| Have you read about this recently, that | | | | emerged as low-cost alternatives to tap water and |
| pharmaceutical drugs we take on a daily basis are | | | | bottled water. Keeping in mind that any filter is better |
| ending up in our water supply? Pharmaceutical | | | | than no filter, these products are by far the least |
| chemicals are just the newest addition to the many | | | | effective and the most costly to use. The average |
| contaminants that are left in our water even after it | | | | pitcher sells for around $25 and includes a 30 gallon |
| is treated by the local water treatment facility. Once | | | | cartridge. Because of the small size of these |
| we understand the uncertainties of tap water and | | | | cartridges, they have very limited effectiveness and |
| bottled water, a home water purification system | | | | a low capacity. |
| clearly becomes the best choice. How do we know | | | | Carbon Block and Granular Carbon Filters |
| which home water purifier produces the healthiest | | | | Carbon filtration systems are the most common type |
| water, though? | | | | of countertop or under-the-counter water filtration |
| The key to choosing a home purifier water system is | | | | system. The water is passed through specially |
| comparing each product's performance to other | | | | treated carbon to remove contaminants. Activated |
| alternatives. Compare the following for each product | | | | carbon is recognized by the U.S. EPA as the best |
| to easily and simply determine which water purifier | | | | available technology for filtering Volatile Organic |
| system best fits your needs: | | | | Compounds (VOC) and Trihalomethanes (THM). |
| - Contaminant reduction capability | | | | Multimedia block filters utilize the benefits of activated |
| - System cost | | | | carbon with several added advantages. A blended |
| - Ongoing cost per gallon | | | | media is extruded or compressed into a solid form |
| The Six Most Popular Home Water Purifier System | | | | with a sub-micron pore structure to filter out |
| Technologies | | | | sediment and cysts like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. |
| Reverse Osmosis (R.O.) | | | | This configuration also prevents water from |
| Reverse Osmosis is a technology from the 1950's | | | | channeling around the filter media as with the granular |
| that was designed to separate the salt from sea | | | | carbon filters. The costs per gallon vary with the |
| water by passing water molecules through a | | | | home water purifier system. |
| membrane. Beneficial minerals, like calcium and | | | | Ultra Violet Light |
| magnesium are stripped from your drinking water | | | | Ultra Violet Light is used to kill bacteria and viruses |
| during Reverse Osmosis. The R.O. system is | | | | found in drinking water, but it's not effective against |
| ineffective in removing synthetic chemicals such as | | | | non-living substances such as lead, asbestos, chlorine, |
| herbicides and pesticides because they are smaller | | | | and chemicals. Most Ultra Violet Light purifiers are too |
| than the water molecule and therefore pass through | | | | large for point of use application. The UV light used in |
| the membrane. The R.O. system should be used | | | | combination with the carbon block technology |
| along with a carbon filter. | | | | removes more contaminants than any other system. |
| Reverse Osmosis systems also waste approximately | | | | The initial cost for the UV Light system can be |
| three gallons of water for every one gallon they | | | | prohibitive. |
| purify and costs about 18 to 24 cents per gallon. | | | | Combination Filters |
| Distillation | | | | Your best choice is a system that uses a combination |
| Distillation is a process that passes water over a | | | | of two or more water filtration technologies. Choose |
| heated coil, causing the water to vaporize and | | | | a system that takes out the most harmful |
| become gaseous. The process separates water from | | | | contaminants and leaves in the beneficial minerals. |
| inorganic compounds like lead, calcium, magnesium, | | | | Aquasana water filters for use a combination of |
| etc. Distillation also destroys bacteria. Distillation is not | | | | carbon filtration' ion exchange and sub-micron filtration |
| very effective at removing organic chemicals, since | | | | to filter out chlorine' lead' VOC's, Methyl Tertiary Butyl |
| they usually vaporize at a lower temperature than | | | | Ether (MTBE) and Cysts (chlorine resistant parasites), |
| water. For this reason, a distiller should be used in | | | | and leaves in the natural trace minerals. |
| conjunction with a carbon filter. The distillation home | | | | Make no mistake about it, home water purification is |
| water purifier system produces at a very slow rate | | | | a real necessity today. Now that you are aware of |
| and at a per-gallon cost of about 20 to 26 cents a | | | | the potential contaminants and the best technology |
| gallon. | | | | available to handle each one, your next step is to |
| Pitchers and Carafe-Style Filters | | | | investigate the top performing brands. We believe |
| In recent years these types of filters (not to be | | | | Aquasana Home Water Purifier is an outstanding |
| confused with a home water purifier system) have | | | | value based on performance, cost and ease of use. |