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
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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
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