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Choosing Your Home Water Filter System |
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When you're trying to get good clean water for your home, it's tempting to just pick up the $30 PUR filter and end your search there. The problem is, these small faucet-mounted water filter systems aren't necessarily the best ones for your needs. If you drink a lot of bottled water, you may want a more involved drinking water filter system, like a reverse osmosis system; if you live in the country and get your water from a well or a spring, you want a filter that is exceptional with killing biological contaminants.
by TrentBarrett
When you're trying to get good clean water for your home, it's tempting to just pick up the $30 PUR filter and end your search there. The problem is, these small faucet-mounted water filter systems aren't necessarily the best ones for your needs. If you drink a lot of bottled water, you may want a more involved drinking water filter system, like a reverse osmosis system; if you live in the country and get your water from a well or a spring, you want a filter that is exceptional with killing biological contaminants.
For water that just needs a little improvement, stick with the simple activated-charcoal tap mounted water filter systems. These are good for water with little contamination and relatively good flavor, using activated charcoal to filter out chlorine and any slight problems in water and give you clean pure drinking water. Ceramic water filter systems work in similar fashion, using diatomaceous earth as a filter.
If you have a lower-quality water system that deliver water heavy on chlorine or bad tastes, you probably spend too much every month on bottled water. A reverse osmosis drinking water filter will get rid of nasty tastes and heavy chemicals, and turn your tap water into bottled-quality drinking water. These systems are more expensive than the simple filters and usually must be installed by a plumber, and you'll need some space under your sink for the reservoir. Once it's in, however, you'll be able to get water that has been cleansed of almost every contaminant for only pennies per gallon - and you'll never want to buy bottled water again.
Reverse osmosis drinking water filter systems do have drawbacks. They take ten gallons of water to make one gallon of filtered water; the rest is used to flush out the filter. They process water very slowly, so they need a reservoir into which the purified water is placed. And they sometimes let a biological contaminant through, where it can contaminate the entire reservoir. This last problem can be solved by using a three-filter system instead of a single-filter system; in this drinking water filter system, water is first forced through an activated carbon water filter, then allowed to diffuse through the filter. Finally, just before the reservoir an ultraviolet water purifier shines powerful ultraviolet light on the water, irradiating and killing any biological contaminants while leaving the water itself pure and clear for your drinking leisure.
Besides having clean drinking water, there's at least one other reason for getting a home water filter system: to have clean water to bathe in. Hard water can leave residue and make your soaps and shampoos work more poorly, and chlorine can vaporize into chloroform, a gas that can irritate your lungs and is particularly bad for asthmatics and others with lung problems. For these homes, a whole house water filter system may be a good idea. Though you'll need a good plumber to install it right, you'll have a healthier family and cleaner water, and your home will have purer air.
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