The Comprehensive Guide to Various Types of Water Filters

Water is vital to our health. It plays a key role in many of our body’s functions, including bringing nutrients to cells, getting rid of wastes, protecting joints and organs, and maintaining body temperature.

The amount of water one should drink varies depending on your activity level, health conditions, height and weight, gender, and other factors.

It’s recommended that men drink 15 cups (about 3.7 liters) of water each day.

Women are recommended to drink 11 cups (about 2.7 liters) of water each day. Pregnant women should drink 10 cups (1.9 to 2.8 liters) of water daily, and breastfeeding women should drink 16 cups (around 3.8 liters).

Kids and teens should drink 6 to 8 cups ( around 1.6 liters) of water a day. Again, this all depends on activity level, age, weight, etc.

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables that are full of water helps with this daily water intake as well. But water should almost always be your go-to beverage.

The municipal water supply has been found to have numerous pollutants, mostly originating from industrial and environmental sources. Therefore, choosing what kind of water to drink has become crucial.

While tap water is readily available and affordable, it may contain contaminants that could be harmful to your health. EPA sets legal limits on over 90 contaminants in drinking water. However, so much unregulated contaminants are still there in the utility water and do not have health-based standards.

Bottled water is convenient and portable, but it is often expensive and can contribute to plastic waste. Additionally, not all bottled water is regulated, and some brands may contain contaminants. There has been research confirmed that bottled water contains more bacteria than tap water.

Filtering your tap water is an affordable and environmentally-friendly option that can remove many contaminants.

The role of a water filter is to serve as a physical barrier or trap for debris, bacteria, virus, and other contaminants passing through it. With the impurities out of the way, the filter leaves only safe, clean, and healthy drinking water. The water flow speed varies across filters, depending on the size of the pores in the membrane or filter barrier. The smaller the pores, the slower the water flow.

Click to learn how to remove viruses from drinking water.

Unlike municipal tap water with a flat or irritable taste, filtered water tastes cleaner and more refreshing. The improved taste and quality of filtered water are due to the removal of contaminants from the source water. Filtered water is also advantageous to our health.

A quick check at the current market will expose you to several types of home water purification and filtration systems. Each of these options relies on a specific purification technology to filter water. This guide discusses all of these systems and how they work.

Imagine an “integrated” water purification system capable of filtering your drinking water for the entire house right from the source. That is what whole house water filtration systems do. They are designed to filter tap water in the home to be clean and healthy enough for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing.

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Key Features: 316L molybdenum alloy filter against sediment, rust, dirt, sand and large particles German-made PA12 shell Up to 20 GPM of water flow Fit 4 types of water tubes

Components of a whole house water purification system include a pre-filtration system, a central water purifier, and a central water softener. There may be an extra end-water purification system if necessary. Your setup will depend mainly on your specific requirements for household water.

These are point-of-use (POU) water filtration systems that you can install almost anywhere in your house. You can attach them directly to your faucet and get pure water from that source. They are usually compact, requiring smaller space and minimal plumbing connections to set up.

• Gravity Water Filters

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Key Features: Thickened stainless steel Seamless welding 98.95% initial chlorine reduction 98% initial fluorine reduction Space-saving and sturdy design

• Pitchers & Dispensers

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Key Features: NSF 42 & 372 certified Up to 3 months or 200 gallons Faster flow rate Smart life indicator BPA-free

• Faucet Water Filters

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Key Features: 320 gallons long service life 360-degree swivel angle 304 food-grade stainless-steel housing High flow rate of 0.5 gpm

Countertop filters have different filtration media, but they all perform similarly. They are all designed to remove contaminants present in your source water. The filtration speed is impressive even if the household water pressure is moderate.

These are water filtration systems mounted under the kitchen sink, hence the name under sink water filter, or water filter for sink. You can connect these filters directly to your refrigerator water dispensing tap or even your kitchen tap and get clean filtered water directly from both sources. Note that these do not apply to under sink reverse osmosis filters—more on that later.

Undersink ultrafiltration membrane filters are widely used in most homes. The preference can be attributed to their impressive filtration capabilities and affordable price. They need just the regular home water pressure to deliver and consequently work without electricity. Read What Is Ultrafiltration Membrane and How Does It Work? to learn more about ultrafiltration membrane.

• Under Sink Single-stage Ultrafiltration Water Filter

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Key Features: 0.01 μm ultrafiltration membrane Compact design saves under-sink space Easy installation takes only 3 minutes Extended filter life

• Ultrafiltration Under Sink Water Filter System

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Key Features: 0.01 μm ultrafiltration membrane Integrated waterway with no water leak Electronic indicators to notify filter life No pump, no noise Compact design saves under-sink space

• 3-stage Under Sink Ultrafiltration Water Filter System

There are two categories of under sink water filters – those that require connection to a tank that stores the filtered water and those that filter water on demand. The water flow in the tanked water filters is slower than in tankless models.

Installing an undersink water filter requires complex plumbing connections. You may need the services of a technician to install for the first time.

Osmosis is the natural movement of a weaker saline solution to a strong saline solution. Osmosis happens when plant roots absorb water from the soil and when the human kidneys absorb water from the blood.

Unlike other water filtration systems, reverse osmosis systems are more efficient at reducing dissolved salts and toxins in municipal tap water and providing clean and safe water for drinking. These systems are designed to use semi-permeable membranes to get rid of harmful contaminants in the source water.

Check here to learn How Does a Reverse Osmosis Filter System Work.

RO water filter systems come in different forms, including the countertop reverse osmosis systems, under sink reverse osmosis systems, the whole house reverse osmosis systems, and others.

Refrigerator owners often get their drinking water straight from the inbuilt fridge water dispenser. The role of a simple carbon fridge filter is to filter impurities from the drinking water coming out of the refrigerator. Refrigerator filters are effective against chlorine, which finds its way into water during treatment as a means to improve taste and smell. Refer to the following blogs for more information about refrigerator water dispenser:

Activated carbon is a regular component of several fridge water filters. Like a magnet, the carbon attracts and traps the impurities within the filter. The filtered water is cleaner and contaminant-free.

Filters must be replaced regularly to ensure efficient performance. Filter clogging is a common occurrence, and it often limits the filter’s effectiveness. Ineffective filters can allow impurities to escape into your drinking water.

We often need clean drinking water outdoors, especially when walking, hiking, or camping. However, outdoor water sources like rivers and lakes are not healthy for drinking, despite the water looking safe and clean. They are usually contaminated with viruses and bacteria.

There are a few ways to purify water from outdoor sources. For instance, boiling can improve purity. However, it doesn’t remove all the contaminants and can be inconvenient most times. The more convenient and efficient option is to use an outdoor water treatment system, which comes in different types and forms, including:

Every part of the world is dealing with water pollution. While a global solution is still in the works, it is crucial to invest in a reliable water filtration solution for your immediate use. You can choose from many kinds of water filters in the current market.

Finding what works best for you can be tricky, especially for people new to the world of water filters. However, if you understand your requirements and how each type of water filter works, you are closer than ever to making the right purchase.