Water filters have become essential items in many homes. For people who live in areas with hard water, water filters are necessary to prevent their water from tasting chalky and dull. These filters use ion exchange to filter out undesirable minerals that alter the taste of freshwater.
Our Picks for the Best Ionizer Water Filters
4 ionized alkaline continuously variable; 1 non-ionized purified; 2 ionized acidic presets.
7 platinum coated titanium, long-life, durable, energy-efficient plates
Long-life, hi-tech filter purifies over 1,585 gal. of water and last up to a year
Unit cleans itself by reversing polarity after each use and auto-plate washing itself every 10.5 gal
Requires additional filter for chlorine
Easiest to install on the market
High capactiy with forever manufacturer warranty
The Internal 2 Stage Water Filter System gives you cleaner more purified drinking water
Reduces flow slightly but still acceptable
Requires minimum water pressure of 20lbs Per Square Inch of Constant water pressure (20psi) supplied by tap or well water pressureBudget Pick
Infuses additional hydrogen molecules into your drinking water, for spectacular effects.
Getting rid of chlorine and ozone residue, you’ll be left only with hydrogen rich water.
10 minutes of hydrogen inhalation is equal to drinking 2 liters of hydrogen rich water
30 days Money Back Guarantee, One Year Hassle Free Warranty, and a friendly customer service
Does not remove as many contaminants as more expensive units
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Our water scientists and engineers spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers .
Humans have used various water filtration methods throughout history, many of which relied on sieve-like designs that removed particles from water. Some of these were devised using cylinders filled with coarse gravel and fine sand, while others used cloth to filter out physical impurities.
These filtration methods were considered revolutionary for their time, but are mostly obsolete compared to the ion exchange filtration methods we have access to in the 21st century.
The modern ion exchange water filters we see today were first introduced in the early 1900s. They were created to help comply with the water quality standards that had been adopted by a number of countries at the time.
Ion exchange filters have made the water purification process incredibly easy, and can improve the taste of water immensely. Let’s look at how the ion exchange process works.
Minerals in water
Most freshwater found around the planet contains some minerals. Some of these minerals may not necessarily be harmful to consume, however, they can alter the taste of water if their concentration is high enough.
Freshwater found in areas with lots of limestone tends to be “hard”. This means it has a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. Hard water tastes chalky and “chemically”, and isn’t well suited for cooking or being used in beverages.
Other kinds of freshwater may have high concentrations of sulfate, nitrate, and arsenic. These can be hazardous to your health, and should definitely be removed before consuming such water.
What hard water filters do
A hard water filter removes calcium and magnesium ions from water that is filtered through it. This reduces the hardness of the water and gives it a more neutral taste.
Such filters contain ion exchange resins that the water passes through the during the filtration process. These resins are made from polymers that bind to positively charged ions such as calcium and magnesium and remove them from water.
However, removing positively charged ions from water can give it a net negative charge. So these ions need to be replaced with other positively charged ions from minerals that don’t alter the taste of water.
The resin water filter system on a calcium water filter is usually coated in sodium ions which are positively charged. These sodium ions replace the calcium and magnesium ions that were removed, in order to balance the concentration of positive and negative ions in the water.
This is considered a desirable exchange as the sodium ions replacing the calcium and magnesium ions do not alter the taste of water noticeably. This reduction in water “hardness” has led to some of these filters being referred to as “ionic water softeners”
What anion filters do
Anion filters are similar to hard water filters in that they replace certain ions in water with other less-harmful or less taste-altering ones. However, the key difference between the two is that anion filters filter out the negatively charged ions from water, while hard filters filter out positively charged ions.
These negatively charged ions include sulfates, nitrates, and arsenic which are hazardous to your health. Anion exchange has been used to make drinking water safe in many countries. Access to quality filtration can be a life and death matter for many people across the globe, so it’s great that affordable anion filters are widely available.
Ionizer water machines
Ion exchange filters are far more popular than their alternative – ionizer water machines or water ionizers. Water ionizers can be prohibitively expensive compared to ion exchange filters, and they may not be of use to most people.
The goal of water ionizers isn’t to purify water, but to split it into acidic and alkaline components. It does this through the process of electrolysis.
A typical water ionizer contains a water filter that is connected to your household’s water tap. This filter removes physical particles from the water before it is sent through the ionizer. This water then passes over “plates” in the ionizer that are electrically charged.
The positively charged plate attracts the negatively charged alkaline ions such as hydroxide (OH-), while the negatively charged plate attracts the positively charged acidic ions such as hydrogen (H+).
This process separates the water into an acidic stream and an alkaline stream that can be collected individually. It is believed that drinking the alkaline water provides health benefits, while the acidic water can be used for a variety of external applications.
However, the benefits of this alkaline water have been disputed, and are not backed up by scientific studies.
Acidic water can be used as an antibacterial cleaner, hand-sanitizer, make-up remover, cleanser and exfoliator.
Filters vs ionizers
Filters are better at accomplishing the task of removing particular ions from your drinking water. They are cheap, widely available, and can be replaced easily. Industrial anion exchange resins last between 4 and 8 years, while cation exchange resins last between 10 and 15 years.
Water ionizers don’t have a given lifespan, however, they may be more expensive to repair compared to ion filters which are relatively cheap.
Which is right for me?
If you live in an area where the groundwater is in contact with limestone, your water is likely to be hard. You can easily soften this water using a hard water or a calcium filter.
If you live in an area where the groundwater contains a lot of negatively charged ions such as sulphates and nitrates, you should opt to use an anion filter.
Everyone should have access to quality drinking water in the modern era, and ion exchange filters have helped provide this access to billions of people across the globe.
Best Type of Water Filter for Well Water
We can have all the cold fizzy drinks we want, but nothing quenches thirst quite like a glass of clean, cold water. Conversely, our desire to consume water can be knocked out of kilter because very few things in life are as gross as a mouthful of water that smells of rotten eggs.
Our Picks for the Best Well Water Filters
Removes up to 99-percent of chemicals, heavy metals, sediment, and other contaminants then adds healthy minerals back
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
NSF-Certified, EPA approved
Requires basic plumbing tools like wrenches and teflon tape
Light-weight, portable, and easily moved around the counter top
Removes viruses, protozoa, TMHs, drugs and other chemicals
Safe to use, durable and long lasting
The system has been tested countless times to produce brilliant results
Needs to be broken in properly to ensure filtering correctly
Filters an astounding one million gallon of water and is expected to last a decade
The UV filter protects against viruses and bacteria from festering and growing
Multiple filtration systems provide your whole house with clean water for all needs
Easy to install and easy to function
More expensive than smaller systems but lasts much longer
May need professional assistance depending on current plumbing system
Long lasting and durable, this system can pump around 3,000 gallons of water
No cumbersome maintenance required
Filters out heavy chemicals, metals and chlorine compounds with its 4-filtration systems
One of the cheapest water filtration systems for homes and offices
May run into minor leaking issues
Easy installation unless your fridge is over 20 years old
Why Trust Waterful.org?
Our water scientists and engineers spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers .
If you are interested in ensuring the purity of your residential water supply, you will have to do a bit of research. Once you find out that you need a well water filtration system, you can look around and find the most effective filters for the intended purpose.
Best of all, you will be able to find the ideal filter without making too massive a dent in your wallet.
However, it very important to find out precisely what needs filtering before you purchase a well water filter. For this purpose, you will need a well water testing kit to determine the nature of the impurities in your water supply.
Duly armed with the right knowledge, you can get the desired filter of your choice. One that will help keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy all year long.
How Would You Know If the Water Is Clean Enough?
It is imperative that you should test the water as thoroughly and as soon as possible. This holds true if you are one of the millions of people who routinely use water from a private well. You should also get your water checked in case you are just plain unsure about the quality of your drinking and cooking water supply. There are many different ways of testing your water supply to determine if it is safe for human consumption.
Some of them include the following:
Visual Confirmation
This is the quickest, easiest and by far the single most affordable way to check your water supply. If you see large brown clouds or tiny particles in the water, it is almost certainly not safe to drink or for any other use as well. Similarly, any unusual smell or taste suggests a high level of contamination due to particle based pollutants and chemicals such as iron, chloramine and also highly dangerous bacteria.
Well Water Testing Kit
There exist many contaminants that are odorless and colorless but nonetheless very dangerous. In order to find out if they exist in your well water supply, you will have to use home water quality test kits. They are easily available both online or at local hardware stores. These kits usually contain strips that change color whenever they are exposed to certain contaminants in your water. This will give you a rough idea of the presence of certain water contaminants. However, such kits can only help you to find out about certain substances, not all of them. For example, there may be coliform in well water and you won’t even know about it.
If you want a more comprehensive report you are better off sending samples of your drinking water supply to your local state-certified water testing lab. Once you have the lab results in hand, you can go about finding the ideal well water treatment systems for your home. This is very important because different filtration systems work only with specific types of contaminants. Conversely, they may not work as well for other ones. Let us check out some of the best well water filtration systems for your home:
1. Activated Carbon Filters
They are also known as pre-filters or carbon filters. They are a great way of removing large particles such as sediments and silt from your well water supply. They are able to work by first attracting and subsequently absorbing these contaminants into the filter, so as to remove their harmful presence from the drinking and cooking water gushing from your faucet.
An activated carbon filter can also help to remove the bitter taste of chlorine along with many residual odors from your drinking water supply. Always remember, the lesser the contamination, the purer and healthier the water. Finally, an activated carbon filter is also widely considered to be the cheapest way to remove iron from well water.
2. Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is the very best whole house water filter for well water. It is very popular because it can effectively remove all the different types of contaminants that can prove to be harmful to your health as well as the health of your loved ones. This is one of the most effective treatments against any sort of pollution in your water supply. The end result of the RO process results in crystal clean, clear and odor-free water
3. Alkaline and Water Ionizers
This type of filter normally uses a process known as electrolysis. Here, the water is repeatedly passed over plates that are electrically charged and it is separated into two separate streams. One alkaline and the other acidic.
This is the best treatment for hard water. In fact, properly ionized water is always much softer than untreated hard water. It will foam easily and make it much easier to wash your clothes. It is also much better for your skin too.
4. Ultra Violet (UV) Filters
These are state of the art filters and are considered to be the newest technologies in the water filtration system market. Strong ultraviolet radiation can easily help treat water by destroying the various bacteria that can prove injurious to your health.
If you are interested in a really environmentally friendly way of purifying all of your water supply, this great filter can actually be the perfect answer to all your concerns. This is because it does not need any chemicals or heat energy to be effective.
5. Infrared Filters
IR filters work like their alkaline filter counterparts by helping to soften your water supply. Filters equipped with IR technology will be of great help If the well water in your home is particularly hard. This type of filter uses both heat and light to negatively charge your water supply and give it a much softer feel.
6. Gravity Fed Filters
These filtration systems are often equipped with fluoride and arsenic filters. When combined together, both of these elements can easily remove more than 99.99% of pathogenic bacteria such as E.coli, from your water supply. Once installed, you can be sure that you will get fresh and pure water for both drinking and cooking purposes.
Conclusion
If you are not sure about the quality of your well water, you should get it professionally tested and get the best filter based on the contamination present in the water. Your family’s health depends upon it!
Best Type of Water Filter for Tap Water
While it is certainly true that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) formally regulates public water supplies, this certainly does not mean that your water is completely clean.
Our Picks for the Best Water Filters
Removes up to 99-percent of chemicals, heavy metals, sediment, and other contaminants then adds healthy minerals back
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
NSF-Certified, EPA approved
Requires basic plumbing tools like wrenches and teflon tape
Light-weight, portable, and easily moved around the counter top
Removes viruses, protozoa, TMHs, drugs and other chemicals
Safe to use, durable and long lasting
The system has been tested countless times to produce brilliant results
Needs to be broken in properly to ensure filtering correctly
Filters an astounding one million gallon of water and is expected to last a decade
The UV filter protects against viruses and bacteria from festering and growing
Multiple filtration systems provide your whole house with clean water for all needs
Easy to install and easy to function
More expensive than smaller systems but lasts much longer
May need professional assistance depending on current plumbing system
Long lasting and durable, this system can pump around 3,000 gallons of water
No cumbersome maintenance required
Filters out heavy chemicals, metals and chlorine compounds with its 4-filtration systems
One of the cheapest water filtration systems for homes and offices
May run into minor leaking issues
Easy installation unless your fridge is over 20 years old
Why Trust Waterful.org?
Our water scientists and engineers spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers .
In other words, various contaminants such as asbestos, chlorine, copper, cadmium, fluoride, and many more similar chemicals can find their way into your drinking water supply. Here, in order to thoroughly assess whether or not you should actually get a water purifier or filter, you will need to understand your water source as well as its potential contamination points.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that if you are getting your water supply from a private well, you should get it properly tested by a state-certified lab[1]. Ideally this should be done at least once per annum.
In case you get your drinking water from a municipal power utility, you will regularly get a report from the Environmental Protection Agency. This report will be attached to your monthly water bill and will describe the quality of your water supply as well as any contaminants found in it.
You might decide to get a tap water filter just to improve the overall taste of your tap water. This holds true even if the poor taste is not really due to anything harmful or detrimental to your health. It is pertinent to note that the CDC regularly warns that many water-based contaminants cannot be tasted, seen, or smelled.
If you get your drinking water tested from an authorized source and the report states that there dangerous amounts of microbes in it, you will need a water purifier. This also holds true if there is a lot of lead for instance. Apart from that, there might be nitrates, arsenic, chlorine or other contaminants in the water. In all such cases, you will need a water filtration system, that can safely and specifically address all of these concerns.
Do Water Filters Really Work?
In a nutshell yes, they really do work as advertised. In fact, you can always test your water in different ways and see just what kind of difference a filter will make to your life. The best way to tell if a filter is actually working is to just simply measure the contamination levels in your unfiltered tap water with the water from your filter.
If there is no clear difference between the two, the odds are that the filter is too old, or it has not been installed properly. In either case, it will look like the filter is not working the way it should.
What to Look for in a Good Quality Water Filter?
Before looking for a water filter it is very important that you look at your water. Exactly, what sort of contaminants are present in it? If it is the usual standard stuff such as mercury, chlorine, and pesticides, you can use a simple tap water filtration system.
On the other hand, if your water supply is severely contaminated, and contains heavy concentrations of bacteria and lead (Plumbum), you might need to purchase a reverse osmosis water filtration system. If not that, you will need at least the best faucet filter money can buy.
However, with lead contamination, it will be a good idea to make sure that you purchase a filter that has been duly certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF). This is the only way to ensure that your filtration system can safely remove the harmful lead content in your water supply.
Since there are so many different types of contaminants around, it will be a very good idea to check them all, with the help of the official water report from your water supply utility. It will help you to find out just what kind of filer you need for a regular supply of safe and healthy drinking water.
What Type of Filtering do You Need for Your Drinking Water Supply?
No single filter will be able to remove all of the contaminants in the water. This is why it is much more important to select the best tap water filter around, for your water source.
Let us take a quick look at the different kinds of filters available today.
Some of the best under-sink filters tend to be on the expensive side. However, these premium options are permanently installed under the kitchen sink and they will easily filter all of your drinking and cooking water through multiple stages. They are worth the cost because they can remove more contaminants than most other types of filters around. Apart from that, they can also filter large amounts of water at the same time.
They are by far and large, some of the simplest water filters available today. The filter fits snugly inside a pitcher so that you would be able to keep it in your refrigerator. This will ensure that you have a drink of cold and refreshing water whenever you feel thirsty. They are pretty inexpensive and easy to use. However, the main filtration unit of these filters has a very short lifespan and it can only filter a small amount of water at one time.
Some of the best faucet water filters offer plenty of value for money. It is exactly what it sounds like. I.e., a water filter that is screwed directly onto the water faucet in your kitchen. It will filter most of the common contaminants in your water and make sure it is safe for both cooking and drinking purposes. It requires minimal installation and can get the job done, even on a tight budget.
They are ideal for filtering large quantities of water and you won’t even need to modify the plumbing in your home. Countertop filters rarely ever clog up and they can last a long time.
Conclusion
In light of the above, we can safely state that water filters are absolutely critical for the health and wellbeing of your whole family. You should get one today!
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/home-water-treatment/water-filters/step1.html
Why Does My Water Smell?
We can have all the cold fizzy drinks we want, but nothing quenches thirst quite like a glass of clean, cold water. Conversely, our desire to consume water can be knocked out of kilter because very few things in life are as gross as a mouthful of water that smells of rotten eggs.
Our Picks for the Best Water Smell Filters
Removes up to 99-percent of chemicals, heavy metals, sediment, and other contaminants then adds healthy minerals back
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
NSF-Certified, EPA approved
Requires basic plumbing tools like wrenches and teflon tape
Light-weight, portable, and easily moved around the counter top
Removes viruses, protozoa, TMHs, drugs and other chemicals
Safe to use, durable and long lasting
The system has been tested countless times to produce brilliant results
Needs to be broken in properly to ensure filtering correctly
Filters an astounding one million gallon of water and is expected to last a decade
The UV filter protects against viruses and bacteria from festering and growing
Multiple filtration systems provide your whole house with clean water for all needs
Easy to install and easy to function
More expensive than smaller systems but lasts much longer
May need professional assistance depending on current plumbing system
Long lasting and durable, this system can pump around 3,000 gallons of water
No cumbersome maintenance required
Filters out heavy chemicals, metals and chlorine compounds with its 4-filtration systems
One of the cheapest water filtration systems for homes and offices
May run into minor leaking issues
Easy installation unless your fridge is over 20 years old
Why Trust Waterful.org?
Our water scientists and engineers spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers .
If you have to hold your nose with your finger and thumb when you drink tap water, you have a lot of company. In fact, many Americans who drink tap or well water complain of some sort of odor emanating from their freshwater supply.
The good news is that most of the common odors and flavors that you find in tap water are not really harmful to your health at all. On the contrary, the sulfur and other trace minerals present in your water supply can do a really good job of keeping you safe and healthy from many common illnesses.
Different Types of Water Odors and Their Sources
Ultimately, how your water will smell, and taste usually has a lot to do with the overall quality of the water source. As a general rule, most utilities typically focus on the active prevention of the transmission of various water-borne diseases. This is by far the most important part of their job.
While they may try their level best to control odor and taste-related issues, they don’t always succeed in doing so, to the complete satisfaction of the end consumer.
o Chlorine
For example, chlorine is now widely considered to be one of the single most common offenders when it comes to smelly water. This holds particularly true for water sources that are based on a municipal water system. This widely used chemical is generally used in various water-treatment facilities in order to get rid of all kinds of disease-causing viruses, bacteria as well as parasites.
Usually, the water utilities are told to use just enough chlorine to get the job done right. But sometimes, it so happens that they overdo it. The excess chlorine in water can certainly make it smell and taste different.
o Dimethyl Disulfide
Other common causes of odor in the water include naturally occurring compounds that may be located close to the source of the water supply. These include various algae and other microorganisms and all of them combined can make your drinking water taste and smell markedly different.
If your water smells like stale vegetables, the odds are that the culprit is a chemical known as sulfur. It occurs naturally in soil and is produced by various microorganisms that survive in oxygen-poor environments. It is possible to both taste and smell it, even if it is present in very minute quantities.
o Geosmin
Geosmin compounds are released by certain species of algae that prefer to live in or near various freshwater sources such as rivers and lakes. They create a certain musty and earthy aroma in drinking water. And again, even a very small amount can easily cause the water to smell. Geosmin is seasonal in nature and you might notice various seasonal fluctuations in many of these odors as well. Usually, late summer is the time when most algae bloom and die, and this is reflected in the pungency of your water supply.
The Sulfur Smell in the Water
Sulfur water may not smell very good, but it certainly does not mean that it is bad for your body. While, everything in excess can be harmful, a little bit of sulfur can prove to be very beneficial for you.
o What Exactly Is Sulfur Water?
Sulfur water is typically caused by minute quantities of hydrogen sulfur gas in your water supply. It can enter your water supply in the following ways:
- Soil, stones, and rocks that contain sulfur can seep into the water supply
- Sulfate-reducing bacteria can convert various compounds into a form of hydrogen sulfide gas
- The water heater in your home produces the gas
The Core Benefits of Sulfur
Sulfur is a very common compound and it is found in many popular food items that you may consume on a daily basis. It is actually quite beneficial for your everyday nutritional needs because it improves the overall quality of your skin, hair, and connective tissues. And this is irrespective of the sulfur smell in water.
However, in case your hot water smells like rotten eggs, you might have excessive sulfur in your water supply. In the long run, it can lead to various stomach disorders and decrease the quality of your life. Apart from that, excessivesulfate in your water can also lead to slime that will eventually clog your water pipes and stain clothing.
It can also reduce the power of bleach and make it much more difficult to clean and wash your clothes adequately. This holds particularly true if your well water smells like rotten eggs. This means the sulfur content in the subsoil has permeated your water supply. If you feel you have excess sulfur in your water supply, you might consider removing it.
o Iron Removal Filter Method
One of the easiest ways of removing sulfur is via an iron removal filter that can remove low to medium amounts of hydrogen sulfide. Apart from that, such filters can also remove excess quantities of manganese and iron. The filter can oxidize the hydrogen sulfide, by easily converting it into insoluble sulfur. Once that happens, it will remove it via the filtering process.
The filtration system will need to be regularly recharged with potassium permanganate equipped filters. This recharging process that ensures that the filter system works perfectly fine all year long. The installation and the operating instructions of the manufacturer have to be followed very precisely. The filter will need to be replaced very regularly if you want your water’s sulfur content reduced to acceptable limits.
Conclusion
In light of the above, we can safely conclude that sulfur is good for health and can help in the nourishment of your hair and your skin. However, excessive sulfur in your water will lead to a bad smell and you will have to filter it out.
How Often Should You Replace Water Filters
A water filter can help in the removal of harmful contaminants that are commonly found in drinking water. If you are not filtering your water supply, it is very likely that you and your family might just end up drinking dangerous bacteria and various harmful chemicals.
Our Picks for the Best Home Water Filters
Removes up to 99-percent of chemicals, heavy metals, sediment, and other contaminants then adds healthy minerals back
Modular all-in-one filter design for easy maintenance
Comes with a complete DIY-friendly installation kit
NSF-Certified, EPA approved
Requires basic plumbing tools like wrenches and teflon tape
Light-weight, portable, and easily moved around the counter top
Removes viruses, protozoa, TMHs, drugs and other chemicals
Safe to use, durable and long lasting
The system has been tested countless times to produce brilliant results
Needs to be broken in properly to ensure filtering correctly
Filters an astounding one million gallon of water and is expected to last a decade
The UV filter protects against viruses and bacteria from festering and growing
Multiple filtration systems provide your whole house with clean water for all needs
Easy to install and easy to function
More expensive than smaller systems but lasts much longer
May need professional assistance depending on current plumbing system
Long lasting and durable, this system can pump around 3,000 gallons of water
No cumbersome maintenance required
Filters out heavy chemicals, metals and chlorine compounds with its 4-filtration systems
One of the cheapest water filtration systems for homes and offices
May run into minor leaking issues
Easy installation unless your fridge is over 20 years old
Why Trust Waterful.org?
Our water scientists and engineers spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers .
There are many different types of water filtration systems available today and most modern homes tend to have water filters installed in their piping system. This holds particularly true for city water supplied homes.
However, even the most highly sophisticated water filtration system can easily let in bacteria and other contaminates if it has been installed incorrectly, or if it has not been replaced in time.
How Do Water Filters Work?
A water filter essentially works like the lint tray present in your laundry machine. In other words, your water filter will collect all of the extra particles and other gunk from the water, so that it is suitable for human consumption.
If your water filter installation has been done correctly, it will pull out the contaminants from the water so that you will be able to drink healthy and unpolluted water. However, that is only possible if the water filter itself is completely clean. The substances that are removed from the water usually start to clog up the water filter every time it is used.
The more the foreign matter in your water supply, the faster will your water filter loses its efficacy. In short, it will become less and less effective, every time it is used. This is why it is absolutely imperative to clean or outrightly replace your water filter on a regular basis to keep it clear, clean, and functioning in peak condition.
Replacing Water Filters
Most water filters need to be replaced after they have filtered 40 gallons of water. In a typical household, it translates to approximately two months or so. But this is only an approximate assumption. How often you remove and replace water filter will depend on several other factors that include:
- The total water consumption of your household
- The type of filtration system used
- The amount of the elements that require filtering
- The overall hardness of the water
This means that it is important for you to change your filter at least once every two to six weeks provided that:
- There are plenty of people in your home
- You use a lot of filtered water very frequently
- The water supplied to your home is very hard
- There are plenty of heavy sediments in your water supply
Usually, whole house filter replacement is easy because many such water filters are equipped with electronic indicators that will help determine when it is time to change or clean them.
The electronic indicator is a very handy device that will help you to measure the effectiveness of your water filter. The indicator will periodically blink or flash a bright red color to inform you when you need to change the filter. This way, there is no need for any guesswork when it comes to changing the filter.
Some of them are also equipped with a cling calendar so that you will be able to see when exactly you last replaced your water filter. They will also show you when the next change is due. However, it is imperative that you remember to check them regularly. Otherwise, you won’t know when the next change is due.
It will also help if you were to schedule a reminder on your phone or any other smart device to check your water filters and see if they need replacement.
Brita Filter Replacement
If you own a Brita filter and want to replace it you should take the following steps:
- Flush the filter with cold water for at least 15 seconds
- Insert the filter into the main water reservoir by carefully lining up the groove in the filter with the ridge of the pitcher’s reservoir
- Press them both together very firmly to ensure a watertight seal
- You should add standard tap water to the reservoir at least thrice
- Discard the first three containers full of filtered water or water your plants with it
- You should replace your Brita filter regularly in order to ensure optimal performance
Changing Water Filters in the Refrigerator
Many people don’t bother to change their refrigerator water filter because their water tastes the same, every time they drink it. However, just because the water seems to taste fresh does not mean that it is fresh. This is due to the fact that there exist many contaminants that are entirely tasteless.
Refrigerator water filter replacement becomes necessary after every 6 months. This holds true even if you rarely use your refrigerator for drinking water purposes. Water can oxidize the filter and decrease its efficacy.
Generally speaking, a family of four who regularly use their water dispenser, as well as the ice machine, should not wait that long and get their filter changed once every four months.
If you have never changed your refrigerator water filter, you may be drinking severely contaminated water, without even realizing it.
If you want to know how to change your water filter, you are in luck because it is a very easy job. There are slight differences in the installation process depending on model to model, but the common steps are the same. They are as follows:
- Open the water filter cover located in the upper right corner inside the refrigerator
- Lift the filter door
- Pull the old filter out and throw it away
- Open the new filter and carefully remove the protective coverings on the filter
- Slowly insert the filter into its slot. Don’t force it. If it seems to be jammed, rotate it until all the notches are properly aligned together. It will slide in easily after that.
- Close the filter door
- Run a few gallons of water after installing a new filter so that all the gunk is flushed out
Conclusion
Water is the key ingredient of life. This makes water filters extremely important for our well-being and we should change them regularly to ensure our health as well as that of our loved ones.
5 Reasons Not to Drink Bottled Water
Bottled water has become an integral part of our collective lives. In fact, most Americans drink more bottled water than beer, milk or any other beverage. After all, entire aisles at the local grocery store are probably full of expensive bottled water. However, that does not mean that we should happily continue to drink bottled water all the time.
Many of us have heard that bottled water is definitely not a good idea, but few people know exactly how bad it is for our health, our wallet and the environment at large. Let us check out the main reasons due to which we should avoid bottled water as much as we can:
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1. Bottled Water Might Not Even Be Filtered Properly
The bottled water industry would have us believe that bottled water is better than plain tap water. However, this is usually not the case. When it comes to answering the question of which is better bottled water or purified water, we can see the answer clearly enough. It is very simple really. In many cases, bottled water is basically nothing more than glorified tap water.
While some manufacturers spend resources to filter their water before bottling it, this is not always the case. Instead, they simply charge for the packaging! In other words, it is the same as the water you get in your taps.
But of course the, cost of bottled water is definitely higher than tap water and this price difference makes you feel that you are buying a high-quality product. In fact, it is entirely possible that bottled water is actually less safe than tap water. This is largely due to the fact that most municipal water supplies are very highly regulated.[1]
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates public tap water supplies and it also sets legal limits for around a hundred contaminants that could potentially show up in your water supply. Apart from setting standards, they also routinely test the water lines and pump stations for these contaminants.
On the other hand, bottled water typically undergoes very little regulation. Many studies have found arsenic in bottled water and that is the least of it. Some bottled water samples had traces of mold, phthalates and dangerous microbes along with various other contaminants.
2. They Contain Plastic Toxins
When it comes to bottled water vs purified water, the latter is the hands-down winner. This is because water bottles are almost always made of plastic. And even though most drinking water is not acidic, you can still be exposed to the risk of ingesting the chemicals that have been used to manufacture the bottle. This is very common with older water bottles that many of us tend to use and reuse without a thought. For instance, if you drink from a plastic water bottle left in the car in summer, BPA and other plastic toxins might mix with the water and end up in your bloodstream. Do it often enough and you are looking at liver and kidney damage. [2] Moreover, many of these chemicals are inherently carcinogenic in nature and can lead to cancer.
Many companies have started using BPA-free plastic, but that does not mean that you are out of the woods yet. There are plenty of other harmful chemicals present in plastic bottles, and that also includes BPA free bottles. These chemicals can mess up the hormone levels in your body. Add to that the fact that there are also plenty of PFAS in bottled water. These chemicals can adversely affect our bodies in ways that we have not been able to understand as yet.
3. Bottled Water Labels Can Be Very Misleading
Just because the packaging shows a peaceful mountain stream, doesn’t mean that the water inside is equally pure and fresh. Lead in bottled water is a clear and present danger and there have been cases where the deadly E.coli bacteria have also been found. In fact, you may be paying many thousands of times more for water that is anything but clean and pure.
4. Bottled Water Has No Proven Benefits
The NRDC has conducted a lot of research and it came to the conclusion that there are no major benefits of drinking bottled water when compared to its tap counterpart.[3] It is very important to note here that the US federal government does not require commercially available bottled water to be any safer than tap water. In fact, in many cases, the very opposite is the truth due to the stringent safeguards in place for tap water.
5. The Methodical Destruction of the Environment
There is no doubt whatsoever that drinking bottled water creates a whole lot of totally unnecessary waste. In fact, plastic waste from bottled water is now becoming one of the world’s major environmental issues.
Many people think that this is not that big a problem because water bottles are being recycled. After all, they have that little recycling logo, so it must be all good right? Wrong. The vast majority of plastic bottled are not being recycled at all. This means that an overwhelming majority of those bottles end up in landfills and the world’s oceans where they cause irreparable harm to marine bio-diversity. Since they are not biodegradable, the tens of billions of bottles being thrown carelessly away every year, remain a threat to the environment for centuries.
o The Environmental Impact of Creating Plastic Bottles
The environmental impact of waste plastic may seem massive, but it pales in comparison to the production as well as the transportation of this patently useless commodity. Millions of barrels of oil are consumed by this industry and tens of thousands of tons of CO2 are released into the atmosphere every year, just to fuel our appetite for bottled water.
Conclusion
In light of the above, we can safely conclude that there is no harm in shifting from bottled water to tap water. Once you do that, you will not only be helping the environment but also taking care of your own
[1] https://www.epa.gov/dwreginfo/drinking-water-regulations
[2] http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1413-81232012000200015&lng=en&nrm=iso&tlng=en
[3] https://www.nrdc.org/stories/truth-about-tap?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8ZTr8pfc1QIVCYppCh0rkAQ2EAAYASAAEgJDKfD_BwE&utm_medium=google