.

With more and more concerns about the dangerous elements found in drinking water, this provides a lot of peace of mind to parents worried about the health of their whole family.

A refrigerator filter system is able to provide good quality drinking water and ice by using simple built-in filters. These filters are normally small activated carbon or charcoal filters that are able to remove the majority of the solids and chemicals that are found in average tap water. This filtering is done and the water is purified before it is sent on to the in-door dispenser or to the ice-maker.

By having the refrigerator water filter built-in and part of the refrigerator itself, as opposed to having a filter on the supply line, it is generally more convenient. Most refrigerators with liquid filters have been designed for quick and easy access to the filters.

This is so that the filter can be changed regularly to be sure that the quality of the fluid is being maintained. Depending on how much your family drinks, the filter in your refrigerator will need to be changed regularly.

You should also check on the quality of the water that is flowing into your refrigerator water filter because this will also have an impact on the ultimate quality of the water that ends up coming out of the refrigerator door. You can have the quality of the source liquid tested, either by having a professional come to test it or with any number of do-it-yourself water test kits that are widely available.

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There are now many different refrigerator water filters on the market that could ensure the provision of safe cold drinking water for your family. Because of this, you shouldn’t have any difficulty in finding water filters or replacement cartridges that could fit the model of refrigerator that you have in your home.

As these water filters are guaranteed to enhance the odor and taste of the water coming out of your refrigerator’s water dispenser, you can be sure that they are able to get rid of water contaminants as well. In fact, water filters for refrigerators are proven to eliminate impurities such as heavy metals like lead and mercury from water by 99.31 and 96.7 percent, respectively.

As much as 99.09 percent of lindane, 95.9 of atrazine, 99.99 percent of cysts, 96.3 percent of benzene and 99.9 percent of class I particulates are also removed through these water filters. Of course, turbidity is also lessened by 99.3 percent and 97.6 percent of odors and tastes from chlorine are also eliminated. However, even with if your water goes through this rigorous filtration process, the natural minerals present in it like fluoride will not be removed, thus retaining the healthy elements you can get from it.

Which Refrigerator Water Filter To Choose

Most refrigerator water filters have universal fittings so they fit almost every type and style of refrigerator.

Replacing the Cartridge for Refrigerator Water Filters

Although most refrigerator water filters are recommended to be replaced after every six months of usage, there are also times when replacement depends on several other factors. One of these factors is the consumption of cold water in your household everyday. If your family consumes a lot of drinking water everyday, then it is expected that the wear and tear of your water filter would be more than if lesser water is consumed.

The quality of the water that you use in your refrigerator’s water dispenser is also a deciding factor when it comes to the date of your filter replacement. If you are using water that has not been treated before it is placed into the dispenser, then there is a greater chance for you to replace your filters in less than six months. This is because the performance of your water filter might be optimized at an earlier date because of the amount of filtration that it has to do on your water.

If you notice an unpleasant odor or taste on the water that comes from your refrigerator’s water dispenser, then the chances that you need to replace the filter immediately. So, you have to always be on the lookout for this to make sure that you are providing clean and safe cold water for your family at all times.

Remember that installing refrigerator water filters is not enough to ensure the provision of healthy and clean water for your entire household. There are also certain responsibilities that come with this, which you should not forget. The most important of these is looking into the performance of your filter and into the odors and tastes that your water is already emitting.

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For the health conscious the idea that drinking plenty of water is very important is well known. Our bodies are made up of 70% water, and we require a steady influx of pure, clean water to keep our systems functioning normally. Unfortunately, even with the availability of clean water to nearly every household, very few Americans actually drink water. One of the reasons is that people prefer a cold drink, and many actually complain about the taste of water (though most would say water is tasteless). If you are concerned about your health, then a refrigerator water filter may be just what you need.

Refrigerator Water Filter: Affordable Luxury

Most modern refrigerators now come with ice-makers and water dispensers. These features used to be the domain of only the highest priced units, but the cost of these refrigerators has come down considerably in the last few years, and now ice-maker ‘fridges are very competitive.

An ice-maker refrigerator is attached directly to the household water supply, generally via a copper pipe in the back of the unit. Many of these refrigerators already have a refrigerator water filter installed. This can usually be found inside the ‘fridge cabinet, and on some models in the bottom tray of the refrigerator.

For those that have an ice-making refrigerator that does not come with a built-in refrigerator water filter, it is still possible to have one installed. The refrigerator water filter would need to be installed into the water line that supplies the ‘fridge, either behind the unit itself, or in an adjacent cupboard. Remember that you will need to change the filters occasionally, so determining an easy-access location is important.

Refrigerator Water Filter: Charcoal for Health

Refrigerator water filters usually consist of an activated charcoal capsule. This system allows for a small space consideration, and is one of the best water filtration methods available, owing to the incredible absorptive qualities of activated charcoal. The refrigerator water filter is excellent at removing contaminants such as lead, mercury and copper from the water supply, as well as the commonly used chlorine.

Once these contaminants are removed from the water, and the water has been chilled to a nice, cool temperature, you will find the taste incredibly refreshing. This will encourage you and your family to drink a lot more water, and fresh, purified water at that! The overall benefit to you and your family’s health is the best reason to consider investing in a refrigerator water filter.

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The latest craze in the ongoing battle to keep our families safe from the deadly contaminants in our reservoirs is water filters for refrigerators.  What these offer you is the opportunity to enjoy pure water and ice from your refrigerators dispensing unit.  If this is the site where your family primarily gets your drinking water then it is a very good idea to have one.

The fact is though that the contaminants in our water supply affect us in far more ways than our simply absorbing them through ingestion.  These chemicals affect us through many portals of entry into our homes that we never really think of as being areas through which harm could come to us.  You will probably be surprised to learn at what is happening in your home.

Water filters for refrigerators are useful, but highly inadequate in protecting your family.  Did you know that your body takes in up to 6,000 times more deadly chlorine during an average shower than what you would get from drinking unfiltered water throughout an average day?  This happens both through inhalation primarily, but chlorine is also absorbed into your open pores.

Chlorine is a chemical which turns to vapor much more quickly than does the water that carries it, and therefore when you are breathing in what you thought was primarily water vapors into your lungs what you have actually been doing is sending massive doses of this carcinogen almost directly to your bloodstream.  You are also releasing chloroform gas into your home.

In addition to water filters for refrigerators you need to get showerhead filters in order to reduce the amount of chlorine that you and your family are exposed to.  You really should at least consider getting either a countertop, or under the counter water purifier for the kitchen sink also.  This faucet may not be the site from which you draw your drinking water, but I’ll bet that you do wash food in this water.

I mentioned earlier that during your shower you were releasing chloroform gas into the air, which is the true form of the THMs that are in our water supply due to chlorine disinfection.  This gas also enters your home every time that you run your washing machine, and your dishwasher.  It is for this reason that many people opt for a whole house water purification system.

Of course, if you ended up investing in a whole house purification system then you would not have a need to purchase water filters for refrigerators would you?  They are good for serving the limited purpose for which they are used, but as you can see they are not nearly enough to keep your family safe.  Take my advice and either go with countertop and showerhead filters, or invest in a whole house unit.

I’m not saying that water filters for refrigerators are not nice to have, because I have one myself.  All that I am saying is that if you truly want your family to remain healthy then you are going to need a lot more.

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The life of refrigerator water filters is dependent upon the volume of contaminants in the water as well as the amount of use of the filter. Well water is more likely to contain contaminants not found in publicly treated water and may need more frequent filter changes. As a rule of thumb, the filter should be changed as specified by the manufacturer or at least every six months.

Carbon is the primary substance used in water filtration methods because carbon has the potential to absorb many of the chemicals found in water. Most refrigerator water filters, which meet NSF/ANSI 42 certification standards, use granular activated carbon (GAC) to attract chemicals and impurities responsible for bad taste and odor, such as those that are a by-product of chlorine. These filters are not capable, however, to rid water of more dangerous, health-threatening contaminants. The method by which water is channeled through GAC filters does not allow sufficient time to complete the absorption of such substances. Various bacteria are formed, trapped and allowed to multiply, which further contaminates water processed by the filters. Carbon is not capable to absorb heavy metals, such as lead. GAC filters may trap some heavy metals and sediments, but allow others to filter through to the output water. Failure to change the water filter, every six months, allows unabsorbed water contaminants and newly formed bacteria to saturate the filter, forcing the filter to leak contaminants back into processed water. The water output may contain more contaminants than the filter was intended to remove in the first place.

Technology has lead to the development of more absorbent carbon-based filters, solid carbon block filters. These filters include solid blocks of carbon to absorb contaminants from water. Water takes longer to strain through carbon blocks than it does carbon granules, so that carbon blocks provide sufficient time for the absorption of more health-threatening containments. While carbon block filters are capable to absorb toxics, pesticides, TTHM’s and other contaminants, they cannot absorb heavy metals or contaminants that are by-products of agricultural fertilization, such as nitrates or sulfides. The composition of carbon blocks allows them to restrain heavy metals and bacteria away from output water, however, nitrates and sulfides are not filtered. Even so, carbon block filters are sufficient to meet NSF/ANSI 53 certification standards. Failure to change carbon block filters, every six months, allows contaminants to saturate the filter, forcing the filter to leak contaminants into the processed water. When sediments are not removed from water, those sediments buildup and corrode filter fittings and water fixtures, causing them to leak. This type of damage to filters and fixtures may cause the output water to contain more contaminants than the water input to the filter. Failure to change the filters might also reduce the water pressure, within the filtering system, forcing it to be ineffective.

Some refrigerator water filters may include fiber water filters. These filters are made of tightly wrapped fibers of rayon or spun cellulose, which trap rust, lead and other sediments found in water. When used alone, these filters are ineffective in reducing any chemical or health-threatening contaminants. Fiber filters are best suited for use with other types of filters to reduce the concentration of sediments. They should be replaced, every six months, to avoid a build-up of sediments that would force the filter to leak the contaminants back into the processed water.

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