Water Filtration

The value of under sink water filters varies, as do the prices of the units. A high priced undersink water filter isn’t necessarily a better value. It’s the performance of the product, the contaminant reduction that’s most important. Here’s how to find the right purification device for your home.

Generally speaking, under sink water filters cost more than those that sit on the kitchen counter, or attach to the faucet. The primary reason for the increased price is the need for a separate faucet, which most companies include. Normally, it takes the place of your sprayer, but you can drill a new hole, so that you still have the sprayer and the additional faucet. One of the advantages of an undersink water filter is to free up some counter space.

Of all the products on the market, there are really only two highly effective brands. One costs nearly $800. The other costs around $150., but if there is no difference in quality, then why would you pay four times as much?

The company that makes the more expensive brand goes by the name of Ever-pure®. They market their products as being the “best” point of use or home purification devices. They also market to businesses and industries. The Ever-pure® undersink water filter reduces chlorine, odors, THMs, VOCs, cysts, lead and other contaminants. Many of the cheap brands only reduce chlorine. They’re basically charcoal filters.

The $150 under sink water filters which are made by a company called Crystal Quest provide the same or better contaminant reduction. When it comes to lead, the Ever-pure® product only reduces it to the federal action level, a maximum contaminant level set up by the US EPA for public providers. The $150 product reduces lead by 99% or more. It’s the purification technology that makes the difference here.

The Ever-pure® undersink water filter relies on reverse osmosis for contaminant reduction. They have added to it other steps including granular carbon and special media to trap the chemicals that are not removed through reverse osmosis. They sell cheaper products, but there is always “something” that is not removed by them. The only one of there models that reduces THMs and VOCs is the $800 model.

The less expensive, but still effective Crystal quest brand relies on ion exchange to reduce lead. They use granular carbon and multiple filtering media to reduce chlorine, THMs, VOCs and other chemicals. Then, they use submicron filtration to remove cysts. Submicron filtration is similar to reverse osmosis, but the technology is more advanced and less expensive.

As is the case with computers and other electronic devices, technological advancements have allowed companies to make effective under sink water filters for less. The older technology of reverse osmosis makes a more expensive undersink water filter, but not necessarily a better one.

Don’t listen to the advertising and marketing. If you want value, you want a multi-stage selective filtration device, plain and simple. That’s how you get the most effective and affordable under sink water filters for your home.

An Ezine article

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