Buyers Guide

Water Filter Guide

Why You Ned a Water Filter

Your body needs plenty of pure water natural water every day for you to maintain optimum health. However our municipal water supply is not natural and pure, in fact it contains some of the most poisonous substances and disease causing organisms in the world.

Here is a list of the most common toxins that can be found in your water supply.

Arsenic – Arsenic is a very toxic heavy metal and has been classified as a category 1 carcinogenic by the International Academy for Research on Cancer (IARC) which basically means that it causes cancer.

Fluoride- Fluoride is an extremely toxic substance (almost as toxic as arsenic) which is sometimes added to the water supply, even though there are no recorded health benefits to ingesting fluoride. Due to its toxicity the fluoridation process has actually been banned in some countries.

Chlorine- is added to water to kill certain bacteria; however studies have shown that this substance is known to cause tumours.  Once in the human body, it bonds with other compounds to form Trihalomethanes (THMs). These by-products trigger the production of free radicals in the body and cause serious cell damage.  

Other common substances include: Heavy metals such as lead, VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), sediments, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, herbicides, and micro-organisms such as cysts and viruses.

What about Bottled Water

Bottled water can be a good short term fix but should not be used as a solution for three reasons. Regulations for bottled water do not require bottled water to be any cleaner than tap water; as a result many of the brands are not as pure as we would like to believe. Bottled water is very expensive and can cost more than petrol in price per gallon. Also bottling and disposing of bottled water creates a large carbon footprint, many bottles must be recycled in the process.

Types of Filters

There are 4 main types of filters to choose from, Multi stage filters, Pitchers, Reverse Osmosis and Distillers. Some water filters are designed to be installed underneath your sink, these are known as “under sink filters” whilst others are known as “counter top filter” which are designed to sit on your countertop. We will discuss the different types of water filters in more detail now.

Pitchers

Pitchers are a small transportable countertop solution that requires no installation. Pitchers use granular carbon filters and have a limited ability to absorb synthetic chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides. However, pitchers can only filter small amounts of water at one time and filters cartridges need to be replaced frequently, this makes pitchers very expensive to run. Because pitchers only use 1 type of filter (carbon) they are unable to remove micro-organisms and other impurities like other filters.

Having a pitcher filter is better than no filter at all, but they should not be considered as a serious water filter solution.

Distillers

Water distillers mimic the natural water cycle in nature which purifies water and creates rain clouds. Distillers work by boiling the water until it evaporates as steam, the steam rises gets collected and cooled so it turns back into water, leaving behind all the impurities. This method produces the purest form of water. However the distillation process removes all the minerals from the water, some would argue that the water needs to have some natural minerals such as magnesium and calcium. It is true that underground water sources such as springs contain these minerals, but it is also true that natural rain water does not, yet humans have been drinking both sources of water for millennia without any problems. Some health practitioners have also argued that the human body gets its essential supply of vitamins and minerals from food and not from water, and the amount trace minerals in spring water are not nearly enough to meet the bodies needs. Overall pure water is much better for your body then tap water.

Click here to see reviews of the top home Water Distiller

Multi Stage Filter

Because there are many different types of contaminants and poisons in the municipal water supply you need different filtering processes to remove each type. For example, a carbon filter is good at removing volatile organic compounds but will not remove chlorine. The best filters will have a five stage filtration process which has:

• Sub Particle Micron Filter – This will remove sediments and other compounds which make the water cloudy and give it a bad taste.
• Chlorine Filter – This removes the chlorine from the water
• Ion Exchange Filter – This removes the heavy metals from the water such as lead and can substitute this for potassium which is a healthy mineral.
• Granular Carbon Filter – This will absorb synthetic chemicals such as pesticides herbicides, and pharmaceuticals.
• Sub-Micron Filter – This will catch micro-organisms and other water borne parasites.

Click here to see reviews of the top Multi Stage home filters

Reverse Osmosis Filter

Reverse Osmosis is where water is filtered through a semi permeable membrane filter with microscopic holes. These holes are small enough to let water through but will stop most sediments and impurities. Reverse Osmosis systems usually come with a carbon filter too to catch the synthetic chemicals which can still pass through the RO membrane.  There is one drawback to reverse osmosis systems; the process produces a lot of waste water. Typically for every gallon of filtered water that is produced 3-5 gallons are wasted. This is something to consider before you buy a RO system as it could increase the cost of your water bill significantly over time. Reverse osmosis systems can also remove non-volatile minerals such as potassium and magnesium too, some people prefer to have these minerals in the water. However it is no possible to have it both ways [at the moment], you cannot remove the poisonous materials but leave the non-poisonous behind. It is best to filter your water to the purest level that is possible. Remember the food you eat is the true source of healthy minerals your body needs, so make sure you maintain a healthy well balanced diet.

Click here to see reviews of the top Reverse Osmosis home filters