Looking for alternatives to plastic bottles? Wondering what are the best water filter systems? What are their pros and cons? Keep reading.
Why buy a water filter system?
Water filter systems remove impurities from drinking water.
If you hesitate whether to buy a water filter system you may want to check out the reasons below.
Your back will thank you
No need to do heavy lifting with plastic bottles anymore.
Less plastic waste for the planet
We buy more than a million plastic bottles a minute. Only a fraction is recyclable. We recycle only a fraction of what we could. What happens to the rest? Luckily, it degrades for about 450 years in a trash disposal facility. Worse, plastic bottles end up in the ocean. Moreover, it’s already known that growth in plastic pollution surpasses mitigation efforts.
Wise shopping
Of course, it’s your wallet and prices for water filters may vary. Though, I’m sure even if you buy an expensive water filter system, it will pay off. Do the math yourself.
Water in plastic bottles is not healthy as it seems
Plastic bottles are often made of BPA. Research showed that we might all have it in our organisms. Is it healthy? Studies show that we live better without BPA in our body.
Regardless of the reasons why you may choose to stop using plastic bottles or at least reduce their usage, there are steps you can take. Using a water filtering system is the most obvious one.
Water Filter Systems Types
There are various types of water filter systems or the underlying filtering schemes they use:
Reverse osmosis (RO) systems
RO filter systems use a membrane which removes dissolved solids and minerals from the water. Such systems usually use sediment and activated carbon filters before letting water molecules reach the membrane. Note, that RO systems might be even effective at removing remove a bacteria and viruses from the water. Another important thing to know about RO systems is that they send about two thirds of unfiltered water to drain. Sadly, this is wasted water.
Activated carbon filters
Carbon filters use activated carbon to adsorb impurities and hazardous chemicals from the water. The filters remove chlorine, herbicides, pesticides, industrial chemicals, etc… It’s usually recommended to replace the carbon filters every 6-12 months.
UV water systems
UV water systems use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria and other microorganisms (e.g. viruses) in the water. Using a UV water purifier requires your water filter system be connected to a continuous electricity supply. Similarly to reverse osmosis systems, UV purifiers may function as a stage in water filter systems or may be even combined with RO systems. UV systems purify water from bacteria and viruses by damaging their DNA using UV light. This makes the water safe to drink.
Whole house systems
Installed on the main water line entering a building or a house. They usually filter hard sediments and solids from the water or soften the water in order to prevent the buildup of scale in electrical appliances. In addition, whole house water filters may be combined with in-house filter systems.
Point-of-use filters
Mounted either directly on the faucet or under the sink. These filters might not be among the most effective as they remove impurities from the water as it is being used.
Note that the most effective water filter systems may combine several of the above filters and filter water in stages. In addition, some systems are so effective in filtering the solids (e.g. reverse osmosis systems) that they might have an additional stage which remineralizes the filtered water.
Where to buy a water filter system?
There are plenty of online stores where you can buy water filter systems. I recommend below top-rated US made filters.
Amazon
All of the below Amazon stores provide various options: under sink, counter-top, reverse-osmosis, shower filters, etc… In addition, you can buy filter replacements there.
In addition, Amazon offers plenty of shipping options along with special discounts for Prime members.
APEC water systems
Aquasana
iSpring
AquaticLife
Whirlpool
eBay
Below eBay links provide water filter systems search results. You can find great deals there as well.
APEC water systems
iSpring
Aquasana
If you don’t have the option to install a water filter system using Brita filters may be a great option too. Finally, don’t forget to test quality of the water before and after using a filter.
If you search for reusable bottles to fill your filtered water in, discover the best reusable bottles and their benefits. In addition, you may want to recycle your water filter system’s filters.
Environment will thank you
I believe each contribution towards a greener world matters. Make small steps along with millions of others. Accumulated steps will make a difference! Consider also using reusable cutlery and eco-friendly shampoo bars in order to reduce plastic consumption.
