How not to choose a water filter: 5 most frequent mistakes

How not to choose a water filter: 5 most frequent mistakes

Even if you have already decided on the type of filter, you may encounter pitfalls. We tell you how not to get on the rope of crooks, what approach to choosing the right filters, and what to focus on when buying.

Error 1: Believe that "all diseases from water"

...and living without a filter is the quickest and most direct way to get the worst diseases, right down to cancer. Recently, the country was plagued by an epidemic of sales of "miracle filters" for water, which was imposed on naive buyers sellers who went to their homes. "The miracle filters" turned out to be ordinary reverse osmosis filters, which were ordered from Chinese and European online shops at around 100 euros a piece, and were sold for 5 times more expensive.

A lot of stories about it were filmed, experiments with the "transformation" of pure water into dirty repeatedly exposed. One glass of water was passed through a reverse osmosis filter and distillates were obtained, while the second was simply poured from under the tap. The water in the unfiltered glass of unfiltered water was colored brown - the salts were precipitated by electrolysis, an experience from a high school chemistry course. Nothing like that happened in the water passing through the membrane, and there was nothing to precipitate - "you see what you drink and how clean the water can be!”

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Error 2: Do not take water for analysis

It's easy: pour into the bottle and take it to an independent laboratory. Tap water (as well as from wells) can be "enriched" with something not very pleasant depending on the region (somewhere there is an excess of iron, somewhere the water is too "hard" or "soft"), on the season (in spring with snow melting the amount of impurities increases), on the state of pipes.

It should be understood that for each type of "contamination" you need the appropriate filter elements – replacement cartridges, directional cassettes. It is important, for example, not to buy a softening cartridge for the already too "soft" water (you just can't wash the soap off your hands), and for water that needs to be purified from high iron content - universal cartridge.

Some filter manufacturers also provide water analysis services, for example when purchasing a sink filter. In this case, the analysis will be free of charge, a specialist will come to you, make a water extraction, and based on the results of samples you can determine the type of cartridge without any trouble.

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Error 3: Buy a filter from an unknown manufacturer

The water filter is a high-tech device that requires a manufacturer of scientific developments, own laboratories, and highly qualified personnel. AQUAHOMEGROUP is among the major long-established and well-established manufacturers of household water filters. Many filter manufacturers strive to pass optional certification by NSF, a non-profit organization that develops international quality standards for food and water treatment systems, and WQA, the Water Quality Association, an international trade organization that brings together manufacturers of water filters.

If this is the first time you see or hear the name of the brand, then go to the website, see who and what it is, what year the company has been working, what developments it has as a rule, large manufacturers work in all directions and make all kinds of filters, explain what cartridge for what, have their own installation and service services.

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Error 4: Filter only drinking water

If the analysis of water showed the content of salts, lime or iron at the upper boundary of the norm or even above it, it is best to install one central main water filter, which will supply purified water for the entire apartment or house. This will protect sanitary ware, as well as washing machine and dishwasher (yes, these devices have filters at the water inlet, but in case of hard water they are quickly "cemented" by limescale). The problem of drinking water will also be solved, in addition, and you will wash with purified water. Many (especially women) note a positive effect on skin and hair.

If it is not possible to install a central main water filter, the use of showerhead filter is required. This will help to avoid problems with dry skin and the beauty and health of your hair.

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Error 5: Do not take into account the lifetime and cost of the cartridges

Filter-hole cartridges, tap attachments, sink filters, trunk filters, and membranes of osmotic water treatment systems need to be replaced regularly. Cartridge life - from one to three months, membranes - about 2 years. If you are not ready to change the cartridge as often as required by the instructions, it is better not to buy a filter at all, because the filter element that has not been replaced in time may start to "overgrow" and in the end not to clean water, but to contaminate.

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Make a calculation for the year, considering the resource in liters (4000 to 12000 liters) and the number of family members. The cost of "consumables" can range from a few dozen (filters, sink, nozzles) to several hundred (filters under the sink, main cartridges) dollars a year. It is also necessary to make sure that replacement cartridges are available for sale.


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