Difference Between Water Filters and Water Purifiers

Understand what is the difference between water purifiers and water filters to gain better health.

Most people use the term water purifiers and water filters without realizing that the two things are actually different. While there is no doubt that both of them remove impurities from water and claim to help you maintain good health by removing toxins from the water that you consume, there is a slight difference that consumers need to know.

Water filters are microbiological devices that remove bacteria and protozoan cysts from the water in addition to particulate matter, heavy metals and toxins.

Water purifiers are microbiological devices that remove bacteria, protozoan cysts and viruses from the water that we consume.

The essential difference, if you have noticed, is that water purifiers help in removing viruses like hepatitis A that can affect our health negatively. We know that viruses are a great cause of health issues, especially since there is no known treatment option that we have discovered till date to combat a virus attack. The maximum that physicians do is to provide medication to alleviate the symptoms and suggest fluids and rest so that the body can recover.

Water purifiers, therefore, ensure that the risk of a virus attack on your body is reduced significantly since these water purifiers do not allow most of the viruses to pass through.

It should also be noted that viruses tend to get into the water when there is a chance of it coming in contact with faecal matter. While you may not expect this in your water, there are various ways in which this can happen without your knowledge too.

The Ultimate Water Purifier Test

Check out how you must test a water purifier before making a high outlay purchase.

The water purifier products in the market make a lot of claims about the level of impurities that they can remove. While some claim to remove 95 per cent of all contaminants, there are others that even claim that 99 per cent of the impurities are removed from the water.

However what one really needs to understand is the manner in which these water purifier brands define impurities and what really constitutes the 1 per cent that is left behind.

There are various kinds of features and aspects that you are likely to take into consideration when you purchase a water purifier. Some of the aspects that you may have heard of many include the amount of water that you use, the level of contamination in the water that you get in your house and the kind of space and budget that you have.

While all this is fine, you should actually not go ahead and purchase a water purifier without doing the ultimate test. And this is important especially for high outlay water filtration systems that you may be considering for your house.

Make sure that you use an independent company to test the water that comes into your house and get a detailed report. Then go ahead and source some water after it has gone through the water purifier. Match the reports and see the level of purification that has been done.

This is essentially the acid test for all kinds of water purifier products. Just make sure that the water is tested by an independent agency or lab rather than one suggested by the water purifier company.

The Need for Water Purification

Understand why water purification is a need that each one of us has.

Water is an extremely essential part of our lives. While we can survive without food for a few days, surviving without water is not possible. Other than quenching our parched throats, water has a lot of roles to play and this is why water purification is essential.

The human body is made up of more than 70 per cent water and it is this water that helps in distributing nutrients to the various parts of our bodies. Water also helps in ensuring that the toxins in the body are removed. Water helps in better digestion and bowel movement and ensures that we remain fighting fit. But if water purification is not done, we allow this very water to carry harmful toxins into our body.

However, we know that pollution has affected our environment to such an extent that we need water purification in order to ensure that we consume pure drinking water to assist our body. There are various kinds of water purification methods that are possible.

While some people boil water, there are others that use commercial water filters that can be attached to the faucet. These days there are large water purification systems that can be used at home to ensure that the water that you use for drinking, washing or bathing is clean and toxin free.

Unless we ensure water purification at our end, we can never be sure about the contaminants that the water we use is carrying. Take a sample to the laboratory and get it tested to know what you are up against.

Water Filtration Systems and How They Work

Understand the various process that are used in water filtrations systems and the manner in which they work.

There are various kinds of water filtration systems that exist in the market. The processes that they use may also differ based on the sophistication of the technology that they use. Some of the most popular processes used in water filtration systems and the manner in which they work has been discussed below.

- Activated carbon water filtration systems – These water filtration systems are most commonly used and they have positively charged active carbon that attracts and traps impurities. They are used in countertops, faucet filters and under the sink filters too. These are effective in getting rid of bad odours and taste, heavy metals, parasites and pesticides.
- Cation exchange softners – These are water filtration systems that soften hard water by exchanging minerals with a positive charge. These are mainly used in whole house water filtration systems and are effective in removing calcium, magnesium, barium and other impurities that cause health hazards.
- Distillers – These are systems that boil water and condense the steam that is produced to give pure water. While they are effective in removing heavy metals and other impurities, the process takes a long time and therefore these water filtration systems are extremely expensive too.
- Reverse osmosis – Reverse osmosis used a semipermeable membrane that separates the impurities from water. This process requires water to be passed with a lot of pressure. They are often used in combination with activated carbon filters.
- Ultraviolet disinfection – These water filtration systems fill bacteria and micro-organisms and are used mainly in under-the-sink units.

Benefits of Water Filtration Systems

Consider why you need to use water filtration systems in your house.

A water filtration system is not a cheap product and you do need to think about the same, make a budget and save up to spend the kind of money that you need to on a water filtration system. However, the cost of a water filtration system is nothing compared to the amount of money that you will need to spend if your family members start to fall sick; let alone the kind of trauma that you will face.

While water filtration at individual homes was not something that was necessary a couple of decades back, pollution has reached unimaginable levels. This really means that we cannot be sure of the various places from where the water can get contaminated. Water filtration systems that are installed at your own house can ensure that the water that you are drinking is completely clean.

There have been various cases in which children suffering from eczema and chronic allergies have benefitted immensely from using water filtration systems in the house. This is because of the various contaminants that exist in the water without our knowledge.

There are also various cases of cancer and ulcers that can be linked back to the contaminated water that people have been drinking for years. While the negative effects of slow poisoning are not evident immediately, the fact is that these can be extremely harmful for you in the long run.

Water filtration systems can ensure that you and your family stay away from any such health issues.

Features to Look for in Water Filters

Here are a couple of things that you need to look out for in water filters when you are choosing them.

Buying a water filter for your house is not something that you should try and do in a minute. This is an important decision that will affect the health of your family members and your children and this is why you want to research all the water filters well before making your choice.

Before you start looking at the features of water filters that are available in the market, take the untreated water that you get in your house and get it tested in a laboratory. This will give you an idea of the kind of issues that you are fighting. It will help you understand whether there are inorganic contaminants in the water or organic ones.

The first thing that you need to check when evaluating water filters is the kind of filtration process that the water filter uses. There are mainly three kinds and these include distillation, reverse osmosis and activated carbon filters. While distillation is considered to be the best process, it is not used in most of the water filters since the process makes the water filters extremely expensive and unaffordable. Reverse osmosis is not too effective in removing organic material and therefore the best water filters are really those that use activated carbon.

Another thing that you may need to look for in the water filters that you are evaluating is whether the system ensures a complete solution. Water filters that are attached at the entry point of the water are the best since do not allow for any kind of contamination.

Why are Water Filter Systems Necessary?

Understand why we need water filter systems in our homes.

Many of us who are used to consuming tap water and believing that it is safe feel that water filter systems are a complete waste of money. What we sometimes fail to realize is that times have changed pollution has reached levels that we could not ever have imagined and that the number of new and unidentified illnesses that we are discovering each day are entering our homes through contaminated water.

Water filter systems are far more effective that stop-gap arrangements to boil water or use a faucet filter in a couple of taps in the house. These water filter systems ensure that every drop of water that enters your house is pure and good for consumption and for washing yourself too.  

Not many people understand this but the lack of clean water is the most significant cause of death across the world. While we do have access to drinking water, it may not be as clean as we think it is. There are various contaminants that the drinking water can gather on its way to your house and if the water filter systems at the plant are not maintained well, there are issues of rust and other metals also being part of what you drink.

Water filter systems that you install at the point of entry of the water into your house can ensure that each and every drop of water that touches you is pure and safe to drink, wash hands or wash your body since the skin is also a way in which water can enter your system.

The Various Kinds of Drinking Water Treatment

Understand the various drinking water treatment options that filtration systems use to be able to choose the best one for you.

Treating water so that it can be made fit for consumption has become a necessity today. This is not to say that the water that is sent to us via municipal supplies is contaminated but the fact is that pollution has reached levels that cannot be trusted. There are various contaminants that drinking water can pick up on the way as it is being transported and therefore it is best to have a good drinking water treatment system in your house to be absolutely sure.

There are various kinds of drinking water filters that exist and these include carafe filters, faucet mounted filters, countertops, plumbed in filters and whole house filters. However, the kinds of drinking water treatment that they use are mainly distillation, solid block activated carbon and reverse osmosis.

Distillation – This is the process in which the impurities of the water ate removed slowly. The process takes a lot of time, requires electricity and is also the most effective process. However, it is also the most expensive.

Reverse osmosis – This is a process in which all the inorganic contaminants in the water can be removed extremely effectively. It is not a drinking water treatment that is known to well for removing organic matter. This is why most of the filters that use reverse osmosis also have activated carbon to remove the organic materials in the water.

Activated carbon – The most commonly used type of drinking water treatment option that does not require electricity is the use of active carbon. This drinking water treatment does not even require water to be passed with high pressure. This drinking water treatment is considered to be great for removing chlorine and organic contaminants.

Types of Drinking Water Filters

Check out the options that you have when you are looking for drinking water filters.

The drinking water filters that exist in the market come in various sizes and types. Not only is the volume of water that you can filter different, the manner in which the filtration takes place is also different. The drinking water filter that you choose for your house should depend on the water consumption and the kind of contamination that exists in the water that you use.

But before that, you need to be aware of the various kinds of drinking water filters that exist. Here are the main types for your consideration:

- Carafe or Pour Out drinking water filters – These are options where you can pour the water in and the water gets filtered as you pour it out. While these are extremely easy to use, the lifespan of such drinking water filters is low.
- Faucet mounted drinking water filters – These are filters that you screw on top of the tap so that all the water that you collect is fit for drinking. While this is also an easy to use method, you need a filter for each faucet in the house.

- Countertop drinking water filters – These are filters that use activated charcoal filters to remove chemicals, particulate matter and other impurities. These drinking water filters require professional installation and you may need to call the plumber.
- Plumbed in water filters – if you do not have too much space on the countertop, then there are drinking water filters that can be fixed under the sink. This option also requires plumbing modifications.
- Whole house water filters – These are water filters that are fixed at the point of entry of the water into the house.

How to Choose the Best Water Filter?

Take these things into consideration while choosing the best water filter for your house.

Home water filtration systems are being used in almost all homes these days. This is because there are a lot of contaminants that exist even in the municipal supplies that come to your house. The kind of contaminants that exist are different in different areas and the first step towards finding the best water filter for your house is to understand the contaminants that there are.

It would not be unusual for you to take the water that you get in your taps to a laboratory for testing. This will help you understand the kind of issues that you need to combat.

To be able to find the best water filter system for your home, you need to think about a few aspects. These are mentioned below:

- Volume of water used – The amount of water consumption that you have in your house will depend on the number of members and the amount of cooking. It the consumption is high then you may want to opt for a mounted product rather than a carafe pour out water filter.
- Level of contamination – If the contamination in the water that you get is high, the best water filter that you can use are the ones that are installed at the entry point of the water in your house.
- Budget – The budget that you have will obviously decide the best water filter that you can get. There are extremely efficient faucet water filters and then there are the expensive reverse osmosis systems too.

The best water filter that you can get in the market depends on the above mentioned factors.