10 tips for choosing a water filter

It is difficult to choose the right filter without understanding what task it should perform. Therefore, before going to the store, you will have to understand a few points.

• Degree of water pollution. The worse the water quality, the more powerful the filter is needed. If even visually you notice that the color of the water is cloudy or reddish, pay attention to better systems.
• The degree of purification. It all depends on your preferences.Most budget filters make water just drinkable, more expensive systems provide the maximum degree of purification. The composition of the water becomes closer to distilled.
• Purpose of application. If it is more convenient to purchase an ordinary jug for use at work, then for an apartment the stationary model will still be the best option.

There are many water filters on the market. They differ in design, quality of cleaning, size, volume of water produced. Consider their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and you decide which option to choose.

• Filter jug. Primitive in design, compact and inexpensive devices. They consist of a container with a volume of 1-2 liters, a reservoir and a filter located inside. The use is very simple - water is poured into the tank, passes through the filter and flows into the jug. An inexpensive and simple option - you can take it to work, travel, use it in an apartment, subject to small water needs. A device of this type copes well with light dirt, but you should not expect deep cleaning from it.
• Flow filter. More complex systems connected to the water supply. Cheap models purify water only from chlorine and large impurities. Models that use carbon filters also handle phenol, a bacterial environment. More expensive filters are more efficient. Flow models differ in design. There are stationary devices installed under the sink or on the table next to the sink. A separate faucet is provided for the supply of purified water. Filter nozzles are less common.All flow devices are easy to operate, compact, and effectively purify water. For their installation, you do not need to resort to the services of specialists. But there are also disadvantages - a small resource for the operation of filters, the high cost of consumables.
• multistage systems. The best filters for purifying heavily polluted water are devices with a reverse osmosis membrane, several stages of purification. They perfectly cope with any foreign impurities, substances. Many models are quite compact in size, like flow filters, they are designed for installation under the sink. Among the shortcomings can be called the rather high cost of the devices themselves and consumables, as well as a considerable amount of water. For example, to obtain one liter of purified water suitable for drinking, about five liters of the original liquid will be consumed. For apartments with water meters, this option will result in an additional expense item.

If you want to get good quality water, you should choose well-known, positively proven manufacturers. Several brands are considered the best and most popular.

1. Aquaphor. A well-known Russian brand that produces all types of filters. The company offers models of different price categories. A big plus is that replacement cartridges for pitcher filters can be purchased even in ordinary supermarkets. On sale you will find many flow systems of this brand. Some of them use the unique Aqualen substance - our own patented development. Reverse osmosis models are also available. Among users, brand products are popular due to good quality and moderate cost.
2. "Barrier".Another Russian brand that is a worthy competitor to Aquafor. The manufacturer offers customers jugs, table filters, sink models, complex reverse osmosis devices. You can choose the best option, taking into account the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe apartment and the kitchen in particular, the budget and needs. It differs from other companies in interesting offers - in the assortment there are shower filters, children's filters.
3. Aqualine. Budget, but popular brand of Taiwanese production. Specializes mainly in flow systems and reverse osmosis models. With a low price, the products are of good quality. The main distinguishing feature is that transparent plastic is used to make the first flask, through which you can visually monitor the degree of filter contamination.

In addition to these three brands, there are other brands that deserve attention - these are Novaya Voda, Kristal, Atoll, Geyser.

The cost of a filtering device for drinking water production depends on the type of construction, brand, performance, and set of functions.

• The price of the simplest jugs starts at about 300 rubles. But here it is better not to save and take a model a little more expensive. For example, Aquaphor Provence with the function of free chlorine removal and water softening.
• The cost of nozzles for a crane starts on average from 1,500 rubles. But here, too, we advise you to give preference to models with optimal cleaning quality. Users speak well of the Breeze filter with the functions of iron removal, water softening and its purification from free chlorine.
• The cheapest desktop dispenser costs about 1,500 rubles. But, again, consider more solid models.The Keosan KS-971 filter is quite popular among users. It costs about 7,000 rubles, but it has six stages of purification, the function of iron removal, softening, water mineralization.
• Under sink filters are more expensive. You can also find very cheap models from 500 rubles, but, as a rule, they do not cope with their functions, they quickly break down. The cost of reliable and efficient models starts on average from 5,000 rubles.
• Reverse osmosis systems provide the highest quality cleaning, but also cost accordingly. The price of a functional and high-quality filter is at least 6,000 rubles. There are models that cost over 50,000 rubles. The price depends on the brand, the set of functions and the number of degrees of purification.

The water that flows from the tap can contain a variety of impurities - harmless and dangerous to health. Therefore, before buying a filter, it is advisable to find out the quality and composition of the water. Do not be too lazy to take a water sample to a sanitary epidemiological station or to a private laboratory for analysis.

Based on the results obtained, you can already choose a filter. Be sure to pay attention to the hardness of the water. With an indicator of up to 8 mEq, you can install a conventional flow filter. If the hardness is higher - up to 8-12 mEq, only a reverse osmosis system can handle the cleaning. The same system should be given preference if the presence of organic substances, bacteria, fungi is indicated in the conclusion of the examination.

Modern systems are made up of several types of filters at once for the most effective water purification.The most commonly used options are:

• Absorption. An absorbent-based filter element, the function of which is most often performed by a carbon filter. With use, the quality of cleaning gradually decreases. The filter must be changed regularly. If this is not done, after a while it will itself become a source of pollution.
• Ion-exchange. The principle of operation is based on the reaction of substitution of unacceptable substances for harmless compounds. It is good to use such filters, for example, when calcium salts are exceeded. A small minus - the exchange buffer is depleted rather quickly.
• Membrane. Contaminated water is passed through a molecular sieve - microscopic channels in the membrane. Their diameter is so small that it does not exceed the size of a water molecule. All molecules and larger particles cannot penetrate the membrane. The filters are efficient and economical to operate.
• Osmotic. Modern, most effective cleaning devices using the principle of reverse osmosis. They are distinguished by a high degree of purification, removal of all salts, minerals and other foreign substances from the water. Minus - high cost. Compared to flow devices, the performance is very small, so the reverse osmosis filter must be equipped with a storage tank.

Different filters have from one to eight stages of purification. The more of them, the safer and tastier the water. In multi-stage devices, the first three stages are considered the most important.

1. Water is purified from mechanical impurities - rust, silt, sand. Particles are retained by porous polypropylene filters.Some of them already at the first stage remove iron dissolved in water.
2. Heavy metals disappear from the water, it is softened due to ion exchange.
3. Absorption removes chlorine, odors, pesticides. The general properties of water are improved - smell, taste, color. The most common absorbent is activated carbon. Some companies make it from coconut shells, increasing the absorption capacity of the filler by 2-3 times. The addition of silver prevents the development of pathogenic microflora inside the filter.

The subsequent steps depend on the filter model. For example, reverse osmosis, iron removal, water mineralization.

Some models provide for the possibility of mounting additional filters. For example, to enrich water with minerals after treatment with reverse osmosis systems.

• Additional filters for cleaning from iron. It is advisable to install such a filter only in those areas where its high content is found in the water. Excess iron is harmful to health, the condition of household appliances. The water supplied through the central mains contains ferrous and trivalent iron. Coarse filters cope only with ferric iron. To get rid of ferrous iron, it is necessary to use more complex devices of the charging type with multicomponent mixtures. In addition to the main purpose, they eliminate excessive water hardness, manganese, and a number of other compounds.
• Mineralization of water. Reverse osmosis filters "under the sink" retain not only harmful compounds, but also useful mineral components.Some models are equipped with an additional mineralization option. If not, then you can install the mineralizer yourself. Just before buying a filter, check with the seller whether it is possible to add a mineralizer to the model you have chosen. It is a small plastic device filled with slowly dissolving minerals. They get into the purified water.

Before buying a device, you need to calculate how much drinking water your family needs per month. Every day a person needs two liters of clean water. To this volume, you need to add about another liter, which will be consumed in the form of soup, coffee. That is, one person needs about three liters of water per day. For a family of three, the average water consumption per month will be about 270 liters. This figure should be compared with the performance of the model and the resource of the filter.

For example, cartridges for jugs have a small resource - only 250-300 liters. It will require monthly replacement, which is not very economical. Models with the principle of reverse osmosis have a longer service life - 3000-8000 liters. At maximum performance, the duration of use of one cartridge is about 30 months. But experts do not recommend using the same filter for more than a year, as it can itself become a source of water pollution, so purchasing devices with a maximum service life also does not make much sense. Choose the golden mean.

The cleaning principle is approximately the same for all filters, but various substances can be used as a filler.

• Activated carbon.It is used very often due to the high level of absorption. It purifies water qualitatively and at the same time is quite affordable.
• Zeolite. Quite often used to fill filters. Removes ammonia and other harmful organic compounds from water. The unique natural mineral easily copes with the absorption of heavy metal salts, chemicals, nitrates, phenols, bacteria, pathogens and radioactive elements.
• Shungite. This is a rock with powerful cleansing properties. It is considered the optimal filler for the removal of chlorine, a number of complex organic, organochlorine compounds. Simultaneously with purification, shungite saturates the water with useful microelements, magnesium and calcium salts.