You have decided to switch to clean water, and rightly so. Now you have to choose the filter that suits you. Household water purifiers differ both in design and technical characteristics. We will tell you what you need to pay attention to choose right water filter.
Contents
Criteria for choosing a good drinking water filter
How do you know which water filter is right for you? Pay attention to several important points:
- approximate water consumption per day;
- degree of purification;
- availability of free space in the kitchen;
- estimated budget.
And now in more detail.
Daily water consumption
On average, a person needs from 1.5 to 5 liters of water per day for drinking and cooking, depending on lifestyle and individual characteristics. It should be borne in mind that 40% of the liquid enters the body with food.
If the filter is used not by one person, but by the whole family, the consumption increases. A pitcher filter may not be enough: the module is designed for about 300 liters of water – it will last for about a month, that is, you will have to buy a new one every month.
Impurities in tap water
To choose the right filter, it would be nice to know what exactly the water will have to be purified from.
The main sources of pollution of water bodies, from which water enters the tap, are industrial and domestic wastewater. We can assume with a high degree of certainty that it will contain:
- undissolved impurities (sand, rust);
- organic substances (phenols, organochlorines, pesticides, oil products);
- dissolved inorganic substances, mainly metal salts (lead, copper, zinc, nitrates);
- Dissolved chlorine is an essential part of chlorinated water.
Therefore, in order to deal with all the hares at once, the minimum set should include a mechanical filter, a carbon sorbent and an ion-exchange material.
And if you don’t want to calculate and analyze anything, you can take the path of least resistance and take a reverse osmosis water purifier – the most effective system that purifies water from all possible impurities.
Reverse osmosis technology is the best tool for dealing with hardness salts. Hard water is perhaps the most common and annoying problem in everyday life: scale in the kettle, white deposits on furniture and clothes… A reverse osmosis membrane will get rid of all these troubles. Soft water is good for both your morning cup of coffee and for refueling your iron.
Free space and cost
Not every kitchen has space for a large-sized stationary system, but you can always clear a spot for a jug on the table. The question of the layout of the kitchen and the availability of their own housing.
Filter Maintenance
Buying and installing a filter is not all, the adventure continues: you must not forget to take care of it.
Some systems are designed in such a way that for full operation you do not need to contact the masters, everything is easily replaced and installed by hand in a few minutes. Some – but not all: information about the details of filter maintenance is written in the instructions for it.
The list of must-have spa treatments includes:
- replacement of mechanical cleaning cartridges (after all, when they become clogged, pressure drops and water stops flowing);
- replacement of the membrane – reverse osmosis or hollow fiber (the period depends on the quality of the water and the mode of use, on average – once every 1.5 years);
- flushing the tank in a reverse osmosis filter.
Now let’s take a closer look at the main filter classes.
Filter jug
Pros:
No plumbing required, easy to use. Cartridges can be bought at any network hypermarket. Suitable for office, cottage, rented or communal apartment.
Cons:
A jug does not purify water as well as stationary water purifiers. The volume of purified water is equal to the volume of the funnel (usually from 1 to 1.7 liters). If you need, for example, 3 liters of water for soup, you will have to fill the jug twice and wait until the water is filtered. In addition, jugs are not suitable for dealing with hardness (scale).
Attachment on the crane
Pros:
Low price. Small dimensions. No piping required, no tools needed. Cleans water deeper than a jug filter.
Cons:
Models not equipped with a switch will have to be disconnected from the faucet to draw unfiltered water. Cleaning is of lesser quality than with a stationary filter under the sink .
Stationary sorption filter (flow-through)
Pros:
Efficient water purification from almost any harmful impurities, including hormones and antibiotics. Great performance, filters water at a speed of up to 1.5 liters per minute. Thanks to the ability to combine different cartridges, the sorption filter can be selected to solve the specific problems of your water: hardness, turbidity, odor, and so on.
Cons:
Takes up space under the sink. Requires plumbing, professional installation required. Not suitable for very hard water treatment: softening cartridges will have to be changed too often.
Stationary hollow fiber filter
Pros:
Advanced water purification from almost any harmful impurities, including chlorine and boiling resistant bacteria and Giardia – this becomes possible thanks to the ultrafiltration membrane. Water after the filter with a hollow fiber can be safely drunk without boiling, it is also suitable for preparing baby food.
Cons:
Same as sorption filters.
Reverse osmosis system
It is the most efficient water treatment technology. The semi-permeable membrane allows water molecules to pass through, and all contaminants go to the drain.
Pros:
An ideal tool in the fight against scale, completely eliminates its main cause – hardness salts. In models with a storage tank, a water supply of up to 10 liters is provided. The water after the reverse osmosis filter meets the standards of the highest category of drinking water.
Cons:
Professional installation preferred.
There are many options, the main thing is to choose a high-quality filter of any category. If you have any questions or doubts, our consultants will help you decide. We will do everything so that water does not poison your life and a cup of coffee!