Tips to Choosing the Best Water Filter

Many people are dissatisfied with the quality of their water, whether from city supplies or from wells. More and more people are turning to water filtration systems of one type or another. Which is the best water filter system for a homeowner depends on what problems the present water supply presents, and on the price one is willing to pay for a quality water supply.

Though cost is usually a factor, it is not the only factor in choosing the best water filter. Some inexpensive units filter out heavier particles suspended in the water. More expensive units claim to remove microbes as small as .01 microns (.00001 mm) in diameter. The most common technique used for such fine filtration is reverse osmosis technology.

Bacteria is another and often a more serious problem in water supplies. The best water filter systems deal with this, usually through ultra-violet light. If bacteria is a problem, a homeowner should not settle for a cheap filter system that only deals with sediment.

Every house’s water problems will be different making it difficult to provide a ‘one solution fits all’ for every homeowner. Water pumped from a well may be cleaner than that supplied by a municipal source, but usually it will contain some microbial materials that can affect its appearance, taste, and odor. A water test can reveal what is in the water and a choice can be made about the best water filter to handle the problems.

For some, cost is no object and only the best filter system will give them peace of mind. For others, simply running water through a filter pitcher is adequate for them to feel safe. Even water run through a filtering system should be tested. This is true because some water is so dangerous that even expensive systems cannot clean it sufficiently.

Odor in drinking water, often caused by excessive iron in the water, may or may not be a health threat. Simply filtering that water often will not remove that odor. Whether or not odor is a problem, an adequate filter will remove contaminants of .4 microns or more. However, the best water filters treat both sediment and bacterial threats.

Water softeners remove minerals in water that make it work poorly in cleaning. But softened water passing through a water filter may extend the life of the filter cartridge itself. What is the best water filter system? The answer to that can only be determined when the water is evaluated, and the minimum acceptable levels of contaminants is established.