Water Filtration

If you have decided to buy and install a water filtering system in your house and have been in a home improvement store or have browsed the internet, you must have noticed that there are several types of such systems. But what is the most appropriate one for you and your family?

In order to establish what water filtering system you should buy, you should know some facts about the most common water filtering systems on the market.

Pitcher filters have several advantages over other such systems because they are very easy to use. They actually are a huge receptacle in which you pour the water that then passes through a series of filters and then into the main canister. These have the advantage of speed, as pitcher water filters take only a few minutes to filter all the water, however, because they cannot filter large quantities at a time, pitcher filters are only recommended if you need filtered water occasionally.

If you require a more permanent water filtering system, the next choice would be a faucet mounted filter. Faucet-mounted filters screw directly onto your faucet’s spout and require no tools or plumbing skills, and are only slightly more expensive than pitcher water filters. As with all filtration devices, you will need to replace the filter once it has lived its life which depends on the materials the filter is made of and how much cold water you use.

If you live in an area where the cold water is not pure enough for human consumption, then you should buy a whole house water filtration system right away. They also work by passing the water through different layers of filtering materials that remove all the debris as well as kill all existing bacteria, and studies show that many medical problems can be avoided by simply consuming filtered water.

Fortunately, the vast majority of water filtering systems are very affordable these days and are no longer considered a luxury item, but rather a vital part of your family’s safety.

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The life of refrigerator water filters, and for virtually all water filters, is dependent upon 3 things: the volume of contaminants in the water, the amount of use of the filter and the quality of the filter. For instance, 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, of ridding water of more dangerous, health-threatening contaminants because 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 of absorbing 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 then actually 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 known as 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, which provides sufficient time for the absorption of more health-threatening containments. While carbon block filters are capable of absorbing toxics, pesticides, TTHM’s and other contaminants, they cannot absorb heavy metals or contaminants that are by-products of agricultural fertilization, like nitrates or sulfides. The composition of carbon block filters allows them to restrain heavy metals and bacteria away from output water, although 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 build up and corrode filter fittings and water fixtures, causing them to leak as well. This type of damage to filters and fixtures may also 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 also 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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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.

Many areas of the world suffer from pollution and as such, the waters in those areas are not suitable for human use. If you happen to live in an area where the water is known not to be that clean or if you just want to be sure that the water in your home is as clean as bottled water, you should buy a water filter.

Water filtration systems for home use are in great demand nowadays, as more and more people are aware that the water reaching their homes is not perfectly clean and they want the cleanest, purest water for their families.

No matter if you use one in your bathroom or in your kitchen, a water filter is invaluable for your family. Companies like Crystal Quest, Living Waters and Bota is among the most important water filter systems manufacturers in the world and their aim is to build and offer you the most advanced water filters you can buy.

Chemicals such as chlorine or sulfur are among the most dangerous substances found in waters all over the world and many filters are especially designed to eliminate them completely from the water.

Using special carbon filters and several harmless compounds, there are water filters that can clean your water so it is suitable for every day use (washing, cooking and so on). Most top quality water filters are made of several layers of different materials forcing the water to travel through all of them before reaching your faucet or shower. Each of those layers is especially designed to absorb and neutralize a certain type of impurities from the water (sand, particles and chemicals).

These filters are designed to last for a longer period before requiring replacing, so it will take up to one year before you need to change the filter’s cartridge. Replacement cartridges are very affordable and very easy to install, so replacing them is done in no time at all, so you can have clean, filtered water for your family throughout the year. So, if you are looking for a very efficient water filtration system that can provide you with clean, good-tasting and healthy water at an affordable cost, be sure to check out the extensive selection of water filters available, either locally or online. But, one word of caution, first find out how good or bad your water is so you get only what you need.

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Refrigerator water filters are an excellent option for individuals or families that are looking for a way to combine the health benefits of a water filter and the enjoyment of chilled water. This type of water filter is designed to be installed on the outside of a refrigerator. Although many refrigerators are designed with a built-in water filter, any refrigerator that has an ice-maker or water dispenser on the door can be outfitted with a water filter. In additions to refrigerators, this type of water filter can be used in conjunction with water fountains, ice machines, commercial coffee makers or water coolers.

Most refrigerator water filters run in the price range of sixty to one hundred dollars depending on the quality of filtration they offer, along with their life span. The majority of refrigerator water filters can be connected to the desired device via 1/4” plastic or copper tubes. The filters use a high-pressure connection to provide a steady flow of cool, filtered drinking water. A refrigerator water filter can remove impurities such as chlorine, rust, lime and dust from tap water. By removing these impurities, the filter greatly improves the safety of the water, along with making the taste and odor much more pleasant. Although the filter removes impurities, it does not get rid of minerals and fluoride that are actually beneficial to consume.

Different brands of refrigerator water filters employ a variety of methods and devices to turn tap water into water that is appropriate for consumption. However, all of the filters have certain elements and processes in common. Water is first forced through a filter to remove large impurities, such as silt or sand. Once the larger, un-dissolved particles are removed from the water, water normally flows through a blend of copper and zinc, which is vital in the removal of chlorine. The final stage of the filtration process involves carbon. Carbon is a very porous substance, which provides a large surface area for water contaminants to collect. Carbon has the ability to remove any impurities that have not been previously filtered. Carbon also removes the unpleasant taste and odor that plagues the majority of tap water.

As mentioned earlier, one of the major advantages of refrigerator water filters is the combination of a filtration system and the ability to dispense cold water. The downside to refrigerator water filters is that they do not offer any portability, and some require a licensed plumber for installation.

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There are many reasons one might consider a home water filter with the first being the ever-growing concern about the purity of our water supplies. Bottled water has been the choice for people world-wide for more than a decade, but it is an unregulated industry, and some may actually be no better than tap water. There are health, economic, and environmental concerns that one should also take into account before considering the use of bottled water.

Water filters provide clear, clean, and pure water. They are instrumental in the reduction or prevention of many diseases including cancer, learning disabilities in children and birth defects that can be linked to a contaminated water supply.

Filters remove sediment and dirt. They also remove bacteria, chlorine, cysts, and VOCs-volatile organic chemicals as well as lead. Most filters also retain valuable trace minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Unfortunately, municipal water companies cannot always control the outbreak of dangerous bacteria in our water supply making filters almost a necessity. Filters can promote good health including proper growth and development of unborn babies and children. In addition, if you purify your water supply, there will also be a greater reduction in contaminants that could escape into the air which can adversely affect health as well.

The economic benefits of filters include less cost. Water filters more than pay for themselves because the savings can be as much as $700 dollars a year which is the average amount spent on bottled water.

Water filters also benefit the environment. Environmentally friendly filters reduce the amount of plastic bottles that need to be produced to accommodate the bottled water demand. A significant reduction in the amount of plastic going into our land fills can be directly related to the use of water filters.

The benefits of water filters easily outweigh the use of bottled water. Filtered water means better health and less expenditure. Even individual use filters have all the health and economic benefits as well as the added convenience of portability. So, when it comes to a choice between bottled and filtered water, the decision seems more than clear.

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As you probably already know, safe drinking water is a very important issue that calls for your attention and commitment in order to live a healthy life. Fortunately there is a solution for this problem…whole house water filtration systems. Whole house water filtration systems aren’t the only answer, but more and more people are turning to them to ensure that the drinking water for their families is as clean and pure as possible.

You may have realized that a lot of home water filter systems are available in the market and also online. So, how do you know which one is best for you? Your first consideration should be the point from where you would like to filter the tap water. You also have to keep in mind what will be involved in the installation as well as how often maintenance will be required when choosing a water filter.

There are two basic kinds of whole house water filters: the Point-of-Entry water filters and the Point-of-Use filters. The Point-of-Entry begins to filter the water when it first enters your home, this way all the water in your home will be filtered. Still, it would be wise that the water be purified before you drink it. This kind of water filter is great because it removes sediments, chlorine and other toxins.

The Point-of-Use water filters provide clean water so you can drink it or use it for cooking. This filter gets rid of any water contaminant, chemicals and microbes. It uses some basic filtration technologies like distillation.

Determining how efficient the water filter systems are as well as the cost of operating can be done by first checking the water filtration technologies they use to filter and purify the water. Numerous impartial reviews can also be found both in print and online to help you with your decision. But, keep in mind that even though different brands may use the same technology to manufacture their whole house water filters, the price can vary, sometimes drastically, from one manufacturer to another, so the choice should be carefully weighed.

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Water filtration systems are very beneficial for many reasons. Water filtration has become a hot topic as more and more reports of pollution and chemicals in the nation’s water supply keep surfacing. You can easily go to any superstore and purchase one of a dozen different types of water filters that are on the market today. Online purchases of water filters have been growing in recent years due to a larger variety and usually a lower price for the consumer. Here are 5 of the top selling water filters on the market today and their benefits:

1. Water Pitcher Filters are by far the most popular filters on the market. Low initial cost and ease of use make water pitcher filters an easy purchase. Water pitchers mostly use carbon filtration which reduces the chlorine and chemicals that are in tap water. It is very important to change these filters often and to use them as directed to receive the benefits. Water pitchers normally cost very little to purchase, but can cost more per gallon over time compared to countertop water filters.

2. Faucet Filters are the second most popular water filters. They normally consist of the same type of filters that you would find a water pitcher filter, but they are installed directly on your faucet. It is also very important to change these filters as instructed due to the small size of the filter. Faucet filters are sometimes a concern due to the fact that there is very little contact time between the filter surface and the water passing through. Faucet filters are also economical on the initial purchase, similar to water pitcher filters

3. Countertop Water Filters are very popular and are very economical. Unlike water pitchers, countertop water filters are connected directly to your faucet, which make it easier to use your filtered water for cooking, cleaning vegetables, drinking and ice cubes. Most countertop water filters use carbon as well as other technologies which give you a higher level of filtration than most water pitcher filters and faucet filters.

4. Reverse Osmosis Filters were very popular in the last couple of decades. Reverse osmosis is a water purification system which uses a membrane combined with carbon filtration to remove almost everything from the water. Reverse osmosis is the most expensive of all of the most popular water filtration systems in use today. Initial purchase price can range from $150 to over $2,000 depending on who you go with. There are some questions raised as to the benefits of “pure” water due to the fact that reverse osmosis removes the important minerals, such as calcium and magnesium, which are naturally occurring in our water supplies. Filter replacements can be quite expensive and some systems require professional maintenance.

5. Portable Water Filters are very convenient for getting water on the go as they can quickly and easily convert water from a river or stream into drinking water. Bottled water can be another good choice when travelling in foreign countries where water quality might be different from what you normally drink. However, growing concerns over plastic waste and the energy required to actually bottle the water have put a negative spotlight on the bottled water industry as of late.

Additional types of filters such as shower filters, whole house water filters, and bottle-less water coolers are also available. Needless to say, it is very important to know what is in the water in your particular area before you invest in a water filter system. Any filtration is better than no filtration, but it is important to purchase a filter that will fit your needs and that of your family.

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The number of gallons being flowed through water coolers has nearly doubled in the last half a decade due to the growing concerns about the safety of tap water. This increase alone isn’t directly sourced from offices but also schools, universities and hospitals that are opting to exchange their water coolers for bottle-less, reverse osmosis coolers.

This change is primarily motivated by the fact that standard water coolers that use bottles can provide the perfect breeding ground for high amounts of unhealthy bacteria, which can cause diarrhea and unsettled stomachs. In a study conducted on a Boston University campus which examined their own water coolers, dangerous levels of potentially harmful bacteria were found. Of the ten water coolers that were tested, each contained a count exceeding 2,000 times the government’s recommended quantity, or four times the 500 organism ceiling. These bacteria are not thought to be present when the water is delivered, but rather the dispensers and spigot are thought to be the major cause for concern. When connected to the cooler the bottle is sitting in a contaminated holder thus infecting the clean drinkable water.

Fortunately, a process of reverse osmosis does not have the same amount of bacteria infecting the water. Instead of harboring bacteria reverse osmosis purifies even the dirtiest of water. This process requires pressure to force water through a membrane, leaving the impurities behind. The membrane used is a semi-permeable membrane that separates and removes dissolved solids, pyrogens, submicron colloidal matter, viruses and bacteria from the water. This technique leaves no space for the common bacteria found in today’s drinking water as it removes almost 99% of the total dissolved solids (TDS) and 99% of all bacteria, leaving the user with fresh clean drinkable water. Prices of bottle-less reverse osmosis water coolers cost anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the brand and the various features that are available, but in comparison to bottled water dispensers there are significant advantages that make the cost worth while.

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When reverse osmosis filters were introduced at the turn of the last century, it was to stave off the rash of deaths brought on by the contraction of waterborne diseases.  While reverse osmosis water filters have done an admirable job up to this point, there is more that needs to be done.

Since the advent of the practice of chlorine disinfection back in 1908, water treatment facilities have used reverse osmosis water filters to spare many lives over the years.  The system designed primarily to remove sediment from our drinking water had taken great strides in the combat against biological contaminants in the water supply.

Since then, things have been going steadily downhill where reverse osmosis water filters are concerned.  The industrial revolution in America has given us many appreciable luxuries, but it has cost us the possibility to be able to find drinkable water from any existing natural source.

Reverse osmosis filters must now contend with contaminant such as herbicides, pesticides, petroleum products, cleaning agents, and pharmaceuticals, that the system wasn’t designed to be able to stop.  This is the dilemma that we find ourselves in today.

We are reliant on reverse osmosis water filters to do something that they were never intended to have to do.  They were only built to remove particles that were heavier than water molecules.  The system is incapable of slowing down this armada of chemical contaminants.

With the additional help from a multi-stage filtering system that is designed to precisely and effectively block out the individual threats that we now face, reverse osmosis systems could be effective, but only as the first stage in this chain.  Don’t however expect to see any large scale changes at the treatment centers.

The water treatment facilities are typically county run, and funded by the state.  There is no possible way for a county or state government being able to come up with enough extra money to be able to make the kinds of renovations that the reverse osmosis water filters need to make.

So, what is to be done in order to make up for the inadequacies of the reverse osmosis filters in order to make our water safe to drink?  It seems that we as individuals are forced into deciding on a personal level whether or not the health threat that the public drinking water poses to our families is great enough to force us into taking steps to protect ourselves.

The answer is a simple one for me, but it might not be for everyone.  People have known about the shortcomings of reverse osmosis water filters for years, and have still done nothing.  The threat to our health is growing greater all of the time.  With new impurities turning up at regular intervals it’s only going to get worse.

Now is the time to take action by purchasing a home water purification system.  You can’t afford to wait until they discover evidence. With 2100 known carcinogens already in the water supply, we can’t depend strictly on reverse osmosis water filters any longer.

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an Ezine Op-Ed 

If you’re like me, you’re probably pretty weary of salesmen. They would lie and cheat just to get you to purchase their products. People that sell home water purifiers are one in the same. The example that really comes to mind here are companies that sell reverse osmosis systems. Sure, having a reverse osmosis water treatment system is better than having no water treatment system at all but there are far better options out there. Here are 5 ugly lies to watch out for so you understand why reverse osmosis systems are mediocre at best.

1. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are inexpensive.

Using a reverse osmosis system may be cheaper than drinking bottled water but it is by no means inexpensive. Reverse osmosis costs 18 to 24 cents per gallon. In contrast, carbon filtration systems cost less than 10 cents per gallon. Which would you choose?

2. A reverse osmosis water treatment system removes all contaminants.

Reverse osmosis systems are not capable of removing synthetic chemicals. It helps to understand how they work in order to see why that is. During reverse osmosis, water is exposed to a porous membrane under pressure. Contaminants such as minerals and organic chemicals, which are molecularly larger than water, are caught by the membrane. Synthetic chemicals are molecularly smaller than the membrane so they pass through. For that reason, reverse osmosis systems must be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. Why not just use a carbon filter in the first place? Carbon filters remove both organic and synthetic chemicals.

3. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are convenient and easy to use.

In comparison to other water treatment systems like carbon filtration, reverse osmosis systems are high-maintenance and complicated. Reverse osmosis systems require adequate water pressure and a diaphragmed storage tank and as such as very high-maintenance. They are also difficult to install. Carbon filters on the other hand can be installed in a matter of minutes without the help of a plumber.

4. A reverse osmosis water treatment system produces healthy, pure water.

Having a reverse osmosis system is better than having no water treatment system at all but the water it produces actually isn’t that healthy. The problem with reverse osmosis systems is that they produce de-mineralized water. Studies show that in order to maintain good health, we must drink water that contains natural trace minerals such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Drinking de-mineralized water can lead to multiple mineral deficiencies and an increased risk for cancer. Comparatively, carbon filtration systems remove all the bad stuff while leaving in the good stuff.

5. Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are efficient.

The truth is that reverse osmosis systems are wasteful. They waste 2 to 3 gallons for every gallon of clean water they produce. They are also notorious for being slow because they produce less than a gallon of water per hour. Carbon filtration systems can produce up to 30 gallons of water per hour without wasting a single drop.

Now that you are armed with this information, make your decision wisely and carefully. There are many water filters out there to choose from but when you consider cost, effectiveness, efficiency, and convenience, a reverse osmosis water treatment system simply isn’t a good choice. Carbon filtration systems are the best option available when it comes to home water filters. So get out there and find a carbon filtration system for your home if you want the best water filter money can buy.