5 Tips for Choosing a Carbon Water Filter

Fewer things deserve more urgent attention when it comes to daily living, then the quality of water you drink. A carbon water filter helps to improve the water you drink. It's cheaper to invest in than many other types of water filtration systems, but it can eliminate chlorine, pesticides and other contaminants. Before you choose a carbon water filter to buy, consider these tips:

1 - Verify Effectiveness Using Independent Resources

Check reputable organizations to see whether the filter you want to buy is certified to remove the contaminants it claims to filter. Two organizations that you can check are the Water Quality Association and National Sanitation Foundation International.

2 - Research the Costs to Replace Filters

Many filters are affordable to buy upfront, because that's not how manufacturers make most of the money. It's made each time you buy a replacement filter. You need to change a carbon water filter regularly, because old ones get clogged and don't function well. Don't just look at the cost of the filtration system, but pay attention to how often you have to change the filter and how much it will cost you each time.

3 - Make Sure it's what You Need

A carbon water filter may not be the right filter for your needs. It's often the first one that people consider because they are so widely available and affordable. If you are dealing with specific health issues, such as a compromised immune system, or want the remove all types of contaminants beyond what a carbon filter can, then you should select another type of filter. It may cost you more, but it's worth it to have quality water. 

4 - Know what's in Your Water

In order to know whether you need a carbon water filter or something else, you have to know what's in your water. The Environmental Protection Agency collects water quality information for each state, and publishes reports online. There's a map, and you can simply click on your state to view all sorts of information. It includes information for ground water as well as tap water.

5 - Decide if You want to Modify Plumbing

Many filters sit on counter tops and you don't have to do anything with the plumbing. Other filtration systems are installed into a water pipe underneath your kitchen sink to filter the water. In between the counter top models and the plumbed-in filter models, are faucet-mounted filters. Those are easy to mount to the faucet, but it does slow down how fast the water flows, and it may not work on the type of faucet you have.

6 - Determine what Water to Filter

Some filtration systems filter all water coming into your home. You may want to remove particulate matter, lead and other organic matter from your bath water and other water sources in your home. It wouldn't make sense to invest in a counter top or face mounted filtration system in that case. You would need a plumbed-in system, that connects to the water tank or plumbing pipes.

Check the packaging of the carbon water filters you’re interested in buying, to see whether they meet the National Sanitation Foundation standards. If they don’t, then you should consider other filters.