Water is an essential nutrient and plays a key role in our survival It’s a substance composed of hydrogen and oxygen (H2O) and has a tasteless, odorless feature at room temperature. Every system in our body, including cells, tissues, and organs require water to function.
However, more often than not, our water supply contains unhealthy compounds like industrial chemicals PFCs, pharmaceutical residues, heavy metals, and even pesticides. To ensure you get a clean water supply that’s free of harmful contaminants, you should invest in quality water filters, here is an informative guide by Liam Smith from Exp Water to choose the right water filter for your home.
What Filter Do I Need?
With so many different water filter options available on the market, choosing the right one for drinking and cooking at home can be a complicated task. Different models have different types of filter technology and different levels of filtration. In our guide today, we will break down some important aspects to consider when choosing the right water filter to help you make an informed decision.
The first thing you need to do before going out shopping for a water filter is to identify what your specific needs are based on these two simple questions:
Do you need a filter just for your drinking water?
Do you need a filter to eliminate contaminants for all the water in your house including shower water, cooking water, and water for washing clothes?
Once you have those answered, you can begin to shortlist the type of water filter to get. As mentioned earlier, there are different filter technologies available, some work with carbon filtration systems, some have advanced technology with reverse osmosis while others might work based on the distillation concept to remove every impurity.
Below are some of the main types of water filters available:
- Faucet Water Filter
Faucet water filters are an inexpensive way of ensuring you and your family drink clean water. They’re easy to install and are effective and removing contaminants from water. - Refrigerator Water Filters
This type of filter removes contaminants and particulates from water that enters your refrigerator’s water and ice dispenser. - Shower Filter
A shower filter will help eliminate chlorine from your water to make your skin and hair feel softer after showering. - Whole House Water Filter
Whole-house filters remove contaminants from water before entering your home. - Under-Sink Filter
Under-sink filters do not require refilling and are good solutions for houses with limited counter space. Check here to learn more about under sink water filters. - Countertop Water Filter
Countertop filters can be hooked to your waterline, so you don’t have to refill it constantly. - Portable Water Filter
Portable water filters are designed to provide clean, bacteria-free drinkable water. These can be used in emergencies or to purify water from natural sources meaning they’re suitable to be brought for camping and fishing.
How do Water Filters Work?
Water filters work by removing contaminants and there are different methods available that can be employed to do the job. These methods employ one or more of the following concepts:
Physical Barriers: Physical barriers such as filtration, sedimentation, and distillation help to remove larger particles from your water.
Biological Barriers: Biological barriers include slow sand filters or biologically active carbons.
Chemical Barriers: Flocculation and chlorination methods use chemicals to remove particles in water.
Electromagnetic Radiation: Ultraviolet light can remove smaller impurities that physical filters cannot catch. It can also inactivate and kill microorganisms.
Other Questions to Ask When Choosing a Water Filter
What’s Your Water Source?
Every house will either rely on city water or private wells as its main water source. The public water supply is relatively safe but there are still hundreds of contaminants that are not regulated by the EPA. Private wells also have their own set of concerns with a study that reveals 40% of private wells contain E. Coli and/or other types of coliform bacteria.
Depending on your water source and the type of contaminants/microorganisms present in your water, there is a variety of treatments available to help ensure a clean and safe water supply.
How Many Bathrooms in Your Home?
Some water treatment systems are sized based on the maximum water flow rate through your home. By knowing the number of bathrooms in your home, you can quickly estimate the maximum water flow during peak usage times to determine the size needed for your home water treatment system.
How Many People Are Living in Your Home?
Some water filters are sized based on the average total water used by your household on a given day. Knowing the number of people living in a household can provide clues about household water usage, and therefore the right size of water filtration system for the house.