How to Find the Best Filters, Drinking Water Systems

What are the best filters, drinking water systems on the market? How do you find this out? Also, how do you determine what you need? Well, in this short article, I'll do my best to answer those questions and point you in the right direction.

If you're concerned about the quality of your drinking water (and you should be!), the first thing you need to understand is the nature of your enemy. In other words, you need to have at least some idea of what contaminants are probably in your water. You can do this in two ways.

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS

If you get your water from a public water treatment plant, then they have to have their water tested for various contaminants every few months. As a consumer of their water, you have a right to a copy of these test results. I would suggest you get copies of not only their most recent tests, but for tests over the course of the last year. (Some pollutants like pesticides might be seasonal.)

If on the other hand you get your water from a well, then you're going to have to have it tested independently. This can cost anywhere from a couple of hundred bucks to thousands. I would suggest you start with the couple of hundred--that will probably tell you all you need to know about the nature of the pollutants you're facing.

Once you determine which kinds of pollutants you have in your water, you need to investigate the best filters, drinking water systems, and purifiers that are on the market. You're actually in luck, here. There are some sophisticated water filtration systems for sale that are within everyone's budget.

To actually determine the best filters, drinking water systems, and/or purifiers for you, you'll have to match them up with the type of contaminants you have, and also with your purposes.

For instance, if you're only worried about living contaminants, bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms, then something like an ultraviolet light sterilizer might work well. Not always, but these usually come with a sediment type pre-filter so that you can filter out the big stuff so that all the water can get exposed to the UV radiation.

If you're filtering your water for purposes other than drinking, then a reverse osmosis filter might work well. They tend to take out those all important trace minerals like potassium, and they're very inefficient, but other than that, they work well.

Distillers work well for water that's not chlorinated or that you know does not have any other volatile organic contaminants (VOC's). While filters made with carbon and ceramic filtering technologies might be your best choice for filters, drinking water systems, and/or water purifiers.

How to Find the Best Filters, Drinking Water Systems

CONSUMER REPORTS WATER SOFTENERS