By the time you finished reading this you will see that all home water purifiers and filters do not provide the same quality of water. Many products that claim to treat your water do not address all three important factors in water treatment. When evaluating home water purifiers and filters you should consider these three factors for your satisfaction
- Taste and odor
- Removal of contaminants
- Demineralization
Taste
Most home water purifiers and filters will improve the taste and odor of your drinking water. If you are only concerned with taste and odor, you will be satisfied the result using many of the simpler products such as carafe filters and faucet mounted filters that use granulated charcoal filtration. The problem with this style of water filter is that their effectiveness lasts a very short time. You will end up spending more money in the long run with frequent replacement of the filter cartridges. Home water purifiers that use carbon block filters greatly improve the taste and odor and last from 6 months or more. Carbon block filters also greatly reduce the contaminants in addition to improving the taste.
Removal of Contaminants
When you compare the different types of home water purifiers and filters you will find that each type is effective in removing some contaminants and not others. Filters with activated carbon will remove Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Trihalomethanes (THM) (by products of chlorine.) Carbon blocks are commonly found in on-the-counter or under-the-sink home water purifiers.
A multimedia, carbon block filter, such as the products produced by Aquasana have several added advantages. A blended media is extruded or compressed into a solid form with a sub-micron pore structure to filter out sediment and cysts like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. This configuration also prevents water from channeling around the filter media as with the granular carbon filters.
Multimedia Carbon block technology is also effective in removing synthetic chemicals such as herbicides, pesticides and common pharmaceuticals that are now being found in our water supply. Reverse Osmosis, another one of the popular types of home water purifier and filters, is ineffective in removing these types of compounds. It is often recommended that one use a carbon block filter in addition to the reverse osmosis filter.
There are only two type of home water purifier systems that will remove bacteria and viruses: distillation and ultraviolet light. Distillation is not effective in removing VOC’s or many other chemicals. Neither will Ultraviolet light systems remove any of the chemical contaminants.
Is It Possible to Filter Too Much from Your Water?
Yes! For healthy water, you must filter out the impurities and leave in the natural minerals that are essential for our body’s health. Drinking water that has been de-mineralized can lead to health problems. Reverse osmosis and distillation type home water purifiers and filters remove all of the minerals present naturally in water.
So there you have it, all home water purifiers and filters are not created equal! What’s the best choice for you? Remember, any filter is better than no filter. Compare effectiveness, cost per unit and cost per gallon to come up with your best choice. I recommend a combination system that uses the multimedia carbon block filter for the most effective removal of contaminants, the best taste and leaving in the important minerals. The best system of this type that I have found for effectiveness and price are the Aquasana home water purifiers and filters.