Home Water Purifiers
There are two different types of water filtering systems: point of use and point of entry. Point of use devices are usually installed straight onto the faucets or taps in your kitchen, or they are pitcher units that you filter water through and then use that water for drinking or cooking rather than tap water. There are many different options for mounted filters: they can be attached to the faucet, to the kitchen's water supply line, or both.
Point of entry devices are installed on the main water supply and purify all the water entering the home. They run on the same principle as the smaller kitchen filters, but they are designed to handle a much larger capacity. These systems cost more to buy and install than single-room filters.
Costs and Choices for Home Water Purifiers
The price for water filters can vary greatly, depending on the size of the filter. Activated carbon filters can range in cost from a few dollars to several hundred dollars. Faucet-mounted filters usually range in price from $20 to $60. Pitcher filters are usually the least expensive, retailing for under $25.
No matter what their technology, water filters cannot fully disinfect drinking water--they usually can't remove microbiological contaminants. Water filters can remove certain chemicals and improve the taste, odor and appearance of water, however. One of the drawbacks of water filters is that if not used according to the manufacturer's specifications, they will allow previously filtered contaminants to be released into the water, so it's important that you always use the correct filter with home water purifiers. Studies have shown that levels of bacteria present in water that has passed through an improperly maintained home filtration device may be up to 2,000 times higher than levels in unfiltered water.
