How to Choose the Best Water Filtration System | The Beginners Guide

It is very important to filter your own water at home. Although there are many products available in the market to choose from, choosing the best water filtration system is not easy. There are several things to consider viewed from a health and economic perspectives. In addition, you need to consider your specific situation. Choices vary from the simple water filtration pitcher to the whole-house models. As a consumer, knowing the features, functions, and the cost of water filtration system is necessary to ensure that the water filter chosen is the right one.

Why Water Filtration Is Needed

The world has changed. These days, it is not easy to get pure, safe, and clean drinking water due to environmental degradation, rapidly growing population, and industrial development. For this reason, people should be aware of purification techniques and learn about the water purifiers available in the market to convince that their drinking water is of good quality.

Water contains a lot of minerals and they are needed for human body but too much of it can lead to some diseases. The best water purifier remove suspended particles, microbes, and excess salts, while retaining the minerals and vitamins in the water. As there are many products made by many manufacturers in the industry today, it can be confusing to determine which one is good and which meets necessary standards.

Water purifiers or water filters work by sucking up raw water which might contain contaminants, filter out impurities, and finally dispense clean water that is free from sediments and micro-organisms. However, not all filters are the same. You can find filters that can also remove bacteria and viruses. Different products may also work a little bit differently. Some of them use chemicals while the others utilizes an electro-static charge to kill viruses and bacteria.

Before buying a particular filter for your home, it is important to know what contaminants are present in your water. This can be done by obtaining a water quality report from your provider or you can perform a private test from an independent company. By knowing specific contaminants present in your water, you can select the best water filtration system that works effectively to remove the particular contaminants.

Water Filter Technologies

Generally, home water filters use similar technologies to purify your water. However, as mentioned previously, not all of them are similarly effective. A particular water softener that uses an ion exchange, for instance, is able to alleviate magnesium and calcium levels but it can’t remove other contaminants. The same thing happens to mechanical filters. They work effectively to remove most sediments such as cysts, but cannot be used to remove chemical contaminants. Here are some commonly used water filter technologies.

  • Reverse Osmosis Filter – It is one of the most popular choices among homeowners as it is able to remove nearly all types of contaminants that can be dangerous for your health. Reverse osmosis systems can remove any odor because water is filtered through very small pores.
  • Ultraviolet (UB) Filter – This filter is probably the most advanced filter available on the market today. It works well to kill disease-causing microorganisms living in the water including viruses and bacteria. UV filter works by treating the water via a chamber which has a UV light. The UV light is able to kill the DNA cells of pathogens. Another benefit of this system is that it is environmentally friendly due to the absence of chemicals’ use in the system. Therefore, it won’t give a bad environmental effect to the surroundings.
  • Water Ionizer Filter – This system works with electrical power. It ionizes the water through charge electrodes, producing purified alkaline water which is perfect for home use. Alkaline water as low acidic levels that has many health benefits.
  • Activated Carbon Filter – Activated carbon is effective to remove chemicals and impurities as it has an electro-positive charge to attract negative ions.
  • Infrared filter – Among the other listed water filters, the infrared filter is probably the least popular. It is not because the filter is not good but there is still not many manufacturers that develop infrared filters. The system produces infrared rays from light and heat to treat the water, resulting softened water.

Water Filter Models

Talking about the models, there are at least three major models of water filtration system.

  • Pitchers – These are known as the most basic water filtration systems. They work by moving water through a filter using gravity. They do not require complicated setup, thus quite convenient. Refilling the pitcher should be done frequently as your drink or use the water.
  • Under-Sink – These models are almost similar to filters in a way that they filter the water at the point of consumption. They filter the water in a smaller faucet within the kitchen sink instead of in the main faucet.
  • Whole-House – These models are mounted at the home’s water line. These models filter all water entering the homeowner’s property line from the municipal feed. It means all water flows throughout the whole house is filtered, not only the water from a faucet or single sink. Therefore, these models are called as the advanced filtration system.

Conclusion

So, which one is the best water filtration system to use? The answer is there is no single best water filter. Every option has its own strengths and perhaps drawbacks. It all based on the state of your water, your preference, and budget. That is why it is said earlier that the first thing to do is to find out what contaminants existing in your water. If, for example, your water contains a lot of pathogens, using a UV filter can be a good idea. But, if you have smaller budget, you can think about having an activated carbon filter. The same thing goes for the models. It depends on your need, whether you want to have the water filtered from a pitcher only or from the house water line. By considering these things, you will find the best water filtration system that is suitable for your specific needs and budget.

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