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Water Filters

Are you wary of tap water, but do not want to resort to drinking bottled water fulltime?  Water filters are a great alternative, as they reduce the amount of chemicals in your water, reduce the amount of bacteria, reduce contaminants and make the water taste better.  However, there is a huge range of water filters out there, so how do you know which is the right one for you?  We’ve put together a guide to aid you in making your decision.

Water Filter Jugs

These are the simple type of water filter where the top of the jug is filled with tap water, and the water is filtered through a cartridge in order to produce clean water for drinking.  Many jugs can filter up to 150 litres of water before the cartridge needs replacing – which is about 75 jugs of water.  The jugs are able to filter up to 6 litres of water a day without losing any efficiency.

Water Filters that Attach at the Tap

The next step up from the water filter jug is the water filter that attaches directly to the end of your tap.  This is very convenient as you do not have to fill up a jug regularly – clean water is available every time you turn the water on.  This works by passing the water through filters in order to remove the contaminants and other unwanted particles.  Dissolved minerals are not removed from the water.

Types of Water Filters

There are several types of water filters, such as water filters, water ionisers, and water distillers.

• Water Filters – water filters use materials such as carbon, ceramic and felt to mechanically filter out any contaminants. Water filters may also use ion-exchange processes or nano-silver to destroy bacteria.  How efficient a water filter is will depend on the size of the pores in the filter media.  The pore size is measured in microns and if a filter is between 0.1 and 0.5 microns, it should remove the vast majority of contaminants from the water.
  
• Water Ionisers – water ionisers work by passing water over positive and negative electrodes, using an electric current to ionise the molecules in the water.  The water and the minerals are separated into their positive and negative ions with 70 percent alkaline water and 30 percent acidic water being created.  The alkaline water is used for drinking.
  
• Water Distillers – water distillers work by heating the water to its boiling point and collecting the steam.  The steam is then condensed and collected separately as pure water.  The best water distillers use the steam distillation process as well as carbon filtration.
  
• Reverse Osmosis – these filter systems work by separating impurities from the water by forcibly pushing the water through a reverse osmosis membrane.  The larger ions and molecules are trapped and flushed away with the rejected water.  Reverse osmosis removes most of the salts, heavy metals and organic molecules from water.  However, for every litre of pure water, about five litres of water is rejected.

Countertop Water Filters

Countertop water filters are easy to install, cheap, and are portable, making them perfect for people that are renting.  These systems work using a filter cartridge but as they don’t have a sediment pre-filter, the carbon cartridge that you use needs to be sediment-tolerant.  Countertop water filtration systems are installed by taking the aerator of your tap and screwing a diverter valve on in its place.  The diverter has its own aerator.

Single Undersink Water Filters

These water filters are great for people that do not have much bench space.  The filter cartridge is installed underneath the sink and the water is obtained from a separate tap that has been installed through the sink or bench.  The cartridge needs to be sediment tolerant as these systems do not come with a sediment pre-filter.

Twin Undersink Water Filters

Twin undersink water filters are great for heavier use, larger households, or those that wish to maximise the life of their filter cartridges.  These filters have a sediment pre-filter, which also makes them suitable for areas that sometimes have discoloured water or sediment in the water.  The system is installed underneath the sink with the water coming through its own tap installed through the sink or the bench.

Whole House Water Filters

These types of water filter can effectively filter all of the water needed for the entire home.  As well as water for drinking and cooking, they supply clean water for the bathroom, laundry, hot water system, and appliances.  These filter systems are best used in areas where the water quality generally isn’t good.

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