In this article, I will discuss the pros and cons of the several types of water filters that you can find on the market.
First, we have the active carbon filters that fit onto the faucet. These are simple and relatively inexpensive filters that mostly reduce the chlorine in the water with several health benefits, but they remove almost none of the other contaminants that may exist.
Second, the bigger counter top or under the sink filters of more than one stage. These use active carbon technology together with other forms of filtration, the most common of which is some kind of membrane with tiny holes in it allowing only smaller substances to go through the filter. For a filter like this, it is good that those holes are smaller than a micron. These types of filters, depending on the brand, reduce drastically most harmful substances that may be found in tap water. A word of caution here. More expensive does not necessarily mean better, so look at comparison charts carefully when deciding which one to buy.
Third, we have the reverse osmosis systems, which according to several sources, seem to remove almost all the contaminants of the water. The major disadvantage of this type of filter, in my opinion, is that they also remove the minerals that are good for our health. They produce water that, in the long run, may be harmful to our health, because according to some studies it deprives our body of several minerals. Other disadvantages are that they are much more expensive than most simpler filters and that they waste a lot of water during their operation.
I hope that I helped you in your search for the best water filter for your needs.
An Ezine Article

February 19, 2009
When you pour a glass of water from your kitchen faucet and then drink it, do you really know what’s going into your body? Typically, the water that comes from your faucet is filled with such elements as iron, sulfur, manganese, dirt, chlorine and other contaminants. While the elements may not be so abundant that they overpower the taste of the water, they are there just the same. For that reason, many people are using water filters to help clean their water so that they no longer have such elements as iron in their water.
As one of the most important elements for human life, water is required in larger and larger quantities. However, water supplies are not as clean today as they were a couple of years ago and water treatment plants are coping hard to provide clean water in the required volumes.