By: David H.
Submitted: 2009-10-31 01:13:39 | Word Count: 667
Our body needs clean water to stay normal and healthy. We need home water filters to clean our water and make it safe to drink. There are different types of water filters depending on the contaminants of your tap water.
Our environment is not as clean as it used to be. The rise of industrial manufacturing plants and other technological sites continue to pollute our surroundings. It does not affect only the air we breathe in, but also the water we drink. People do not trust the natural source of water anymore. The water from our faucets are not that clean anymore, and could pose health problems when drank in great amounts.
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This phenomenon brought rise to the home filter systems. Let’s deal more with this below.
Steps on Choosing a Water Home Filter System
Water filtration systems remove the impurities out of tap water. The most common models use reverse or carbon osmosis filtration. In purchasing a water filter for your home, make sure that it is duly certified by NSF International. This means that it has passed the standard requirements of a good filtration system.
Choose the right filter that fits your faucet, and have it installed by a skilled plumber. Here are some tips to consider in choosing your filter.
First, hire a professional to test your water. You will know what kind and how much filtration is needed based on the test results.
You can choose if you want to have a faucet mounted system or other types. Faucet mounted systems require little time to install and are generally inexpensive though they require in line systems or regular filter changes. In line systems may cost a lot of money but are more comprehensive. In line systems only require rare filter changes.
Look into a certified carbon filter by the NSF for either system if the test results come back with chloroform, chlorine, organic chemicals or pesticides. Carbon filters are not proven effective against heavy metals and lead as well as fluoride and chloroform along with microbial contaminants.
Decide whether you want to use an “in line reverse osmosis water filtering system” if the test results indicate presence of ferrous iron, sodium, fluoride, organic contaminants and lead. The reverse osmosis system wastes a lot of water and puts limited amount of water for drinking purposes. Approximately 4 gallons of water are wasted during the filtration for a gallon of drinking water. You will need a water softener along with the in line system if the calcium count of your water is high.
Consider a filtration system with a “performance indication device” or cutoff meter that tells you when it is time for a filter change.
Types of Home Water Filtration Systems
There are two major types of water filtration systems and these are “whole house water filters” and “point of use water filters.” The first one cleans the water for the entire house. The second type filters the water and makes it clean up to a point when it is being used.
Cleaning the water for the entire house is difficult and costly and this is why “point of use water filters” is the most practical to use. Examples of these are the pitcher water filters, shower water filters, refrigerator filters and countertop water filters.
The most popular types are those attached to faucets. This filter is simply screwed onto the faucet. There is a variant that could be attached to the showerhead also. Such types are usually based on carbon filtration system. They are simple and easy to use, cheap and do not cause any problems upon installation. The major downside of these types is that they must be changed frequently to achieve the best results.
Another kind is the countertop water filter. It can remove up to 99 of contaminants. You can sometimes attach UV light source for more effective cleaning. There is also the under sink or in line water filters. It is installed by professionals somewhere not visible to the residents.
