Choose Your Drinking Water Filters With Care

Water pollution is a worldwide problem today and a major one too. Water we drink is not created in any laboratory. It comes from different natural sources lying on the surface of the earth or under the ground. These sources are being contaminated in different ways by our day to day activities. Both the developed and the developing countries are facing insurmountable problems while cleaning the water sources. The water they supply to the citizens undergoes purification, but what is done in the name of filtration and purification is not enough. So we ourselves have to take up the issue as our health and wellbeing depend on pure clean water.

In general contaminations found in surface water are either chemicals or pathogens. While chemicals like calcium, sodium, iron, manganese are not toxic by nature, their high concentration often makes the water undrinkable. Other than that, things which make the water contaminated are:-

 Detergents

 Disinfections such as chloroforms

 Food processing byproducts which includes fats and grease

 Insecticides and pesticides

 Petroleum and petroleum by products

 Industrial solvents and chlorinated solvents

 Pathogens like Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia lamblia, Salmonella, Novo virus and other virus and parasitic worms

The list is endless. The underground water, though comparatively safer, is not totally free from these impurities. Soil pollution slowly leads to underground water being polluted by different toxic substances. This polluted water, slightly refined, enters our kitchen and finally our body as tap water. There is no guarantee that the bottled water sold in the market is absolutely germ free. Though the companies selling the bottled water spend a huge amount of money trying to portray that their products are 100% contamination free, facts do not say so. Boiling the water may kill some bacteria, but they cannot remove the toxic chemicals.

Good news is that different companies have brought out drinking water filters. Some of these are counter top filters; some are attached under the sink. Yet others are attached at the back of your refrigerators. Internal water filters attached to the refrigerators are also available in the market. Some run on the theory of reverse osmosis; others employ a method of multi filtration system. Every product has its plus or minus points, so it is better to be judicious while going on a buying spree. Not all filters can remove all contaminations. Beware of companies that sell undocumented products or uncertified claims. Also beware of the companies which offer different performance claim in different places.

The reverse osmosis system is the most advanced system of filtration. It includes an activated carbon and a membrane. A partial list of contaminations that reverse osmosis can remove is:-

 Arsenic

 Asbestos

 Barium

 Benzene

 Cadmium

 Copper

 Chlorine taste and odor

 Cysts

 Fluoride

 Lead

 Nitrates and nitrites

 Parasites like cryptosporidium

 Total dissolved solid (tds)

 Volatile organic chemicals (VOC)

Reverse osmosis also removes some minerals and salts required for the body. However, as these minerals can be had as dietary supplements, it is a small price to pay for good healthy water.

One of the major advantages of having refrigerator filter is that that they save space. Fitted at the back of a refrigerator they hardly take up any space inside the refrigerator or on the countertop or under the sink. If your refrigerator is old fashioned then of course you cannot use this feature. But if your refrigerator has a water supply then refrigerator filters are best bet. Samsung fridge water filter EF-9603 will fit Samsung refrigerator with external filters. Some refrigerators are of course fitted with internal filters. However the externally fitted filters are more convenient because it is easier to replace the cartridges. Ideally the cartridges should be changed every six months.

LG too have refrigerators which are fitted with external filters. LG-BL 9808 fridge filters replacement cartridges too need to be replaced every six months. They are easily available and can be replaced without any hassles. In fact LG is a renowned name in the refrigeration and filtration industry. Like Samsung, they are constantly innovating new models. Actually it is very hard to suggest which product is better and why. Atag is another renowned company in the field of home appliances. They too make filter refrigerators. Atag Fridge replacement cartridges are easily available in the market.

Often it is possible to fit in line cartridges to a fridge that does not have a filtration system. These cartridges are fitted to the pipe work behind the fridge, usually with push-fit or screw-tight connectors. Siemens fridge filter can be fitted in this way easily.

What you will buy will depend upon your budget and also upon your like and dislikes. But today\'s home, big or small, must have a water filter. Health of the family cannot be compromised.

Some swear by Siemens fridge filter, others prefer some other brands. It turns out to be very confusing. However, we have to have a supply of pure drinking water. It is said that every day 1400 people die from drinking contaminated water.