Choosing the Right Water Filter for Your Home
Choosing the right water filter for your home can be a challenging task, but it could help improve your health. Water pollution has become a major concern for many people with frequent incidents of contamination, increased salinity and turbidity, and poor taste. If you are tired of putting up with the quality and taste of tap water then it will be a good idea to install a water filter in your home. This is a simple process but can enable you to overcome the dangers associated with drinking polluted water.
Why Use A Water Filter?
The major threat of drinking unfiltered water is the ingestion of dangerous chemicals and impurities that can wreak havoc on your health. Waterborne diseases claim millions of lives each year but can be prevented easily. An efficient water filter can not only trap the impurities but can also kill germs, protozoa and other organisms present in water.
Finding the Water Quality in Your Area
It is a good idea to test water quality in your area before buying a water filter. Water quality depends on a number of factors such as the reservoir the water is sourced from and the quality of pipes that bring it to your home. Water quality can change drastically from its original source to your tap, depending on the number of processes involved. Water purification, chlorination, types of water supply pipes, and exposure to natural elements play a crucial role in changing water quality.
The easiest way of finding water quality in your area is to test it for the presence of organisms as well as impurities. This two-pronged strategy will enable you to find the extent of contamination in your water supply.
Prerequisites for a Good Water Filter
A good water filter should be able to purge the water from both microorganisms and impurities. The regular water supply is often subjected to chlorination to kill bacteria. This process, however, creates a foul smell in water and regular drinking of chlorinated water can damage your kidneys, nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. You need a water filter that not only takes care of regular impurities but also stops the chlorine from entering into your body.
It will be good if you scan the types of water filters available before deciding on a particular type. This will remove the confusion associated with water purification and if you have made the right choice.
Pitcher and Faucet Filters
This type of filter is one of the oldest ways of purifying water. It includes a pitcher that has been divided into two parts. A filter is placed in between the two containers to trap impurities. You pour the water on the top half and it slowly drips into the lower half, trapping sand and other impurities in the filter. Pitcher filters are one of the cheapest types of water purification methods and ensure removal of sand and other impurities. However, they cannot kill bacteria and you can still smell chlorine.
Faucet filters are a type of filter that can be mounted on your water faucet and will clean the water once you open the tap. This offers quick filtration without having to wait for the water to drip down the lower half in a purified form. Some faucet filters come with electrical operations where they accelerate the process of purification and make it a one-second job.
Under the Sink and Home Filters
Under the sink filters come with their own faucets that you can use to draw purified water. You can install them in sync with your regular water supply taps. They offer quicker purification and may come with electrical operations.
Home filters offer complete purification of water supply irrespective of their location. Your bathroom faucets will dispense the same quality water as those in your kitchen. These filters come in large sizes and with a specific filtration rate per hour.
Purification Methods
It is more important to know the type of purification method used than the design or type of a water filter. This will allow you to select a brand that offers maximum protection for longer periods of time.
Reverse osmosis involves the desalination and purification of water by passing it through a membrane. The process of osmosis is reversed with the application of continuous pressure. Water particles are collected on one side with salt and other impurities trapped on the other.
Ultraviolet purification filters purify water by exposing it to ultraviolet light. Water is passed through a glass wall where it is irradiated by UV rays. Water collecting on the other side of the wall is purified of microorganisms. This type of purification is good for killing bacteria and protozoa but not very effective for metal impurities.
