Water Filtration For The Home Provides Better-Tasting, Safer Water
Even the safest municipal water system can have an off day leading to discolored water or it may regularly provide water with an unpleasant odor or taste. Water filtration products and systems help homeowners avoid damaging clothing or limiting hydration due to the foibles of the water supply. A wide assortment of options are available on the consumer market and can start at the tap and extend to the entire house based on needs.
Faucet-mounted filters and accessories
Faucet-mounted water filters are a highly affordable option for providing better smelling and tasting water straight from the tap, and they can be as basic or full-featured as the consumer wants. Basic sink-mounted units feature filters layered with minerals. As water passes through the filters on the way to a drinking glass, an assortment of contaminants—including plumbing by-products like lead and system disinfectants, such as chlorine— are removed to improve taste and safety. The filters within the unit are changed periodically to maintain effectiveness.
These units can be used solo or paired with other filtering products, such as water pitchers and larger filtering vessels to maximize taste. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looking for an NSF rating on filters helps vet the product for quality by establishing what particles and contaminants the filter is designed to protect against.
Wall-mounted units
For more complex filtration needs, wall-mounted units at a sink or a shower can help further reduce impurities by running water through a series of filters before it ever hits the faucet. These under-the-sink units typically feature multiple layers of filtration and use different techniques and materials to purify water.
According to The Home Depot, water filters may use ultraviolet light, activated carbon and carbon block filters, mesh filters, reverse osmosis, infrared light, and water ionizers to provide better-tasting and feeling water. Each method has its pros and cons, with ultraviolet and infrared light helping to fight bacteria through disinfection while ultrafiltration and nanofiltration filters with tiny pores offer a physical barrier to entry.
Whole-home filtration
A whole-home water filtration center uses the same processes as wall-mounted units but on a much larger scale. These systems are put at the supply line to the home to take all water entering from the water system and push it through filtration before it is used for drinking, cooking, bathing, or washing clothes.
Contact a local plumber to learn more about water filtration systems.
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