How To Decide If You Need A Water Filter

Download Article

As concerns over tap h2o quality go along to grow, manufacturers have introduced many h2o filtration products to the market. Abode water filters remove contaminants, but it can be difficult to know if you need a whole house/indicate-of-entry (POE) organization, a signal-of-use (POU) system, or if you don't need one at all. Only follow this stride-by-pace guide to find the best home h2o filter for you.

1
Larn about the POE and POU systems. These are the two types of water filters bachelor for habitation use. POE systems treat all of the water that enters your home and connects to the water meter or pressurized storage tank.^[one] POU systems, however, care for water at the betoken where information technology is being consumed, such as a shower head or sink.
- POU filters can be attached externally or can be installed inline.
- POU filters that are installed inline filter all the water passing through a piping.
two
Acquire most the unlike types of POU systems available. These types of filters are very common and come up in many unlike formats. POU filters include pitcher filters, personal h2o bottles with built-in filters, and fridge filters. They can be mounted to a faucet, under the sink, or the countertop.^[2]
- Smaller carafe-style bullpen filters are skilful for single people or couples since they but filter a pocket-sized amount of drinking h2o at a fourth dimension.
- Some people exercise not similar filters attached to their countertop or faucet; see which style of POU filter suits you best.
Ad
three
Discover out what'due south contaminating your water. This volition help you decide if you demand to target whatever specific contaminants when choosing a filtering system. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires water companies to provide a consumer confidence report (CCR) every year, which analyzes the water quality in your area.^[iii] The information is bachelor on your local regime website or paper. If you want to test the water yourself, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) for the names of state-certified testing labs, which may offer depression-cost or free test kits. Yous can too go to www.epa.gov/safewater/labs to find out more information.
- Visible particles in your water tin exist rust or sediment, and houses that rely on wells frequently have bacteria in the water.
- The contaminates your h2o has will depend on your home.^[iv]
- You may discover you exercise not need a water filter at all considering your water contains no contaminants.
4
Evaluate your specific h2o filtration needs based on the contaminants in your water and the POE and POU systems. If you have a family that drinks several gallons of h2o a day, a single carafe-style filter would need to constantly exist refilled, but a smaller family or couple'south h2o needs would exist met by a unproblematic filter.^[5]
- If the contaminates in your water are very toxic, you probably want a POE filter to clean all the coming into your house water.
- On the other mitt, if you are only filtering the water for taste, a POU filter on the faucet volition suffice.
- Research the dissimilar options. Consider talking to a Certified Water Treatment Professional.
Advertisement

1
Selection a filter certified by an American National Standards Establish (ANSI) accredited certification torso (examples: NSF or WQA Gold Seal) and is designed to reduce the contaminants found. Now that you know the contaminants found in your water, which will vary, y'all tin buy a filter based that will clean your water finer. When picking a filter, you may use the WQA or NSF's online database to see if the filters you lot are considering are certified: https://www.wqa.org/Find-Products#/ or http://info.nsf.org/Certified/dwtu/. Blazon this URL into your browser'southward search bar.
- These databases volition enquire for the manufacturer, make, and other information to check the safety of the filter.
- Enter all the required information once you navigate to the database.
- Practise not pick a filter that isn't certified by an ANSI accredited Certification Trunk, and do not option i that will not clean the contaminants found in your water.
2

Consider all the maintenance costs. Filters need to be periodically replaced to office properly, and the cost of replacing a filter can range from $xx to $400.^[6] Whether you lot're shopping online or in stores, manufacturer's recommendations for when filters need to be changed should be readily available. Choose a filter you can afford to maintain.
3

Purchase the water filter. You may besides want to purchase a warranty and extra filters.
4

Install the filter co-ordinate to the manufacturer'due south instructions. Many POE and POU systems volition exist like shooting fish in a barrel to install, only you lot can also hire a professional to install the filter for you. Some POU filters crave you to run some water through the filter before consuming the water. Read and follow all of the manufacturer's instructions when installing the filter.
5

Proceed track of when your filter needs to be replaced. If you utilise the filter and practise not modify information technology when it is supposed to be replaced, your water will not be make clean anymore. Use a calendar or other reminder to keep rails of when you need to change filters.

Advertisement

Add New Question

Question

Which type of water filter is best for hard water?

Any water filter should exist sufficient for hard or soft water.
Question

I got my water tested, but I don't sympathise the results. Who can I contact to tell me what kind of filtration arrangement I need?

Y'all can simply go over to the live chat at the SpringWellwater website, and one of their staff members volition aid you out.

Inquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

No thing what brand of water filter you choose, be sure to replace filter cartridges according to the manufacturer's guidelines. A filter cartridge generally needs to exist replaced every six months to a year with normal utilize, but this varies widely amidst different filters.

Thank you for submitting a tip for review!

Advertizement

When investigating the certification of a detail water filter, be sure to consult third party certification (such as The H2o Quality Association or NSF), more the manufacturer's claims.

References

About This Commodity

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 357,086 times.

Reader Success Stories

"Upgrading my kitchen and did not desire to apply the PUR water filter attached to a faucet. Due to having had hard..." more than

Did this article assistance yous?