What I Learned About Household Water Filters

I've learned that effective household water filters are difficult to find. Some of the popular products that you see in department stores should not be called a home water purifier, at all.

They offer nothing more than chlorine filtration. That's important, but filtration of other contaminants is even more important. Let me explain why.

If you're like me, you may not have known that chlorination causes the release of hazardous byproducts that are known carcinogens. The "safe" level of exposure developed by regulating authorities was based on the assumption that an individual's only exposure was through drinking or consumption. They also assumed that every person weighs 175 pounds or more.

Most household water filters do not remove those chlorination byproducts, because it takes a little more than granular carbon to trap them. In order to find one that does, you have to read product performance data and look for "THM" reduction. That's the abbreviation for trihalomethanes, a group of eight or nine chemicals that are created when chlorine reacts with bacteria of different types.

The only reason that we know about them is because researchers have been studying them and how we are exposed to them. They learned about the cancer connection many years ago, but those in power were afraid to publish the data, fearing that the general public would not understand and call for an end to chlorination.

All that I wanted was a household water purifier that would remove them. I know that chlorination is necessary to prevent waterborne illnesses. I think that most people realize that too.

Researchers have also informed us that these chemicals become airborne during a shower and when we are cooking with unfiltered waters. Exposure even occurs when hand-washing dishes. So, you need a home water purifier for the shower and you need to leave the kitchen filter in the "on" position when doing dishes or cooking.

There are only a couple of household water filters for the shower that reduce THMs. So, again, they can be difficult to find, but it is important to make the effort.

If you get a consumer confidence report, it may tell you that the THM level is well below governmental limits. You have to remember that those measurements were taken at the treatment facility and levels continue to rise as it makes its way to our homes. Everyone whose facility uses a disinfection process needs a home water purifier and that's practically everyone in all of the developed countries.

I eventually found two house water filters for under the kitchen sink that reduced THMs by more than 99%. One cost less than $200. The other cost nearly $800. The difference was that the $800 system contained a reverse osmosis step, which is unnecessary if you have a submicron particle filter and actually, that's pretty easy to find.

Most any home water purifier will remove cysts and that means they filter down to one micron or less. I hope this info helps you find affordable and effective household water filters. I know it helped me.

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