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Helping You Make Your Home Your Castle |
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Home Water
Filters Introduction:
If your home has water quality problems, a home water filter
treatment system may solve them, if you choose the right type of
filtering device. No single water filtering method will eliminate
all types of water contaminants. Some treatment devices use more
than one type of technology.
If you happen to live in an area where the water supply is pure you
are fortunate. Most home water sources have some sort of
contamination. You should test your water supply to determine the
quality of water entering your home. It isn’t expensive and will
give you peace of mind. You can locate a testing lab in your area by
simply consulting the phone book. If you need a home water filtering
system, shop around before making a purchase.
You will find distinct differences in price, installation methods,
maintenance requirements, and warranties. Be wary if a salesperson
claims a device has governmental or EPA approval. The EPA doesn’t
test or approve products, it only registers them. For a listing of
certified units and the contaminants they remove, contact the
independent testing organization NSF International at 800-NSF-MARK
or www.nsf.org. You can locate certified dealers by contacting the
Water Quality Association at 630-505-0160 or www.wqa.org.
If the only problem with your water is grit, dirt, sediment, rust,
or other such particles, a screening filter will most likely be
sufficient. Made of fiber, fabric, ceramic, or other screening
media, these simply catch particles. But don’t rely on them to
filter bacteria.
If your water tastes, smells, or looks bad, an activated carbon
filter containing activated carbon (AC) will probably solve the
problem. If you want to remove chlorine, pesticides, herbicides,
radon, and some inorganic chemicals, carbon may be effective. Not
all carbon filters are effective at reducing lead content. Check the
certification of the unit you’re interested in buying and, if claims
are made regarding lead removal, ask for verification.
A conventional carbon filter is not effective for removing salts,
nitrates, nitrites, and some metals. And you shouldn’t rely on one
to remove organisms. Be aware that a carbon filter will accumulate
the contaminants removed from water, and bacteria may even breed in
it, so you must replace filter cartridges according to the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Effectiveness of a particular carbon unit is a factor of the amount
of activated carbon it contains. Although you can buy under sink
water filters, countertop water filter, faucet water filter,
the $30 faucet water filter type are only marginally
effective. Whole house water filters are available starting at about
$3,000 or more.
If you want to remove inorganic chemicals, such as salts, metals
(including lead), minerals, nitrates, asbestos, and some organic
chemicals, consider a reverse osmosis water filter, (RO filter).
Actually, most models include carbon pre-filters and post-filters,
too, which will catch sediment, pesticides, herbicides, THMs, and
radon. RO filters remove lead, but some don’t remove chlorine. Most RO filters are under sink water filters and are connected directly to plumbing beneath the sink. A small tank stores clean water until needed and tainted water drains out through a line connected to the sink trap. Drinking water flows through a special, separate sink-top spout. Some models have an automatic valve that eliminates the waste typically associated with RO filters. Conventional models waste about 3 gallons for every gallon of pure water they produce. They generally cost upwards of $250. Related articles:
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