By Deanna DeLong
People most often
judge the quality of water by its taste. The scary fact is that you
cannot taste, see, or even smell most contaminants. Since Portland
water is so soft, it does a great job of leaching lead and lead solder
from pipes and fixtures in older homes, and even from the city’s
distribution system. Even at low levels, contaminants in drinking
water have an impact on your long-term health.
If you plan on
making some major changes in your kitchen, consider a water filter.
Point-of-use water filters are becoming more of a necessity as water
quality deteriorates around the country. The Water Quality Association’s
latest market research indicates that 55% of consumers are more likely
to purchase a home if it contains a water treatment system.
Choosing a
water filter
With water filters, what you see is not necessarily what you get.
There are over 4,000 water filtration and purification systems on
the market. Many filters are designed to improve taste and odor, but
may not reduce contaminants.
The following
questions will help you choose the best filter:
How many
contaminants is the filter certified to reduce?
NSF® International and UL® are the two independent labs that
test and certify water filters. Checking the certification is the
only way to verify that a manufacturer’s claims are true. (TNSF
website: www.nsf.org. Underwriters Laboratories Inc.: www.ul.com.)
Check the NSF listing to see if it is certified for lead, mercury,
TTHMs (disinfection by-products), endocrine disrupters, cysts, pesticides,
and herbicides.
Is the technology
appropriate for the contaminants that are in your water?
Certain technologies are only capable of reducing certain contaminants.
Solid carbon
has the most comprehensive capability for reducing contaminants of
health concern.
Granular-activated
carbon filters generally make the water taste better but do not
reduce pesticides, herbicides, or disinfection by-products.
Distillers
and reverse osmosis systems remove the beneficial minerals as
well as heavy metals such as lead, but do not reduce many volatile
organic chemicals or disinfection by-products.
Softeners
replace minerals for salt.
Installation
Most systems are simple to install. When you are ordering your
new sink, be sure to ask for one with an extra hole. If you are
using your old sink or don’t have an extra hole, it is also
possible to drill one—even through stainless steel, porcelain,
or cast iron. |
Ultraviolet
and ozone systems kill microbiological contaminants but do not
reduce other contaminants.
Does the
system waste water?
A
reverse osmosis system typically wastes about 3 to 4 gallons for every
1 gallon of filtered water it produces.
Does the
system leave the beneficial minerals in your water?
Solid and granular carbon filters allow beneficial minerals to pass
through.
Is it easy
to use with a replaceable filter?
The filter should be easy for you to change, without requiring a plumber.
Some systems are throw-aways when the cartridge is used up.Don’t
throw away your money on one of these.
What is
the cost per gallon of filtered water?
Are the system and replacement cartridges reasonably priced, or will
you be paying a fortune over time? A quality solid carbon block filtration
system is less than $.07/gallon when you replace the filter once a
year. GAC filters tend to have very high replacement cartridge cost
($.23/gallon) for very little contaminant reduction. Distilled water
is usually $.25 or more per gallon. Bottled water can cost over $2/gallon.
What is
the warranty and is there a money back guarantee?
Many warranties are only one year, and only a few companies offer
a 100% money back guarantee in the first 30 days following your purchase.
How long
has the company been in business?
Look for a company that has been around for a long time and stays
on the cutting edge of technology.
Two for the
price of one
Planning ahead in your design or remodel ensures that your under-sink
filter can be run to your refrigerator. The majority of filters that
come inside of refrigerators are taste and odor filters. You will
also be paying more in your refrigerator purchase—anywhere from
$200 to as much as $700 more, just because it has a filter. You can
also run a line to a bathroom and instant-hot water dispenser. |
