What You Should Know About Home Water Purifiers

Before you go to the local home improvement store to buy a home water purifier there are a number of things that you need to educate yourself on. Not all systems are the same, not all types of systems will actually improve your water and the price tag is not indicative of the quality of the system. The goal here is not to recommend one brand over the other, it is more to make you aware of what you should be looking for and what types of systems you should stay away from.

Reverse Osmosis Systems

Many people have heard about the reverse osmosis systems. They are talked about as being the best and the most efficient and purifying our water. The truth of the water is that the majority of reverse osmosis systems are not the right choice for most homes, and they are usually the most expensive units you can buy. The reason for this is that a reverse osmosis system was designed for a large scale operation like your public water facility. Chances are greater then not your local water facility is using a one of these systems to clean the water before it is sent to your home.

Depending on the type of system and the size of the pores in the membrane you are going to lose anywhere from 3 to 5 gallons of water for every one gallon of water that is cleaned. So if you are going for the reverse osmosis system you can expect to see an increase in your water bill. They are also difficult to install, you will need to pay a plumber to come out and install the unit.

Drinking water from this type of system could also have adverse effects on your health. The water that has gone through a reverse osmosis system has been de-mineralized. There are certain trace minerals in our water that our bodies need such as potassium. There have been numerous studies that show drinking de-mineralized water on a regular basis will disrupt your digestive system and could result in certain mineral deficiencies.

Distillation Systems

This type of system is also very expensive and you run into the same problems with distilled water that you do with the water you are drinking from a reverse osmosis system, the water is de-mineralized.

Carbon Activation and Micron Filtration Systems

These types of water purifiers are the recommended choice for the following reason. They are affordable. The get the chlorine and other chemicals out.

The majority of people have chlorinated tap water in their home. There have been so many reports stating that chlorine can aggravate certain health problems and possibly cause new ones including several types of cancer. The carbon activation systems filter out the majority of the chlorine and other chemicals in the water.

The micron filtration is also important. Did you know that there are some parasites that are in water that chlorine will not kill? One such parasite is cryptosporidium, and the FDA has stated that checking water supplies for this parasite is simply not feasible and it could be present in anyone's water. To get rid of this parasite you need a micron filtration system.

As you can see there is a little more to home water purifiers that one might think. The ideal water purifier for a home is going to be one that combines the carbon activation and the micron filtration in a two step process. They vary in price based on size and function. But if you truly want the best for you family, one that will not only clean your water but provide water that is good for your health get a combination system.