Water filters can perform many functions in your home. They can make your tap water taste amazing, like you are drinking it out of a mountain stream. What you may not know is that they can do so much more than altering the taste.
I have been using a water filter in my home for a few months now, and I absolutely love it. When I was deciding what kind to get, there was an overwhelming array of options.
A whole house water filter, charcoal water filter, or a gravity water filter were just a few of the options.
I’ve written this article on different types of water filters to help you understand the benefits of each. But first, let’s go over why you may want to filter your water.
Why Filter Your Water?
Here are just three of the many reasons why you may want to consider filtering your water.
Taste
One of the biggest reasons people like to filter their water is the taste. Having a faucet water filter can help your water taste so much better, almost like bottled water. For many people who spend a fortune yearly on purchasing bottled water, this can be a huge cost saving.
Cleanliness
Even water that is recommended as safe for drinking is not always fully clean. Water can contain many contaminants just from flowing through all the pipes it takes to get to your home.
Chlorine
Chlorine is often added to water to make it safe for drinking. However, when you add chlorine to the water, this can create some dangerous by-products.
When chlorine mixes with some of the compounds found in water, this can result in harmful by-products called Trihalomethanes. Many types of water filters can filter out the chlorine in water.
Types of Water Filters
Which of the types of water filters you may select will depend on what you want to achieve by filtering your water. Whether it’s great taste, softer skin or cleaner water, there’s a solution for you on the below list.
1. Water Distiller
At the grocery store, you have likely come across distilled water. It is way more expensive than drinking regular old tap water. So, what is it that makes it worth this cost to some people?
Distilled water is water that has been boiled into steam. Then the water is recollected and any bad compounds are left behind during this process. Thereby, it filters your water.
This is a great method that removes many contaminants. It removes calcium and magnesium from water, among other things. This means that a water distiller effectively softens your water too, while it distills it.
However, water distillers tend to be time-consuming to use and require a lot of maintenance. This can render them a more expensive option overall. They also use electricity, costing you even more.
2. Carbon Filters
Carbon has become something of a trending product lately. It has been used for many years, however, in the process of filtering water. As carbon is porous, it absorbs many of the harmful contaminants we find in our water.
Carbon filters use activated carbon because it attracts nasty compounds you don’t want in your water such as formaldehyde and acetone.
3. Reverse Osmosis System
Reverse osmosis may sound like a daunting process. However, reverse osmosis systems are actually pretty simple. Water gets propelled through a membrane that acts as a filter for bacteria and other contaminants. The membrane can last for up to two or three years before it needs to be replaced.
What happens is that when the water passes through the membrane, the contaminants and wastewater get left behind. This leaves you with fresh water which is completely safe to drink.
Nearly half of bottled water is produced using this technique. This is because it is more cost-effective than the process of distilling water. It is also one of the strongest filtration systems you can find for eliminating water contaminants.
4. Gravity Water Filter
A gravity water filter uses gravity to filter your water. But how? The filter possesses a lower and an upper chamber. Pour your water in the upper one and as it flows through the filter to the lower one, it is purified.
The filter used lets only pure water through to the lower chamber and keeps all contaminants and bacteria trapped on the top level.
5. Sediment Filtration
One of the most popular at-home water filtering systems is sediment filtration. It is also used widely in commercial and industrial functions. It is a cost-effective way of getting unwanted particles out of your water.
It is good for removing dust, rust, silt, heavy metals, and sand from water. Water flows through the filter with only a tiny space to escape from, generally five microns. This is small enough that larger particles cannot follow and get trapped in the system.
The downside of using this system is that it doesn’t remove contaminants or chemicals that are smaller than one micron. Unfortunately, this encompasses many things that are in our water. This makes it a better filter for your garden water than for drinking water.
The video can help you choose the right sediment filtration system for your home.
6. Activated Alumina
This is a type of filter that should be used if you specifically are looking to remove fluoride from your water. Tap water drains through the filter and the activated alumina in the filter absorbs any fluorides in the water. This makes it a fantastic fluoride water filter.
This is extremely effective at removing 99% of fluoride. It can also eliminate arsenic, thallium, and selenium from your water.
The downside is that it doesn’t really remove anything else from your water. It only removes the substances mentioned above. If you’re looking for safe water to drink, you will need to use one of the other types of water filters as well.
Types of Home Water Filter Systems
While the above are the types of filtration methods used, it is also important to cover how you can use these in your home. The below are systems you can have installed in your home which will use one of the above methods to filter your water.
7. Shower Filters
This is a filter that specifically works on filtering the water spraying out of your showerhead. Many of the nasty chemicals that we want to keep out of our drinking water can be bad for our skin and hair too. Plus, some of them can be inhaled through steam. That’s why you may consider getting a shower filter.
Water in our homes often contains lots of minerals. This is called hard water. Minerals may sound good, but hard water can wreak havoc on your hair, skin, and nails. Purchasing a shower filter can soften your water so that you have shinier hair and softer skin.
8. Water Pitcher
A water pitcher contains just one filter. Usually, the water is filtered as you pour it into the pitcher. However, sometimes the filter is located in the spout so that you filter as you pour a glass of water.
This is a basic and cost-effective option if you’re only interested in types of water filters for filtering your drinking water.
9. Faucet Water Filter
Having a water filter in your faucet is preferred by many families because a greater quantity of water is filtered. Rather than just filtering drinking water, this filters all tap water for cooking, washing dishes, and cleaning purposes. That’s the main advantage of this kind.
10. Under Sink Water Filter
Rather than having your water filter sitting on your countertop, many people prefer an under sink water filter. That’s because it does the same job but it is hidden away under your bench. This leaves you with more precious bench space for your appliances or preparing meals.
11. Multi-Stage Water Filter
The final option is a multi-stage water filter. This contains two or more types of filters, usually the ones from above. For example, it may contain an activated charcoal filter as well as an activated alumina filter.
Why? Because different types of filters filter different chemicals and contaminants. The alumina filter would get rid of any fluoride in the water while the charcoal would absorb any chlorine, for example.
Summary
No matter which type of water filter you prefer, you will find it very useful in your home. Now you have read about a lot of different types of water filters. As you can see, there are positives and negatives to all of them.
Hopefully, being more informed about water filters can aid you in making the right choice for your unique situation. Whether you’re concerned about fluoride in your water or more cautious about filtering sediment, there’s a filter for you.
The filtering system you use will largely depend on the setup of your home and how large your family is. For some people, a water pitcher does the job fine. However, those who want their shower water filtered enjoy having a shower filter too.
Keep in mind that these all come at different price points. You will need to do your research first on how much they all cost. Then you can decide based on your family’s requirements which one suits you. Happy hunting for your perfect water filter!
