Choosing Water Filters For Your Family

Where do I start to choose the right water filter for my family?

1. You need to assess your specific water filtration needs. Are you interested in a filter for drinking water only or do you need a filter for the shower? Determine your family's needs.

2. Decide if you want to target specific contaminants when filtering your drinking water. If you receive water from a public system, it is likely that chlorine has been added to disinfect your drinking water. In addition to chlorine, fluoride may have been added and you may want to remove it. You will want to find a water filter that is certified to remove chlorine AND trihalomethanes (a carcinogenic byproduct of chlorination) as well as fluoride.

3. Do your own research on 4396841 water filter. Find out exactly what a water filter does. In order to understand the certification claims, you need to know a little about the water filtration process.

4. Choose a brand of water filter that removes the most contaminants. That way, you KNOW you're covered for whatever comes out of your hose! Most manufacturers offer a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with the product.

5. Check the cost of replacing the cartridges. What may seem like a cheap filter may end up costing you hundreds of dollars in maintenance!

6. Check the manufacturer... How long has it been in business? Will they be around long term to serve you and support the product?

The most popular filters

Basically, water filters fall into two categories: point-of-use filters and point-of-entry filters. Point-of-use filters, such as pitchers, faucet-mounted filters or shower filters, are the most popular because they are the least expensive. The point-of-entry is a whole-house filter that filters water before it even gets into your pipes.

Here are the most popular methods and how they work.

Decanters or pitchers. Carafes or pitchers filter small amounts of drinking water inexpensively and can reduce chlorine by up to 99%. They require no installation and are inexpensive. They range in price from about $15 to $60. Some carafes/pipes can filter up to 2,000 gallons of water on a single filter.

Faucet-mounted. They filter drinking and cooking water, are easy to install, and allow you to switch from filtered to unfiltered water. Prices range from $20 to $60.

Countertop. They filter large amounts of water without plumbing modifications. The filters reclaim water from the tap by replacing the standard aerator (the part where the water comes out of the faucet) with a diverter valve. By pulling the button on the bypass valve, the water passes through the filter to be drunk. Bypass valves are not suitable for faucets with a pull-out vegetable sprayer. They are less likely to clog than carafes or faucet stands, but they can clutter countertops. Prices range from $50 to $300.

Under-sink. They allow you to filter a lot of water without changing the existing faucet or cluttering the countertop. But they take up cabinet space and may require plumbing modifications. A hole must be drilled in the sink and/or countertop for the dispenser. Prices range from $55 to $350.

Reverse osmosis. Water is forced under pressure through an ultra-thin, semi-permeable membrane that filters out salt and other impurities, rejects them and passes the pure water into a storage tank for later use. The water is stored in a pressure tank. Before the purified water is distributed, it undergoes a final activated carbon filtration to remove any remaining odors and tastes. Prices range from $25 to about $300.

Reverse osmosis, by removing alkaline mineral constituents from water, also produces acidic water. Acidic water can be dangerous to the body system, as it causes calcium and other essential minerals to be removed from bones and teeth to neutralize its acidity. The trace elements of minerals were meant to be present in water; their removal leaves drinking water tasteless and unhealthy.