About water filter types for home use
Here is a short summary of the pros and cons of water filters for home use:
Carafe
Best for filtering small quantities of drinking water inexpensively without the hassle of installation.
But some are slow, prone to clogging, and have a short filter lifetime.
Faucet mounted
Best for filtering drinking and cooking water with minimal installation effort. Also allows easy switching between filtered and unfiltered water.
But slows the flow of water and can?t be used on all faucets.
Ceramic filter combined with activated carbon
This is a small ceramic filter filled with activated carbon. The filter fits with an adaptor at almost any faucet. Bad taste, chloride, bacteria etc. are removed.
Characteristics
Volume: 6 l / m
Capacity: 700 l
Water temperature: 0 - 40 max (no hot water!!)
Pressure: 6 bar max
Countertop
Best for for filtering large quantities of water without plumbing modification. Less likely to clog than carafes or faucet mounts.
But can clutter countertops and can?t be used on all faucets.
Wall mounted water filtration
There are plenty of different systems on the market to purify tap water into drinking water quality. However, very few do actually work hygienically safe, are easy to install and to operate and do not conume extra electricity.
Here is a positive example of a low costs and reliable water purification system for household use:
Quick Change Filtration: A complete system using standard quick change connectors with a large range of different purpose cartriges.
Undersink
Best for filtering lots of water without modifying the existing faucet or cluttering the counter.
But takes up cabinet space and requires plumbing modifications. A hole must be drilled through the sink and/or countertop for the dispenser.
Reverse Osmosis
Best for removing a wide range of contaminants, including dissolved solids, and is the only filter certified to remove arsenic.
But requires plumbing modifications and must be periodically sanitized with bleach. Is extremely slow and creates 3 to 5 gallons of waste water for every gallon filtered. Takes up cabinet space.
Whole House
Best for inexpensively removing sediment, rust, and for some, chlorine, from household water. Long cartridge lifetime.
But most not designed to, and won?t effectively remove, most other contaminants, including cysts, metals, and VOCs. Whole-house systems require professional installation.
