Clean, fresh, healthy water.  One of the necessities in life.  However, these days our water is filled with so many contaminates that tap water is no longer healthy for us.  Choosing how to filter our drinking water can be overwhelming.   My family recently moved.  Our current address will not be our permanent address.   Knowing that we will only live here a short time I didn’t want to invest in a large under counter water filtration system.  But let me just say lugging gallons of water all week up and down the stairs is no fun task.  After several weeks I was done with that and I knew although we will be here short term I needed an alternative. So, what are the Best water filters for the home?

Best Water Filters For The Home

When Looking for water filters, you first need to decide what contaminants you want to remove.

What’s in our water? Regular tap water has over 300 contaminants/chemicals. Some of the most concerning ones are:

• Chlorine is added to water as a purification technique.  It’s commonly used for cleaning and disinfecting your house.  But is it safe for drinking? Some precautions are eye, nose and stomach irritant.   
• PFAS’s (Polyfuoroalkylor) research shows these chemicals take years to be removed from our body.  These compounds can be found in fabrics, packaging, cookware, environment just to name a few.  Health risk includes hormones, high cholesterol, thyroid, testicular and kidney cancer. 
• Perchlorate used to make rocket fuel.
• Fluoride has been added to water for decades but now is known to be an endocrine disruptor. 
• VOCs (volatile organic chemicals) organic compounds that occur from pesticides, chemicals and products. A significant health risk that causes birth defects, possible cancers, and other health hazards.
• Lead/Copper most commonly comes from pipes causing stomach discomfort
• Bacteria/Microbes viruses, giardiasis, protozoa contamination that causes diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and cramps. 

Before choosing your system

• Test your water- every city and state have different guidelines and contaminants found in drinking water. In my local area, one city has fluoride, the city right next to it does not.  So know your water and what’s in it.
• Not all filters are created equal-Even in a category like Carbon filters can remove different contaminants.  There are different technologies used in removing contaminants.

Water Filtration Systems

Carbon Block is a positive charge attracting negatively charged impurities.  This type is effective at removing chlorine, taste, odor, pesticides, herbicides and VOC(volatile organic compounds).  Made either with GAC(granular activated carbon or block carbon.

Reverse Osmosis is a semi-permeable membrane that pushes water through blocking particles larger than a molecule.  Reverse osmosis does remove many contaminants that carbon filters don’t.  However, it does not remove VOC’s or chlorine.  Many consumers use carbon and reverse osmosis together. A drawback of this system is it tends to waste water in the process.

UV System Some of the newest technology.  The ultraviolet radiation works to destroy bacteria in water but, doesn’t remove the chemicals.

Pitcher- low in cost, can be used in small spaces and the refrigerator.  Only removes some contaminants, odor, and taste. Usually a carbon filter.  Replace filters frequently.

Faucet mounted– low cost, easily switches between filtered and unfiltered and is easy to install. This system doesn’t remove all toxins or contaminants. Replace filters often.

On counter– Many more choices of filtering systems.  Higher cost, limited installation. Removes a wide range of contaminants.

Under the sink– largest selection of technologies.  Highest cost, but is most effective. Filters last the longest time. Can customize filtering to remove all contaminants.

Here are my final choices! Let me know what your family uses!

• Big Berkey countertop filter system
• Everpure ROM III Reverse Osmosis  under counter filter system