How To Choose Home Water Purifier Systems
Home water purifier systems are becoming increasingly important today, with the growing possibility of compromised drinking water systems and more questions about the safety of our water supply. But it will take more than just a faucet water filter to give you great results. Good home water purifier systems need professional installation and take up a good bit of your under-counter space. This means you must consider cost of the system, cost of installation, and the space it will take up as well as its appropriateness for purifying your water, and compare that with the costs of drinking bottled water or doing nothing. The purification system that works best for your needs is always the best one for you.
When considering home water purifiers, you’ll want to learn about their filter systems. Do you need to change filters frequently? This is an issue for some filter types, and it’s important not just because of cost but because of the convenience factor. If you neglect to change your filter frequently enough, the water you drink just before filter changes could be more contaminated than unfiltered water. If you’re the sort who will put off such tasks, you should probably invest in a system that does not require changes.
You should know about contaminants home water purifier systems remove. Home water purification systems remove different contaminants, depending on the system you’re using. Not all systems will remove the contaminants you need to eliminate, but you may not need every contaminant removed either. Be sure your chosen system takes out whatever you’re concerned about. For instance, a UV system is great for removing amoeba from a natural water supply, while a reverse osmosis system removes almost everything but may function better with a UV filter added to kill any living things that slip through.
You have to consider cost when selecting a home water purifier. Cheap systems attach directly to your faucet and use activated carbon, but the filters they use need frequent changing and don’t filter out as much as you might like. On the other end, UV filters can cost as much as a thousand dollars, but they will kill anything living in your water without chlorine or other chemical additives. In general, though, home water purification systems sit right in the $200-300 price range, with installation extra. This can be a real bargain if you drink a lot of bottled water; once installed, a water filtration system needs very little maintenance and you can make your own filtered water at about a nickel a gallon. Compare that with your regular bottled water costs, and decide for yourself whether it’s a net gain.
General types of home water purification systems are as follow. Reverse osmosis systems involve putting a tank under your sink for a passive osmotic removal of contaminants, and supply you with bottled-water-quality drinking water. UV systems kill any living organism in your water without contaminating it with chlorine or other harmful chemicals; this is a great option if you depend on well or spring water. Activated carbon filters remove many types of contaminants and are inexpensive in comparison to others, but they will need frequent changes. And shower filters, using KDF-55 filters, remove contaminants in your shower water, softening the water and eliminating harmful chlorine. Examining the other differences between these basic types will help you make an intelligent and informed decision about which water filtration system is best for you.