Staying hydrated by drinking enough water is an important part of maintaining our health. Things like counter top water filters can play an important role in this especially as we continue to learn about the contaminants commonly found in our drinking water and cooking water.

Finding The Best Water Filter For Your Needs

When looking for a water filter, it’s important to know which contaminants you want to remove. Contaminants and other chemicals in water can cause health problems as severe as cancer. That’s a risk you don’t want to take. Different water supplies vary in concentrations of contaminants and other chemicals. It’s recommended to check with your local water supply and department about the quality of water and any potential problems before you start shopping for a countertop water purifier. Different water filters are designed to purify water from certain substances, but they may not be effective for all harmful substances you are trying to avoid. If you get your water from a well instead of the city you may want to check for high levels of harmful substances like arsenic and get an arsenic water filter if the levels are higher that what is considered safe.

Water Filtering Technology

The most common technology used in water filtering systems include activated carbon, KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion), Reverse Osmosis, and Ultraviolet or UV water filtration. These water filtering technologies work well for different purposes. Additionally, water filters are rated in microns, which is a measure of the particle sizes in water. A small micron number means that the water filter can remove the tiniest impurities. A large micron number implies that the water filter cannot remove any smaller particles. Of course, you want the smallest micron rating to make sure all impurities are filtered.

Counter Top Water Filter

Ultraviolet water filters, also called UV water filters, are extremely effective in killing bacteria and viruses such as cryptosporidium and giardia (which cause gastrointestinal problems such as diarrhea and stomach bloating.) Meanwhile, Activated Carbon water filters effectively remove bad tastes & odors, chlorine, radon (toxic gas), and VOC’s. While KDF water filters are great at removing hydrogen sulfide, which is responsible for the rotten egg smell of water. It is clear that different filtering technologies have strengths and weaknesses when it comes to filtering certain chemicals. Therefore, it’s important to be well informed and educated about your water supply and the water filter technology.

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Types of Contaminants Found In Our Water Supplies

The list of contaminants and particles in your water supply numbers into the hundreds. Some common harmful substances found in water supplies include arsenic, bacteria, chlorine, hydrogen sulfide, fluoride, radon, nitrates, and volatile organic compounds (VOC.) Some of these chemicals, such as (chlorine and fluoride) are added by your municipalities, but the chemicals are harmful in large amounts. It is necessary and recommended that all chemicals found in water supplies be filtered and kept to a minimum. After all, you want the purest drinking water you can provide on a regular basis.

The Basics Of Counter Top Water Filters

The most economical and efficient solution to filtering your water is a counter top water filter. Installing a large and sophisticated whole house water filtering system can be very expensive and require a lot of maintenance, with costs running into several thousand dollars. Instead, countertop water filters allow you to filter water at one specific location, the location that is your main source of drinking water. For most people this will be the kitchen sink. Counter top water filters are connected directly to your kitchen faucet and placed nearby on the counter. Overall, counter top water filters are convenient and easy to install within minutes. When it comes to prices, they are also are affordable and can be bought for less than $100.

There are a variety of counter top water filters, including those with replaceable cartridges, and some without cartridges. For those water filters equipped with them, cartridges typically last between six months to a year, depending on how much water you use. Filters with cartridges can last a long time and only require cartridge replacement. Filters without cartridges require no maintenance, but have a limited life of only a few years.

Many counter top water filters use activated carbon technology to remove harmful substances such as chlorine, pesticides, herbicides‚ harmful bacteria, VOCs and other synthetic chemicals. Carbon filters made with coconut shell carbons are a little more expensive than those made with other carbons, but they are also more effective so they are worth it. Because you may not want all of your water filtered, so your water filter lasts longer, you may want to look for a countertop water filter with a diverter that allows you to use either unfiltered or filtered water through the same faucet.

If you are looking for an arsenic water filter you should look specifically for a countertop arsenic water filter, or for a countertop reverse osmosis water filtration system. Some KDF water filters can remove or reduce arsenic as well. Unfortunately simple activated carbon filters alone are not very effective at removing things like arsenic, barium, copper, mercury or nickel.

If you like to have instant access to hot or cold filtered water you may want to look into a countertop water filtration system that has these functions. They are often called a countertop water cooler, even though many of them dispense filtered hot water and room temperature water.

Most counter top water filters are easy to install and easy to maintain by simply changing the cartridge or filter regularly. Just be sure you know what you want from your water filter before you start shopping as different water treatment systems remove different contaminants.

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Whether you want a countertop water cooler for use in a professional office or for easy convenience in your own home, a certain elegant charm comes with the practical utility that is found in countertop water coolers. You have probably seen and maybe even used one of these in a waiting room or at work so you know how handy they can be if you want quick access to either hot or cold filtered water. Getting a cold glass of filtered water or a hot cup of tea is as easy as dispensing the water with these counter top water filters.

Popularity of Countertop Water Coolers

Water coolers have been a popular item in American homes and businesses since the mid-70s. While they used to be reserved for businesses only, counter top water coolers have slowly found their way into homes. Their ease of use along with the opportunity to drink filtered water was a very enticing prospect to many homeowners. It is important to remember that water coolers were around long before individually packaged bottles of water became the national craze. For a while water cooler dispensers in your home were one of the only ways to get purified water.

Countertop Water Cooler Sizes

Countertop Water Cooler

There are a variety of sizes when it comes to countertop water coolers from a 5 gallon bottled water cooler to a 1.5 gallon bottleless water cooler. A small or mini water cooler will obviously hold less water, but they also tend to be lower in price. Smaller water cooler dispensers sometimes do not have the optional water filtration systems that the larger coolers do simply because the room is just not available, but they generally come with some type of water cooler filter, often a carbon water filter of some sort. One nice aspect of both sizes of coolers is that most are now coming standard with cold, room temperature, and hot water settings so you have quick access to whatever temperature of water you need at the moment. Want a quick cup of tea? Instantly get filtered hot water from your filtered water cooler. Thirsty after a long hard day at work? Press the cold button on your countertop water cooler, and you’re water comes out chilled and ready to drink.

Colors and Styles Of Water Coolers

Since these water coolers are becoming increasingly popular in the marketplace, you can easily find a wide array of colors and finishes on these countertop water dispensers so that it blends in (or stands out, if that’s your style) with the decor of your kitchen. They are also made out of different materials, as everything from aluminum, steel, and plastic are used to manufacture these table top water coolers. It has been said that there are noticeable taste differences between the different materials that these countertop water coolers are made of, so you want to be aware of the elements that were used to make the water reservoirs.

Countertop water coolers provide a convenient, efficient, and safe way to get filtered water. No longer do water coolers have to come in the bulky floor models that used to be seen in offices and homes all over America. As the coolers have gotten smaller and more compact, they also have become easier to use and less cumbersome for people. The countertop water cooler is a great innovation that is sure to a welcome addition to your household. But if you are specifically looking for an arsenic water filter read the fine print as many countertop water coolers won’t filter contaminants like arsenic.

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As there are many different water coolers on the market today, there are also many different water cooler filters within these dispensers. Whether they use carbon filters, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet filtration, or ceramic filters, water cooler users have a plethora of options when it comes to the type of water filtration system they may use.

Many water coolers have bottles that are attached to them. Inside the bottles is usually filtered water that is the result of some type of water filtration system. At some point, the bottle will need to changed unless you have bought one of the latest bottleless water cooler systems that have a water cooler filter located right inside the unit as many smaller countertop water coolers do. Either way, it becomes vitally important that you closely monitor your water filter in order to ensure the purity of your next glass.

Carbon Water Filters

Activated carbon filters are one of the most common types of water filters available. They are very effective at removing organic chemicals as well as many industrial chemicals. They also provide better tasting water. The disadvantages of using carbon filters for your water filtration system is that they can grow bacteria and they don’t remove all contaminants. If you’re looking for an arsenic water filter a simple single carbon filter probably won’t do the trick. Also note it is important to closely follow manufacturers recommendations for changing carbon filters because once the carbon has been thoroughly used the contaminants it has collected can leak back into the water you are trying to filter.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis filtration is usually reserved for larger water coolers that have an abundance of room to house the large filtration system that is needed for the reverse osmosis process, however you can find smaller countertop reverse osmosis filtration units. Though the process can usually render the end product very clean and pure, reverse osmosis systems tend to waste a bit of excess water in the process.

The initial filtration phase takes place in a porous filter that will eliminate certain harmful elements from your tap water as well a sediment to help protect the second filter, the reverse osmosis filter. This second filter with even smaller pores, know as the reverse osmosis membrane, will then pass the water through its walls where only small particles are allowed through and larger contaminant particles are trapped in the membrane. In the final stage before being made available to the end user the water is often passed through a carbon water filter. The entire process can be very long and tedious, and purified water is usually not made instantly available unless it has previously been filtered.

Many people who choose this type of filtration in their homes opt for a whole house reverse osmosis water filtration system.

Ultraviolet Water Filtration

UV water filters have recently come into the market and have been praised for their ability to zap out certain harmful elements that are contained in tap water. Unfortunately, UV filters do not provide protection against chemicals that you might find in your everyday drinking water simply because the technology is not advanced enough to seek out and destroy chemicals. However, it does do a very adequate job of killing microbes that can be found in the water. A combination of UV water filtration with another type of water filtration unit is usually a good combination to get the cleanest drinking water possible.

Ceramic Filters

Ceramic filters fall into much the same category as ultraviolet filters. They do a great job at finding microorganisms in your water and filtering them out completely. However, they are incapable of eliminating the dangerous chemicals that can be found in tap water. They also need to be thoroughly cleaned quite often, as the microorganisms that they eliminate are not simply killed like they are with UV filters. The buildup of organisms that can accumulate renders them completely ineffective if they are not.

While all of the above water cooler filters do an extremely good job of cleaning out your tap water to make safe for your drinking pleasure, they all have their drawbacks that ultimately limits them in how effective they can be. There is no doubt that these systems can have a great effect on the water you drink everyday, but it should be recognized that there are still areas where the water cooler filter can be improved.

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Using ultraviolet or UV water filtration has been proven to be the most effective method for killing harmful microorganisms (algae, bacteria, fungi, mold, and viruses) in untreated water supplies. While most municipal water supplies treat with chlorine to kill microorganisms, most private wells (rural, farms and septic tanks) are untreated. These untreated water wells can be contaminated by chemical runoff and sewage filled with dangerous bacteria and viruses prompting many to consider using a home water purifier. Those who believe their water supply has a high risk of contamination by disease-causing microorganisms should use UV water filtration.

UV water filtration uses a high-intensity, light spectrum that kills the microorganisms that cause harmful health problems. Disease-causing microbes can quickly reproduce in an animal or human host but ultraviolet rays can sterilize these microbes rendering them harmless.

UV Water Filtration vs Chlorine Filtration

Many water purification systems include multiple filtration methods – carbon, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet water purification – in order to destroy all types of waterborne contamination. Chlorine filtration is a popular method for killing water-borne microbes.

Ultraviolet water treatment has a number of advantages over chlorine filtration:

• No chlorine taste
• No harmful by-products
• Ability to kill microorganisms that are chlorine-resistant.

Certain microorganisms are resistant to chlorine, like the Hepatitis virus and Legionella Pneumophila bacteria; UV water filters kill these dangerous microbes. Ultraviolet filtration kills 99.99% of microorganisms, including those that cause Cholera, Influenza, and Tuberculosis. Ultraviolet filtration also kills E. Coli and Salmonella, which may create food poisoning.

How UV Water Filters Work

UV Water Filter with Sediment Filter

UV water filtration uses high-powered lamps to emit wavelengths that take care of harmful microorganisms like bacteria, molds, viruses and giardia to name a few. The UV rays change the DNA structure of the organisms making them sterile so they are no longer considered a threat.

The water passes over a quartz glass sleeve where the light from the UV water filter will penetrate it. But before it is processed through a UV filter it should be pre-filtered by something like a carbon water filter or other sediment filter to remove sediment, down to sizes smaller than 5 microns, in order to remove any potential physical barriers. If larger sediment pieces are still present in the water, then microbes can hide behind them and be unaffected by the ultraviolet rays. This pre-filtration will also take care of other contaminants the UV filter won’t remove making your drinking water that much cleaner.

UV water filters alone won’t remove things like arsenic from your water. To remove arsenic you will need to pre-filter with an arsenic water filter, then run the water through the UV filter to kill any harmful bacteria.

While UV water purifiers kill harmful bacteria they don’t change the taste or smell of the water. But if you use a carbon water filter to pre-filter it will help improve the taste of the water by removing chemical contaminants that the UV filter won’t remove. The combination of these two water filtration systems is very effective way to ensure you have purified water for you and your family.

You can find UV water filters in under sink or counter top water filters.

Maintaining Your UV Water Filter

For the UV filtration system to work properly the glass sleeve needs to be kept clean and free of algae so the light can penetrate through and do its job. The filter’s UV germicidal lamp also needs to be monitored to make sure it is working properly and still able to eliminate germs and bacteria.

Overall UV water filtration provides a safe, effective and economical way to eliminate potentially harmful microbes in your water. Using a UV water purifier along with another water filtration system like carbon filters, KDF water filters or reverse osmosis filters is a very effective way to purify water so you feel good about the water you and your family are consuming.

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A reverse osmosis faucet is faucet that is specifically designed to be used along with a reverse osmosis water treatment system, sometimes called an RO system. Reverse osmosis faucets are used in rooms where you want access to filtered water, like the kitchen, where they channel the filtered water from the water filtration system to your glass. They can be used with a whole house reverse osmosis system or, more commonly with an under sink reverse osmosis filtration system.

Is a Reverse Osmosis Faucet Needed?

Reverse osmosis filters are commonly used to treat household drinking and cooking water. They effectively remove a wide range of natural impurities, especially nitrates, that may alter the color, smell, and taste of drinking water. They are also used to remove harmful contaminants from the water supply.

A reverse osmosis system can be beneficial if the water has an unpleasant taste, color, or smell, contains impurities or excessive minerals (hard water), or is unfit to drink. Before purchasing a system, many find it helpful to test the water to ascertain amounts of nitrates, minerals, or bacteria. If abnormal amounts are found, an RO system may be beneficial. A reverse osmosis faucet will then provide convenient access to that purified water.

If you are looking for an arsenic water filter reverse osmosis is a good choice. A reverse osmosis water filtration system is very effective at removing a wide variety of contaminants including arsenic and heavy metals. But one of the drawbacks of a reverse osmosis system versus other water filtration systems is that it wastes a lot of water during the water treatment process.

Installation

Most reverse osmosis faucets are located right next to the normal kitchen faucet. The filters and tank are usually located under the counter or under the sink.

Installation of an under sink reverse osmosis system or a counter top water filter is much easier and more affordable than a whole house reverse osmosis system. If you simply want a water filtration system for your drinking water a reverse osmosis faucet is a good choice. But if you want purified water from all of your faucets and your shower a whole house water filter like a whole house reverse osmosis system may fit your needs better.

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How Does A Reverse Osmosis System Work?

A reverse osmosis system consists of several parts that work together to produce clean, purified water. The process is sometimes called “ultra filtration.” First, unfiltered water is passed through a pre-filter. The pre-filter works like a sediment filter as it helps to prolong the life of the reverse osmosis filter, also known as the reverse osmosis membrane, by removing larger particles before they come into contact with it.

Next, the water is moved to the actual reverse osmosis membrane, where pressure is applied so that the water will pass through it. This membrane allows only the smallest molecules to permeate it, including water molecules. Larger matter and particles, such as minerals and other contaminants, are too big to pass through the membrane and are flushed out of the system. Additionally, some reverse osmosis membranes contain an electrical charge that will repel chemicals.

Next, the filtered water passes into the tank, where it is ready to be used. The reverse osmosis filtration process is fairly slow-moving, so most reverse osmosis systems contain tanks that hold around three to five gallons of water at a time.

Lastly, when the water is ready to be used, it may be passed through a carbon water filter to improve the taste of the water before it is released from the faucet. This step is sometimes used in the pre-filter stage, and is not always necessary.

It should be noted that a reverse osmosis faucet alone should be adequate in treating household drinking water when the source of the water is a pre-treated, municipal supply. However, if the water source is completely untreated well water, lake water, or any other source that may contain bacteria, viruses, or other contamination, it may be necessary to combine a reverse osmosis system with another method of purification like UV water filtration.

Many families and individuals are opting to install reverse osmosis faucets. The water produced is comparable in quality to bottled water, and most systems fit neatly under the sink and provide enough tank space for an entire family’s daily use. Clearly, it is essential to have clean, pure water to drink and cook with on an everyday basis. A reverse osmosis faucet can be extremely beneficial in providing this quality drinking water at home.

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Household water safety has been a hot topic of debate in recent years causing more people to look into things like whole house reverse osmosis water filtration. While residents of the United States benefit from one of the largest and most efficient potable water networks in the world, water quality is a cause for concern for many people. Because of this, more and more people have explored different forms of water treatment systems besides drinking straight from the tap, from using a simple water purifier like a pitcher with a carbon water filter to installing a whole house reverse osmosis system.

How Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Works

One of many residential water treatment processes available today is a reverse osmosis filtration system. This process is generally thought of in terms of an under sink reverse osmosis system that directs water through a reverse osmosis faucet.

The basic concept with this type of whole house water filtration system is that water is moved under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane. Because the molecular size of many water impurities is larger than the molecule itself, the reverse osmosis membrane acts like a screen to remove the impurities. Reverse osmosis filtration works particularly well for mineral removal, but not as well for contaminants such as pharmaceuticals or chloride compounds. A whole house reverse osmosis system is a relatively new option that requires a significantly more complex system.

If you’re interested in reverse osmosis water filtration but don’t want the complexity of a whole house filtration system you can also find countertop reverse osmosis water filters.

Components of a Whole House Reverse Osmosis System

These heavy-duty whole house water filters include several sub-components: a pre-treatment system, the actual reverse osmosis filter, a storage tank and a re-pressurization system. The pre-treatment system is in essence a water softener, often used as a method to remove municipal chlorine and other chemical contaminants that the reverse osmosis process itself does not address. The water is then processed through the reverse osmosis filter, and transferred into a storage tank that remains at normal room pressure. In order for the water to maintain faucet pressures at the point of use, a re-pressurization system is the end point in the system, similar in design and function to the standard in-home water tank that electric well pumps feed in order to reduce changes in water pressure throughout modern homes.

Advantages of Reverse Osmosis Filters

Reverse osmosis water filters are thought to be one of the most effective types of water filters available because they are able to remove so many different types of contaminants, more than comparable water filtration systems. Another advantage is that reverse osmosis systems don’t require electricity.

In areas where heavy metals and saline content of the water is a problem, reverse osmosis filtration can be one of the most effective means of improving water quality. Dissolved minerals, salts, metals, sediment and large-sized microorganisms such as giardia cannot pass through the reverse osmosis membrane in these RO systems. If arsenic is a contaminant of concern these water filtration systems work well as an arsenic water filter. Reverse osmosis filters also remove bacteria and viruses from the water.

Drawbacks of Reverse Osmosis Systems

Because of the molecular size limits of this type of water purification, these systems do not remove the need for water softening units in areas with hard water or where Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are a concern. There are some studies that imply that the overall pH of the water changes to slightly acidic, posing potential risks to mineral retention in bones and teeth. Reverse osmosis water filtration systems are so effective at removing elements from water that they also remove some healthy minerals.

As the membrane in the reverse osmosis system ages, water quality will diminish, but not necessarily in such a way as the user will notice before water quality is severely degraded. These systems can also be wasteful of overall water resources. Depending on the unit size and efficiency, it can take between three and six gallons of untreated water to produce one gallon of processed water.

For the right household with a particular set of needs a reverse osmosis filtration system can be the key to healthier water, but you need to evaluate whether you need a whole house reverse osmosis system or simply a counter top water filter for your water filtration needs.

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There are many different forms of water filtration systems and water purifiers available for household use from countertop reverse osmosis water purifiers to whole house water filters. Some, like pitcher water filters and faucet-mounted filters, are ineffective at removing specific contaminants. Others, like under-sink water filters and whole house reverse osmosis water filters, are costly to install and maintain, and require professional installation. Of the filtration options available, reverse osmosis provides the most complete removal of contaminants.

A countertop reverse osmosis filter is an excellent option for those who want complete water purification without the difficulty and space issues of a traditional under-sink reverse osmosis system. Some can even be used as a portable reverse osmosis water filter while touring the country in an RV.

Why Reverse Osmosis?

A reverse osmosis, or RO, system uses water pressure to force the water through a thin membrane. Very few molecules can pass through the membrane, so the filter removes all sorts of contaminants including dissolved solids. RO is the one of filtration systems that is able to remove arsenic from water, making it a good choice if you are looking for an arsenic water filter.

Reverse osmosis units typically have several filtration stages, including activated carbon filters and ultra-violet lamps to remove everything from sediment to microbes. Maintenance of the system includes sanitizing with bleach regularly, and replacing the membrane occasionally. The biggest drawback to a RO water purifier is the size of the water filtration system and the amount of waste water it produces.

Why A Countertop Water Filter?

A counter top water filter is a good compromise between an under-sink RO system and a faucet or pitcher filter. Countertop water filters are smaller and more compact because they do not require a pressurized tank and series of valves. They take up less space than a traditional reverse osmosis system, and are much more versatile.

A countertop reverse osmosis system can be used anywhere there is a faucet or other water source, and a drain; it doesn’t require a reverse osmosis faucet. It can be used in a greenhouse, a classroom, even on a camping trip. Countertop reverse osmosis units produce the same quality of water as traditional reverse osmosis systems. Fresh water is produced directly into a container, such as a bottle or pitcher. The main drawback to countertop reverse osmosis is the time required to filter the water. Because there is no storage tank, users must start the unit when water is desired, and then wait for the filtration process to be completed over several hours.

A countertop reverse osmosis system is an excellent choice for household water filtration. Some convenience may be sacrificed due to the lack of fresh water on demand. However, it can provide the versatility of a portable water filter that can travel will be appreciated by many users. Motorhome and boat owners, avid campers, gardeners, and aquarium hobbyists, and people who rent homes will often find that a countertop reverse osmosis unit is the best water filtration system for their needs.

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