What Makes A Good Water Purifier?
Water filtration is something that most of us take for granted. Unless the water is coming directly from a natural source, we tend to not question whether or not it’s safe. Despite this sense of security, the water that comes out of your faucet is not always safe. Between chemical contaminants and microbes, there are a myriad of possible ways for water to become unsafe between the treatment plant and your home. Having a good water purifier in your home is one way to prevent consuming unsafe or unpleasant water.
So you may be wondering if you need a filter in your home. Having your water tested is a sure way to find out if you’re at risk, but there are some more obvious factors that might influence your decision. If you experience foul-smelling or turbid (cloudy) water, this is an obvious sign that you may need to add filtration to your home. That final filtration can help improve the taste and smell of your water by removing dissolved solids and harmful contaminants.
One of the biggest risks in tap water is chemical contaminants. In recent years you have definitely seen new stories revolving around lead in drinking water. Lead and other heavy metal contaminants can leach into drinking water as it passes through old and corroded pipes. Some chemicals can also leach into groundwater and can be difficult to remove using large scale water treatment. Adding a good water purifier to your home can help reduce the levels of these harmful chemicals.
While removing and reducing these chemical contaminants is important, you also have to consider that the water we drink is more than just H2O. There are countless minerals in our water that are actually beneficial. A good water purifier will leave these essential minerals in your water while reducing the levels of harmful chemicals.
Another drinking water risk comes in the form of microbes. Bacteria, protozoa, and certain parasites can enter drinking water through cross-contamination with sewer lines. These organisms can cause you to become extremely sick. Luckily they tend to be fairly large compared to chemical contaminants, making them much easier for filters to isolate. Having a filter with a bacteriostatic component will also prevent bacteria from multiplying within the filter itself.
One of the most popular filtration options on the market today is the filtered pitcher. These large plastic pitchers are designed with a built-in reservoir and a gravity-fed filter cartridge. Water passes through the cartridge and is stored in the pitcher until it is needed. Despite the popularity of these pitchers, they have several noteworthy faults. These filters take up room in your fridge, the filters are short-lived, and the filter will continue to operate long after the lifespan of the filter (providing virtually no filtration). Even when properly maintained, these pitchers can not approach the filtration you will achieve with a dedicated water filter system.
No matter what type of water filter you are using, the key to a good water purifier is activated carbon. Activated carbon is a miracle material when it comes to filtration systems. This black powder has an incredible amount of surface area, due to microscopic pockets coating every grain. A handful of high quality activated carbon will have the same surface area as a football field. This incredible surface area makes activated carbon a chemical sponge, able to trap and remove chemicals and particulates from your water.
Reverse osmosis is another option for a water purifier. These systems use a special semipermeable membrane to remove impurities from water. By pressurizing water above the osmotic pressure of the membrane, water will move through it while leaving any impurities behind. Because the membrane is sensitive to chlorine and large particles, the water will have to be filtered before undergoing the RO process. These filters are incredibly effective for purifying water, though they tend to filter slowly. For this reason, many systems require a storage tank to ensure filtered water is always available.
No matter which system you choose for your home, it's important to look at its installation and maintenance requirements. Your system should be easy to install so you do not need to hire professional help just to install your filter. Maintenance on many systems is very user-friendly and typically only requires changing out the cartridges.
So if you are ready to start enjoying having 24/7 access to filtered water in your home, our team at efilters is here to help. We can recommend a good water purifier that will meet your needs and help ensure your water is safe to drink year-round. If you have any questions about our products or you need help finding the perfect system for your home, you can reach our team at info@efilters.net