While a water filter is a good way to ensure clean water, it’s tough to choose a filter. There are a large number on the market and you might find that it’s just too many options. Try to choose one that will work within a budget, as well as one that is appropriate for your water supply.
It all depends on where you live and what you need the filter for. In Africa, you’ll need something a bit better than what you would need in the States or Canada, for example. It should be based on the water supply at hand.
Carbon filters are possibly the most common on the market today. Built with charcoal from coconut shells, these are effective in blocking out at least ninety-five percent of impurities. They are also very effective in getting rid of unpleasant diseases like Guardia or cryptosporidium. These can both be extremely dangerous.
Carbon filters are very affordable. The carbon is cheap and will last from 6-9 months, depending on use. Look for those that contain nano-silver for extra effectiveness.
For a slightly better option, ceramic is a good choice. These have diatomaceous earth and nano-silver inside. The earth filters out everything, including bacteria, while the silver prevents after growth with the bacteria that is trapped. These can be a decent price, but they take a long time to process water.
UV systems purify liquids but don’t actually filter out anything bad. They only kill all living organisms in the water. That means it’s safe for drinking . . . Even if it doesn’t look that great. These are particularly useful in countries where the water is always dirty.
A reverse osmosis filter is built to convert salt water into something completely potable. These work very well with extremely contaminated water, too, but they are expensive. Not only that, they can take a long time to get liquid since the filter is so fine and the water must be forced through it using a lot of pressure.
Distilled water is a less desirable option. It doesn’t use a filter, but it does evaporate water and then condense it in pure form. While this might seem ideal, it can actually be bad for you to drink this for long periods of time because there are no minerals left in the water.
It’s best not to go with the cheapest filters on the market. Most of them are charcoal based, but they may not be as effective as a slightly more costly version. There are many other treatments that can also be added to the filter, such as ionizing and even a catalytic converter which will turn the water into two streams, one acid and one alkaline.
Which water filter is best for you? If you have regular water, then a charcoal or ceramic one will do the trick. Anything else and you’ll want to look into heavier duty filters for your home.
Marie Hernandez buys the best home water filter for her family. She uses a sink water filter at home and a pitcher water filter for trips. Marie writes a water filter blog with many interesting articles on clean drinking water.
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