Back in the days, people boil their water to get access to safe and clean water for cooking and drinking. There is no doubt, boiling water definitely delivers what you need, but we can’t deny that it is time-consuming and a bit expensive, considering the amount of gas or electricity needed to boil the volume you require. If you are someone who still trusts the taps, the question that remains is, is your water safe for drinking or for cooking? If you have done your research, you may have encountered water filters. These are the easiest and the most convenient way of getting clean and good-tasting water that is safe for your entire household. And once you have set your mind to get one, you only have to worry about choosing the type that suits you best.
A Useful Guide to Choosing a Water Filter for Your Kitchen
Are you clueless about how to start the search for the best water filter for your kitchen? Breeze through this guide and narrow down your choices to one.
Decide on What System You Need
It is important to understand the basics of water filtration systems. To come up with a decision on which kind you want to go for, you have to understand the difference between the two main types – the POE and POU. POE or Point-of-Entry water filters start cleaning your water in its entry points, on the other hand, POU or Point-of-Use filters start their filtering process at the point where it is to be consumed.
A good example for POE filters would be a whole-house filter which is usually connected to your main water line. It cleans and filters out all the water from your water source and distributes it to your outlets. Meanwhile, POU includes showers, faucets, water filter pitchers, water bottles with filters, and under the sink filtration systems. Determining which one to use paves the way to choosing the one to use for your home or kitchen.
Determine Your Water Consumption
If you just want a kitchen water filter, it is still essential that you know how much water you consume. A large household guarantees a huge volume of water to be filtered, while a person living alone only needs less. You can have a clearer picture of this by starting to consider how much water you need for drinking. The recommended intake of a person falls on a half-gallon every day, add in the amount of water in gallons you need for cooking, bathing, and doing other tasks around the home, then you will come up with your household’s water consumption. From there, you can choose among the many types of water filters according to their ideal filtering capacity.
If you just want to have your drinking water filtered, then a water filtration system such as one that comes in pitchers or personal bottles will do. If you want water for your drinking, cooking, and other basic kitchen cleanings, then an under the sink filter will suffice. But if you want to have filtered water accessible in all the areas within your home, a whole house filter is recommended.
Discover What Your Water Needs to Be Rid Of
Water filtration systems are created to filter water with a recommended volume and target. Some water filters are effective in removing debris, while there are those that are capable of removing other types of contaminants. To determine your water content, you can start by looking at the annual water quality report (consumer confidence report) that is furnished by your water utility provider. These are required by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to make sure that the water standards are followed.
If this is not available or if you want a more comprehensive test, you can actually do it by purchasing a home test kit that is usually available in home improvement kiosks or shops, or you can actually bring a sample of your water or have a laboratory come in and test it for you.
We have enumerated some examples of water to give you an idea of the most common contaminants found in water. The contaminants that can be found in water include visible debris, VOCs, herbicides, pesticides, chlorine, chloramines, lead, mercury, fluoride, asbestos, giardia, cryptosporidium, and other wastes from pharmaceuticals. The type of water filter you need depends on the contaminant found in your water. Some of the media you can use is reverse osmosis or ion exchange, activated carbon, catalytic carbon, and absolute sub-micron mechanical filtration.
Verify Water Filtration System Certification
At this point, you may have narrowed down your choices for your water filtration system. Whether you are opting to get a POU or a POE, one thing remains imperative. You have to make sure that the choice has the WSQ or NSF seal, this indicates that it has been certified and approved safe and effective by the American National Standards Institute. By getting one that is approved and tested by any of the two, you bank on your safety and you get the guarantee that the filters are tested and proven to be effective in removing the contaminants.
Learn about Maintenance Costs
Apart from the considerations mentioned above, it is also recommended that you learn about the maintenance cost for each filter of your choice. Since these filters are still subjected to wear and tear, the possibility of repairs and replacements is still there. Whether it is a small filtration system or a whole house filter, it is important that you know the approximate value that you may need in case a repair or a replacement is needed. Cleaning fees if done by professionals should also be included in your computation. By knowing this, you can determine a type to go for because having one that exceeds your budget for repairs and replacements might be problematic in the long run.
Conclusion
The thought of getting access to clean and safe drinking water without the expensive cost of buying bottled water is exciting. However, the process of making the decision and getting one is not a walk in the park. There are a couple of factors that need to be considered to make sure you get one that is suitable for your lifestyle and current setup. So before heading out to get a water filter for your kitchen, make sure to take those factors into consideration.