We all agree that water is one of the most necessary and valuable things ever on the planet, don’t we? It is fair to assume that you have personal experience with this dependency each time you drink water to quench your thirst.
Table Of Contents
−- Water’s importance in our physical health
- Water filter types
- Why should you use a water filtration system at home instead of bottled water?
- What do you look for in a water filter?
- What you should know before purchasing a water filter
- 10 water filtration techniques
- What is water filter performance certification?
- Alternatives to water filters
- Ten reasons why you should filter your tap water
- Ten good reasons to filter your shower water
- Making the best choice
Did you know that a mainly water-based fluid surrounds the cells within your body and that the water content of your cells ranges from 70% to 80%? Doesn’t that sound amazing? Now you understand how vital water is to our physical well-being!
Water is among the essential biological mediums on the planet and is a major supporter of all life forms. Water never stops flowing around our bodies and is responsible for properly functioning our cells and macromolecules.
When information is transferred from one tissue to another, it is carried by water. Water does a variety of things for our bodies, all of which are life-sustaining and, in some cases, life-saving.
Water’s importance in our physical health
Water is as essential to animals as it is to plants and humans, and it is the vital generator of life and its supporting factor. With this in mind, you make assumptions about the safety of the water you drink every day. And whether or not the confidence is justified is anyone’s guess.
Our natural water supplies have been under severe stress for quite some time. If there is one thing we can say about this case, the need for clean drinking water is higher than it has ever been.
While it is true that our government is responsible for providing us with clean, drinkable water, we can’t help but wonder if our tap water is safe to drink.
Now that you understand how vital water is to your health and every bodily function, you owe it to ensure that the water you drink is as clean and new as possible.
However, everyone is unique, and not everyone has a natural spring water source in their backyard. Buying pre-bottled water can be both uncomfortable and costly financially and environmentally.
However, one filter that is badly needed in our everyday lives is a decent water filter. Once you’ve chosen to entrust your physical well-being to a water filter, you should be aware that many choices exist.
On the other hand, choosing the best water filter for your home can be a challenging challenge. This is especially true if you are new to water filters. But there is no need to be concerned because we are here to assist you! And now, here are some things to look for if you want to learn more about your water filter!
Water filter types
Consumers can pick from a variety of water filters. Here are some of the most popular forms, as well as their benefits and drawbacks:
- Pitchers
Pitchers usually have carbon filters, which remove toxins from your water and enhance its taste and odor. These filters are inexpensive and easily fit inside most refrigerators.
Check out our top water filter pitchers
- Under-Sink
As the name suggests, under-sink filters are located under your sink and are directly connected to your waterline. They can be costly, but they are low-maintenance and are placed out of sight.
- On-Counter
These filters are mounted on the counter and are directly connected to the faucet. Customers can toggle between filtered and unfiltered water using a switch. Countertop water coolers are a common, low-maintenance way to get filtered water with little effort.
- Faucet-Mounted
Faucet-mounted filters attach to your faucet and allow you to filter cooking and drinking water easily. These filters are relatively easy to install but may not fit all faucets.
Why should you use a water filtration system at home instead of bottled water?
For starters, the operating cost of a home water purification system is much lower than that of bottled drinking water.
You will have to spend more money first to purchase the water filter, but you will see significant savings after a few months.
Next, it’s not just the cost of bottled water; it’s also the plastic bottles that are difficult to recycle, causing serious pollution to our beautiful planet!
If you want to do your part to help the environment, install a water filtration system in your home and stop drinking bottled water as soon as possible. I’d left many years before and never looked back (I’m glad I did, and you can too if you haven’t already).
Finally, invest in a water filter for convenience if you have a large family.
Why waste gas and time hunting for bottled water when you can get pure and healthy drinking water directly from your water tap or residential well?
What do you look for in a water filter?
The maximum rate of filtration
Many people purchase a water filter without considering how much-filtrated water the water filter will produce per day. However, if you think yourself smart, you can consider the filter’s optimum filtration rate.
You should know that the maximum filtration rate is the amount of filtrated water a filter can emit daily. So, get a water filter that can deliver the amount of filtered water you need daily.
Contamination removal
One of the key reasons people buy a water filtration device is to remove pollutants from drinking water. In other words, people want to substitute polluted water with safe-to-drink water.
That being said, you should collect a sample of your tap water and send it to a qualified lab to determine whether or not it is polluted. This can assist you in deciding which form of water filter to purchase.
Water quality
A good water filter removes pollutants from the water and increases the overall quality of the water. This ensures that it can eliminate unpleasant odors and tastes. If your water does not contain harmful toxins in significant amounts, an active carbon water filter that retains safe minerals is your best option.
Easy-to-maintain water filters
Water filter cartridges, in general, need to be replaced regularly. Review your guide or research online to find out how often you can refill your water filter cartridges.
However, it would be best to look for a water filter that does not require regular cartridge replacement. Different types of water filters have different needs and specifications.
Stated that various water filters necessitate different levels of maintenance. While all filters need some degree of control, more detailed water filters require more time and money. With this in mind, if you want your water filter to be in good working order, you must take careful care of it.
It is important to keep your water filter in good working order if you want to drink pure, safe water regularly. However, in most cases, water filters are very simple to manage.
That’s what there is to it! Obtaining a water filter is not a simple job. As a result, before you decide to install one, you should conduct some research.
What you should know before purchasing a water filter
As previously mentioned, not all water filters are the same. Here are three more often overlooked facts about water filtration systems:
- The quality of filters varies from brand to brand, with each filter removing a different collection of pollutants.
- The fact that a filter is “NSF Certified” does not guarantee that it can eliminate any particular contaminant.
- Some filters use various technologies to eliminate toxins, while others only use one.
Check the instructions or visit the company website before purchasing if you want to better understand your water filter’s technical aspects.
10 water filtration techniques
Before purchasing any water for your home, whether it’s a jug from the shop, a filter, or even a water cooler, it’s a good idea to learn more about the different purification processes that might have occurred before you take a drink. Some filtration techniques are more effective than others at eliminating particles and pollutants.
Here’s a short rundown of each water filtration process.
1. Activated carbon
Carbon eliminates toxins from the system by chemically reacting with the water that is poured through it. Some only remove chlorine, enhancing taste and odor, while others remove more dangerous toxins such as lead and mercury.
Carbon filters cannot remove inorganic contaminants like fluoride, nitrates, and arsenic. Carbon filters are usually distributed to customers as blocks or granules.
2. Distillation
Distillation is one of the oldest methods of water purification. It vaporizes water by heating it to extreme temperatures. Afterward, the vapor is condensed back into liquid water, which can be consumed.
Distillation extracts high-boiling-point microorganisms, minerals, and chemicals. These filters are incapable of removing chlorine and a wide range of other volatile organic chemicals.
3. Deionization
To remove salts and other present electrically charged ions, deionization filters facilitate ion exchange in your water. These filters can eliminate contaminants that do not have an electrical charge. These filters will not remove living organisms such as viruses and bacteria.
4. Ion exchange
A resin is used in ion exchange technology to replace dangerous ions with less harmful ones. Since it can substitute calcium and magnesium with sodium, ion exchange is frequently used to soften water. For these filters to work for prolonged periods, the resin must be “recharged” regularly with harmless replacement ions.
5. Osmosis (reverse osmosis)
Water is moved through a semi-permeable membrane by reverse osmosis to prevent larger, more hazardous molecules from entering. Contaminants with larger molecules, like chlorine, cannot be removed because this process can only block larger molecules than water.
Since reverse osmosis systems may remove more pollutants than carbon filters, they are common among consumers. Because these filters use far more water than they produce, they are best suited for home use.
6. Mechanical
Even though they cannot eliminate chemical pollutants, mechanical filters are an excellent choice for consumers looking to remove sediments and cysts from their water.
Mechanical filters, which have small holes that eliminate these pollutants, are usually used in conjunction with other filtration technologies. If your water source produces an unfavorable amount of dirt and other particles, you should consider investing in a mechanical filter.
7. Ozone
Ozone is often used alongside other technologies because of its ability to destroy large quantities of microorganisms efficiently. While ozone filters do not kill chemicals, they might be your best choice if you are concerned about getting sick from your water.
8. Carbon block
Carbon block filters are rectangular filters made of crushed carbon particles. Since they have a greater surface area, these filters are more powerful than carbon-based ones.
The rate at which fluid moves through these filters directly affects their effectiveness. Fibredyne carbon block filters can retain more sediment than other block filters.
9. Granulated carbon
As the name implies, these filters filter the water using tiny grains of carbon. Granulated carbon filters are marginally less efficient than their block-shaped counterparts due to their relatively limited surface area. Like that of a carbon block filter, their efficacy is heavily affected by water speed.
10. Water softeners
Ion exchange technology is implemented in water softeners to lower the levels of calcium and magnesium in the water. This is particularly beneficial if your plumbing fixtures are vulnerable to mineral accumulation.
Since these harmful elements are substituted with sodium, water treated with this method has a high sodium content. If you are sensitive to salt, it is best to avoid softened water. It’s also bad to water plants with softened water because it contains so much sodium.
What is water filter performance certification?
The efficiency of water filters can be tested and accredited following the standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and NSF International (NSF).
Other certification companies, such as the Water Quality Association (WQA), have followed the water filter device certification criteria.
It is based on reducing pollutants in the water below the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Different criteria evaluate various filtration technologies.
For example, NSF/ANSI standards 42 and 53 apply to carbon filters, while standards 58 and 62 apply to reverse osmosis filtration systems and distillation, respectively.
Water filter product performance certification is required in some states but optional in others.
The NSF/ANSI certification is useful for customers choosing a home water purification device and for manufacturers selling their water filtration products.
Alternatives to water filters
If you aren’t ready to invest in a water purification system, there are some options for dealing with certain (but not all) drinking water issues without a water filter:
Switch on the cold water tap and let it run for several minutes when turning on the water for the first time in a few hours. This will aid in the removal of lead from the water.
Boil the water for about one to three minutes, then transfer it to a clean pitcher and place it in the refrigerator. This should kill microbes such as cryptosporidium.
Refrigerate tap water in a pitcher or another tub. This will help to enhance the flavor of chlorinated water.
If you’re worried about water safety, you should take action to improve your home’s water quality and ensure that what you’re drinking is safe for you and your family. If you’ve identified the issues that need to be addressed, you will find the best system to enhance the consistency of your water.
Ten reasons why you should filter your tap water
By eliminating chlorine, heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, and bacterial pollutants, water filtration can improve the taste and odor of drinking water.
Point-of-use water filters strip lead from drinking water before consumption, preventing this toxic material from entering the body.
Purchasing a countertop filter provides safe, nutritious water at a far lower cost than costly bottled water while reducing hazardous waste in the atmosphere.
By eliminating chlorine and chlorine byproducts such as Trihalomethanes (THMs) from drinking water, water filters significantly reduce the risk of cancers like rectal cancer, colon cancer, and bladder cancer.
A carbon water filter can eliminate harmful pollutants from drinking water while maintaining safe mineral deposits that help balance the water’s pH.
Drinking clean, filtered water protects from disease and promotes good health and energy.
A water filter offers clean, safe water for cooking and drinking in the comfort of tap water.
By eliminating e-coli, cryptosporidium, and giardia from drinking water, water filters minimize the risk of gastrointestinal disease by more than 80%.
Children must drink clean water. Water filters have the healthiest water for improving immune systems in children.
Water filters are the body’s last line of defense against the over 2100 recognized toxins found in drinking water.
Ten good reasons to filter your shower water
- One simplest and most efficient ways to minimize harmful exposure to chlorine and other chemicals is to use a shower filter.
- Showering in filtered water improves respiratory health by lowering the risk of bronchitis and asthma caused by chlorine inhalation.
- Showering in filtered, chlorine-free water lowers the risk of breast and bladder cancer.
- Removing chlorine from showering water benefits children, who are especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of chlorine inhalation.
- Since chlorine is a principal cause of fatigue, taking showers in filtered, chlorine-free water results in increased energy and better health.
- Removing chlorine from shower water improves air quality in the home.
- Skin becomes smoother, clearer, and younger-looking without the drying effects of chlorine.
- Removing chlorine from shower water decreases the appearance of skin rashes and wrinkles.
- When chlorine is extracted from showering water, the hair becomes smoother and healthier to retain its natural moisturizing oils.
- When the body’s natural moisturizers can be retained, the need for expensive moisturizers and lotions is greatly reduced.
Making the best choice
With so many options on the market, it may not seem easy at first to find the ideal water filtration device for your family’s needs. It’s natural to feel confused, but by learning how the various styles function and keeping your personal needs in mind, you’ll undoubtedly find the ideal one. When you fix a water filter in your house, your family can still access clean, safe water.
Jay
Self assessed Germaphobe, specializing in everything water, water filters, health and nutrition. Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, I've acquired immense amount of knowledge when it comes to natural, biology, and everything about human anatomy.
