Your Guide To The Best Home Water Filter
Systems
by Jim Johnson
A lot of people are getting more and more concerned about the quality
of their drinking water. And according to published reports they have very
good reason to be concerned. It has been estimated that almost 7 million
Americans get sick each year from drinking contaminated tap water. And on
top of that, many studies that have been done recently indicate that most
bottled water is no better for you than what you may get from your home tap.
What that essentially means is that you are paying much more for the same
quality of water then.
So water filtration systems have become very popular with many homeowners
as a means of improving their home. There are several kinds of filtration
systems in use today, and we will try to help you get familiar with the most
important ones.
1. The cheapest to purchase, easiest to use, and most portable are water
pitchers designed specifically for the purpose of filtering water. The
advantage of these water pitchers is their simplicity itself. All you have
to do is fill the picture up with tap water and then let it filter out the
impurities. The biggest disadvantage to using water pitcher filters is the
time that it takes for the water to be filtered. Very often they take 15
minutes or more just to filter a half-gallon of water. So obviously, if you
often need water right away this may not be your best solution.
2. The next step up in the water filter chain are faucet mounted water
filters. These are often seen advertised on television and in magazines. As
the name indicates, they connect to the end of your water faucet, and have a
lever so that you can either choose straight tap water, or to send the tap
water through your filter instead. These are also very inexpensive types of
filters, and very easy to install. They filter water much more quickly than
water pitcher filters, but the filter cartridges have to be changed on a
regular basis, perhaps every month or so.
3. Undersink water filters have the advantage of providing some of the
best overall water filtration possible, and also are stored out of sight.
They also work much faster then either water pitcher filters or faucet
mounted filters. However, the biggest drawback to them is that in many cases
professional installation is a good idea. Some homeowners that are very
handy may attempt to tackle the installation of an undersink water filter,
but for the average person it may be too much of a job. Cartridges are also
used as the filter material for these units, but they only have to be
replaced about every six months or so.
4. Whole house water filters are able to provide filtered water to every
faucet in your home easily and quickly, which many see as a clear advantage.
However, they can be even more involved to install than undersink units, and
so most often you will need the services of a plumber to get it set up. The
filters in these units also last about six months or so.
5. Reverse osmosis water filters were very popular in the past, but are
not nearly as popular today due to the increasing effectiveness of some of
the less expensive and easier to install water filtration systems. Perhaps
the biggest drawback about reverse osmosis filters is that they waste almost
5 gal. of water for every gallon that they purify. On the plus side though,
they are one of the best water filtration systems available, capable of
filtering out even some of the smallest and most obscure pollutants.
As you can see, there are several choices to be made when you're
considering home water filter systems, and hopefully the information
provided above will help you make a more informed choice of the water
filtration system that will work best for you.
About the Author
You can find
home water filter systems and
water
filter reviews by visiting our Home Improvement website.
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