What surprises many people is that there are different types of water filters. Yes, that’s right – water filters aren’t just those bulky things that go under your sink. Nor are they only found with a single type of filtration system. Far from it. There are quite a few you should be looking out for if you want to purify your water and stay free from contaminants as much as possible. Let’s take a look.
Types of Filtration Systems
Let’s look at the filtration systems inside water filters so you can understand what each is good at. One of the top places that we’ve found all of these filter types is https://waterestore.ca/.
- Sediment Filtration
The most basic filtration system possible, it’s good at removing sediments like rust, sand, dust, silt, heavy metals, and other large particles in water.
Pros
- Effective against the most common large sediments.
- Easy to replace;
- Cheap;
- Multiple micron ratings are available.
Cons
- Need to combine with other filtration systems.
- Can’t remove chemicals and other pollutants.
- Activated Carbon Block Filtration
ACB filter blocks are composed of fine carbon powder that holds together and remains static with the help of a binding agent. It drastically reduces chlorine and improves your water’s taste and flavor as a result. Plus it can remove VOCs, lead, and microscopic cysts.
Pros
- Outstanding price-to-value ratio;
- Superb filtration capability;
- Removes chlorine taste and odor.
- Barely reduces water flow.
- Long-lasting filter cartridge;
- Beneficial minerals pass through.
- Barely any pH level change;
- No chemicals;
- No power supply is required.
Cons
- Can’t remove excess minerals.
- Unable to remove viruses.
- Ultraviolet Disinfection Filter
As the name suggests, this is highly different from a sediment or ACB water filter. It involves a UV light bulb that practically emits the same UV-C rays that eliminate microorganisms. That means no more bacteria, viruses, or other pathogens.
Pros
- Kills up to 99.99% of organic contaminants.
- Easy maintenance;
- Low energy consumption;
- No chemicals required;
- Environmentally-friendly.
- Easy, intuitive installation.
Cons
- Can’t work without electricity.
- Only removes organic contaminants.
- If inorganic materials are in the way, the UV light can’t reach the contaminants.
- Requires a pre-filtration system for sediment and other inorganic materials.
- Higher upfront cost.
- Activated Alumina Filtration System
Activated alumina has some interesting properties. The porous aluminum oxide found within this type of filtration system is designed to remove fluoride, arsenic, selenium, and thallium in water. It’s most commonly used to treat fluorinated tap water.
Pros
- Removes up to 99% of all the fluoride in the water supply.
- Also removes dangerous contaminants like arsenic, selenium, and thallium.
- Doesn’t require replacement cartridges, as it can regenerate.
Cons
- A limited number of contaminants that it can remove;
- Requires periodic cleansing with a regenerating agent.
- Might leach aluminum in water if not installed properly.
- Should be used in conjunction with other filtration systems.
- Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis is a filtration technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to separate inorganic contaminants from water, thus producing arguably some of the cleanest and tastiest water out there. Many restaurants prefer RO systems because of this.
Pros
- The strongest filtration against a multitude of contaminants;
- Removes even microscopic contaminants.
- Much tastier drinking water;
- RO membrane has a long lifespan.
- Low TDS levels.
Cons
- Doesn’t remove certain VOCs.
- Slow filtration rate;
- Wastes a lot of water.
- High costs.
Types of Water Filter Form Factors to Consider
- Water Pitcher
- Faucet Water Filter
- Single-stage Countertop Water Filter
- Single-stage Under Sink Water Filter
- Multi-stages Countertop Water Filtration System
- Multi-stages Under Sink Water Filtration System
- Gravity Drip Water Filter
- Portable Water Filter
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. These are the filtration methods you should be focusing on. What are your thoughts on this? Did you test your water to see which contaminants you might need to remove? If so, then take a look at the list of contaminants that each of these filters can remove and go ahead and buy one.
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