Whether you’re building a new home or making a few changes to the one you’ve lived in for a while now, you may be wondering whether or not it pays to have a water filter system installed in your home. Let’s find out.
Currently, how many people living in America do you suppose filter their water? Roughly 77%. That number has risen slightly but steadily over the years. It’s really not surprising, when you think about it. There are some things in the water coming out of your household tap that, if you knew about them, you may not want to put in your food, your pets, and your family.
In pursuit of cleaner drinking water, many people opt for bottled water. But that presents a major problem: What to do with all that plastic? Plastic is one of the biggest polluters in America today, even though it can be recycled. Bottled water can also get expensive if you have to buy it on a frequent basis.
What to do?
Filtering Your Drinking Water
There was a time when, rather than having a water filter system installed in a house, the people living there simply purchased a big pitcher with a replaceable water filter in it – and that’s fine. Or at least it was, for the time. When they left the house, they carried bottled water.
If you’re on the go, you may opt for a reusable plastic or metal drinking bottle that has its own filter. This way, you can get your water from any tap, but still have it be reasonably cleaner when you drink it.
You can still opt for the reusable metal or heavy-duty plastic bottle but, rather than depending on a little filter for the bottle itself, fill it at home with water filtered through your in-home system. (Of course, if you need to refill the bottle while you’re out, the type that comes with its own filter may work out better for those on the go.)
What’s in My Water?
Where you get your water from will largely help determine what types of undesirables might be found in the water coming from your tap. Here are just a few of the things you might find in tap water that you may want filtered out.
The following are characteristics of tap water which you may find less-than-perfect.
Funny tastes can include:
- Swampy
- Metallic
- Chlorine
- Sulfuric
- Earthy
Contributing to the funny taste can be the following:
- Decaying vegetation
- Minerals
- Wildfires in the area
- Disinfectant
- Bacteria
- Algae
Contaminants possibly found in your water may include the following:
- Disinfection byproducts like chloroform
- Organic chemicals like tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, glyphosate, atrazine, etc.
- Inorganic chemicals such as nitrates, nitrites, arsenic, lead, etc.
- Microorganisms including noroviruses, Giardia, E. coli, etc.
The Benefits of Filtering Your Water at Home
The following are benefits you could be enjoying by having a water filter system installed in your home:
- You’ll notice a vast improvement in how your drinking water tastes
- Reduce mineral deposits such as lime scale
- Enjoy cleaner clothes (laundry)
- Save on soap
- Prevent potential skin irritation
- Reduce the possibility of certain plumbing issues
- Help preserve the environment
- Save money
- All the time, you can enjoy safe, clean drinking water
Filtered Water Offers Specific Health Benefits
If the benefits just listed aren’t enough, you may want to specifically consider the health benefits that can be enjoyed by you, your family, and your pets when you use an in-home water filter system. Some of these health benefits are as follows:
- Minerals and metals are removed by a good filter system including rust, dirt, mold, and sediment. Whether the pipes in your home are rusty or the water is coming to your home with metals and minerals in it, a filter will better ensure clean, impurity-free water for your family.
- Chlorine may be necessary for pools, but not for human body consumption. But to clean impurities, chlorine is used by many water companies. Some negative health effects have reportedly been experienced due to large amounts of chlorine consumption.
- No one wants to drink water that smells like rotten eggs. But water is a necessary part of a healthy diet – lots of it, in fact. With a water filtration system, you’ll enjoy more purified, cleaner, better tasting water, so you’ll be more likely to drink the eight glasses a day recommended by most doctors.
- The filter will remove thousands of nasty microorganisms from your home’s water supply. You don’t want your family, or you, yourself, getting sick from tap water bacteria. Be safer. Drink cleaner water.
- Good minerals and vitamins can still be consumed, even if your water is filtered. Potassium, magnesium, and more are the good minerals and vitamins that stay in water, even after it’s filtered. It’s the bad stuff you’re trying to get rid of. With an in-home water filter, you can.
Different Types of Systems
On the market today, you will find a plethora of water filtration systems available. Some are as follows:
- Under the sink water filters
- Residential solutions
- Quad filtration systems
- Triple filtration systems
- Dual filtration systems
- Single filtration systems
- In-line systems
- Reverse osmosis systems
- Water softeners
Deciding which is best for your purposes can depend on any number of factors including budget, the type of water you’re dealing with, how many people live in your home, water usage, and more. There are also various types of filters available for in-home systems, including the following:
- Sediment filters
- RO membranes
- In-line filters
- Carbon filters
- Softeners
Types of Water You May Want to Filter
Now that you’re aware of various types of water filters and/or softening systems, and the filters that can go into them, let’s look at the types of water that are specifically filtered for precise usage:
- Ware washing
- Fountain and vending beverage
- Combi and steam ovens
- Ice filtration
- Food and beverage
- Drinking water
- Combination systems
- Hot beverages
If you thought that the only thing people filter water for is drinking, you now know otherwise. Water is used for a vast array of purposes, so it needs to be filtered if it is to be used in a cleaner manner.
Key take away: Having a water filter system installed in your home is an excellent investment. The benefits detailed above clearly point to that. Since there are many filter systems from which to choose, you have to pick the one that suits your needs best. Speak to a water filter professional about your filtering choices versus your circumstances if you’re in doubt.
