Choosing an Economical Water Filter System for the Home

Often we hear something like this when people approach us about choosing a water filter system for their home: "I want a good system that will do the job but is at the same time economical."

This question takes a little bit of analysis of what you are trying to removed from the water in your home in order to come up with some suggestions.

If you want to eliminate the potential of drugs in your drinking water you will need either reverse osmosis or distillation. Both reverse osmosis and distillation will remove up to 99% of all contaminants as well as minerals from your drinking water. The World Health Organization cautions against drinking water that has been demineralized siting that magnesium, calcium and other minerals in water can help protect against nutritional deficiency. Demineralized water also doesn't taste "right" to most people because it is the minerals that give it taste. So that will be the decision you have to make based on how concerned you are with pharmaceutical residuals in the water (which may or may not be the case in your city).

I generally don't recommend these types of filters unless you have a specific problem that you're trying to eliminate that a good quality carbon/kdf filter just won't handle.

So, drugs aside, that leaves the most common contaminants of Trihalomethanes (chlorinated by-products) which are known to increase your cancer risk and fluoride which causes a number of health risks including increased risk of bone cancer in children.

You have two choices here, a whole house filter or individual filters at the point of dispensing.

To remove fluoride, you will need a filter designed specifically for that purpose (unless you decided on reverse osmosis/distillation). Fluoride is only harmful if ingested so you only need to remove it at the kitchen faucet (or any other place you drink from).

Chlorine by-products can also be absorbed from your shower through your skin and from the steam you inhale. So I'd recommend a shower filter and a bathtub filter if someone in your home loves frequent long hots soaks in the bath.

So, the bottom line, is that you can decided to go several ways:

Reverse Osmosis or Distillation for the whole home which has some draw backs in demineralization of your water but the benefit of removing the potential of pharmaceutical residuals in the water.

Carbon with KDF filters for the whole home (fluoride included if your city adds fluoride) or at point of dispensing.

If you go with point of dispensing, you'll want kitchen and shower filters.

Now the shopping is up to you. We compare water filters by brand and by function at Home Water Filters. For more technical details visit Crystal Quest.

Home Water Filter to Remove Iron

I am often asked if any water filter such as a counter top model or a shower model will remove iron. The short answer is no. Let's start by learning more about iron in drinking water (typically well water).

Iron and manganese are not hazardous but can be a real nuisance in your water supply. Iron and manganese are chemically similar and cause similar problems. Iron is the most frequent of the two contaminants in water supplies. Manganese is usually found in iron-bearing water.

How do you know if you have iron and/or manganese in your water?

In deep wells, where oxygen content is low, the iron/manganese-bearing water is clear and colorless (the iron and manganese are dissolved). Water from the tap may be clear, but when exposed to air, iron and manganese are oxidized and change from colorless, dissolved forms to colored, solid forms. Water from shallow wells containing iron/manganese will come from the tap with a red or brown tint.

Depending on the amount of iron in the water you may see rid specs once the iron settles out or your water may have a red tinge which stains. Manganese will leave a black tint.

Iron and manganese deposits will build up in pipelines, pressure tanks, water heaters and water softeners. This reduces the available quantity and pressure of the water supply.

Another problem that frequently results from iron or manganese in water is iron or manganese bacteria. The bacteria is not hazardous but will leave a red or brown/black slime particularly where water sits like in the toilet.

A rotten egg smell from the water along with the red or brown tint indicates that there is also hydrogen sulfide in your water - which is not unusual with water that contains iron (with or without manganese).

Now, on to the question of how to get rid of this iron and the manganese and/or hydrogen sulfide.
There are two ways you can remove the iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide. Find a new source or water or install a quality water filter system that is designed specifically to remove iron and/or manganese and/or hydrogen sulfide.

These specially designed water filters passes the water through the filter media and there it gets oxygenated. Once the water is oxygenated, the iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide can then be trapped in the filter. A good quality water filter will pass the water through several filtering materials which will remove any other contaminants that might also be present. The result is clean, clear water that won't leave stains in your toilet or on your clothing.

Learn more about high quality water filters to remove iron at Crystal Quest.

Other home water purifiers

Will Fluoride Water Filter Remove Chlorine?

This is a question I get asked a lot. Many people want to remove both fluoride and chlorine from their tap water but are unsure whether one filter can remove both or if they will need two different water filters.

What materials are removed by running water through a water filter depends on the type of media, or filtering materials, used in the manufacture of the filter. Some water filters use only one type of filter medium while other will contain a number of different filtering media. In general the more media used in the construction of the water filter, the more levels of filtration that are provided and the more contaminants that get removed.

If the goal is to remove a single material from your drinking water, such as fluoride or arsenic, then a water filter designed to remove that material and containing only the necessary filtering medium will do the job. One such filter is the Crystal Quest Model CQE-CT-00131.

If, on the other hand, the desire is to remove many materials, a water filter with multiple levels of filtration and filter media will be required. For a good explanation of how this works, take a look at the Crystal Quest Model CQE-CT-00144 with seven levels of filtration.

For more information and comparisons of water filters visit us at The Best Water Filters.

The Fluoride in Drinking Water Controversy

For over 30 years, the controversy has raged about the benefits or the hazards of human consumption of fluoride. Despite numerous studies conducted by such organizations as the World Health Organization (WHO) we seem to be no closer to definitive answers to the question of whether fluoride in our drinking water really does prevent tooth decay or if it is, in fact, contributing to major health problems like cancer and osteoporosis.

Fluoride occurs naturally in drinking water is some areas of the world, including parts of the United Stated and Canada. Many cities and towns also add fluoride to the drinking water supply during water treatment. The addition of fluoride to drinking water began in the 1940’s because it was believed that fluoride prevents tooth decay. Since that time, many studies have been conducted and there is evidence that fluoride does play a part in preventing tooth decay although it is believed that with the level of dental hygiene practiced today in the developed world the addition of fluoride to the water supply is unnecessary. On a more sinister side, other studies have concluded the fluoride may cause some very serious health problems. The following quotation is taken from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website.

“Many communities add fluoride to their drinking water to promote dental health. Each community makes its own decision about whether or not to add fluoride. EPA has set an enforceable drinking water standard for fluoride of 4 mg/L (some people who drink water containing fluoride in excess of this level over many years could get bone disease, including pain and tenderness of the bones). EPA has also set a secondary fluoride standard of 2 mg/L to protect against dental fluorosis. Dental fluorosis, in its moderate or severe forms, may result in a brown staining and/or pitting of the permanent teeth. This problem occurs only in developing teeth, before they erupt from the gums. Children under nine should not drink water that has more than 2 mg/L of fluoride.”

The EPA regulates the level of fluoride in drinking water because it recognizes the potential health hazards of the consumption of too much fluoride. Several countries in Europe, such as Sweden, France and Ireland have gone even further and sought medical advice from some very prestigious institutes such as the Nobel Medical Institute that recommends against fluoridation of drinking water and these countries have stopped adding fluoride to their drinking water.

A Harvard Study of boys drinking fluoridated vs. unfluoridated water, released April 5, 2006 concluded that boys who drink water with levels of fluoride considered safe by federal (EPA) guidelines are five times more likely to have a rare bone cancer than boys who drink unfluoridated water.

Dr. Hardy Limeback B.SC., Ph.D. in Biochemistry, D.D.S., head of the Department of Preventive Dentistry for the University of Toronto, and president of the Canadian Association for Dental Research states that "Children under three should never use fluoridated toothpaste," he counseled. "Or drink fluoridated water. And baby formula must never be made up using Toronto tap water. Never."

Even if we accept that the addition of fluoride at the EPA regulated levels, 1.4 and 2.4 parts per million (ppm) is save and will not increase our risks of developing bone or other rare cancers, we also need to consider the fact that many beverages we drink also contribute to the amount of fluoride we consume on a daily basis. In a study of fluoride levels in fruit juices, over 42% of the fruit juices tested were found to contain fluoride at over 1 ppm with some juices, particularly grape juices, as high a 3.0 ppm.

There seems to be as many scientists advocating fluoride as there are issuing warnings about it. In the meantime, we are left without clear answers about this long standing controversy. For those concerned about the potential health risks posed by fluoride consumption, or families with small children, home water filters can be installed that are very economical and very effective at removing fluoride from drinking water.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Linda Symonds grew up on a small island in rural Canada where she developed a love of the natural world. Linda believes that the polluted and toxic environment that we live in poses significant risks to our health and the health of coming generations. For more information about the plight of our water supply visit http://www.thebestwaterfilters.com

Water Filter Cartridge Replacement on Auto Pilot

You know if you have a water filter, you are never really sure when it's time to replace the filter cartridge. Sure, you can use a little sticker to remind you - problem is, when something is in front of you all the time, you tend not to "see" it so by the time you do notice it, the time has passed.

Aquasana has started the Water 4 Life program that is designed to take all the guess work out of water filter cartridge replacement by putting it on auto-pilot for you.

When you enroll in the Aquasana Water 4 Life® program, you will automatically receive fresh, new replacement filter cartridges every six months, delivered directly to your door, with easy-to-follow replacement instructions, at a discount and with FREE shipping! What could be easier than that?

PLUS - by using the Aquasana Water 4 Life® program to replace your filter cartridges, you'll pay even less for those replacement cartridges.

How does that sound?

To me it sounds like investing in an Aquasana and signing up for the Water 4 Life® program!

I'd like to hear what your think! Post a comment and let me know you're alive out there and I'm not writing this stuff for nothing.

We Compare water filters for you so you don't have to waste time.

The dangers of fluoride in drinking water

What this dentist has to say about fluoride:





Now, having seen the video, you need to do 3 things.

First, protect your kids from fluoride by installing a water filter that will remove fluoride from your drinking water. (Currently on sale so go do it now!). Comparisons of fluoride water filters at fluoride water filters comparisons.

Secondly, replace your toothpaste with toothpaste that does not contain fluoride like the Xlear Spry Toothpaste NON-FLUORIDE

And last (but certainly not least) is to send a message to congress to stop the contamination of drinking water with fluoride. Fluoride Action Network.

Now, having seen the video - tell me this - did you know that fluoride in drinking water was this dangerous?

President Obama speaks out about food safety - but what about drinking water safety?

Yesterday (March 14, 2009) President Obama said he is forming a Food Safety Working Group to "upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century," and he formally named former New York City health chief Margaret A. Hamburg as his new Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

President Obama talked about the peanut contamination and his concerns about his children and all our children who are eating peanut butter sandwiches on a regular basis. That's great news, President Obama. I, for one, am delighted that you are taking action to ensure the safety of our food supply and that you care about the health of your children and ours.

But - and this a big. What about the water supply?

Mr. President, our drinking water contains drugs that are not being tested for, and removed, before we consume them each and every day! You need to get concerned about that! You need to start NOW to protect our children AND our grand-children from the contaminants in our drinking water!

I cannot do a better job at stating this than did this YouTube user 'reality2me4u'. Watch the video now.





If this video makes you upset like it does me, then it's time to do something about it. The United States of America now has a President who is concerned about the safety of American children. NOW is the time to let him know that you care about what drugs in your tap water are doing to your children.

It's never been easier to let a President of the United States know what concerns you. It's simple. You just go fill out this form. Go there now and tell President Obama that you want him to do something about the drugs in our drinking water!

If you don't know what to say then here's a suggestion:

"Mr. President Obama: I am concerned about the drugs that are contaminating the drinking water of your children and mine. Every drink from the school cafeteria, every soft drink and even every reconstituted fruit juice poses a risk to our children. It is time to have our water supply cleaned of dangerous drugs and chemicals!"

In the meantime, what can you do? You can do nothing about the water and drinks you and your children drink outside your home. You CAN do something about the drinking water IN your home. Compare kitchen reverse osmosis water filters and whole house reverse osmosis water purifiers and get one installed as soon as you can.

We compare water filters so you don't have to spend your time trying to figure out which ones are the best.