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Drinking water purification systems come in Varying styles. Each design features upsides and downsides, so choosing a good design to fit your home, your needs, and your available space is a critical phase in the purchasing process.
Water Filter Systems for the Refrigerator
Refrigerator water filters are designed to be attached on the back of your refrigerator and provide filtration for drinking water along with ice you get from a plumbed refrigerator.
A refrigerator water filter protects your family from pollution which gets into bottled drinks by way of your refrigerator ice maker. If you do not cook very much, purifying the ice and water that comes from your water dispensing refrigerator might be the only thing you need.
Water filters designed for your refrigerator are just like ice maker water filters, it is only a matter of the appliance attached.
Water Pitchers with Filters
Water filter pitchers pull the water through filtration media via gravity. Water filters of this design are not the best filtration mechanism since they cannot include ceramic filter media, since they only use the force of gravity, compared to tap water pressure. Water filtration systems of this type are always a slow way to make clean water and offer few options for filter cartridge media.
Portable Water Filtration
For those always on the move, portable water filtration systems are a necessity. Portable water filters cover the range from sports bottles to water filters for your countertop.
Water Coolers that Include Filtration
water coolers aren't exclusively used in an office setting anymore. Most mothers are trying to get their kids to drink more water to limit cokes, and are even happier that their kids can refill their drinks while avoiding going to the high traffic area near the fridge.
A modern water cooler with a filter gives hot and cold water as you need it, so water coolers get used year round. The best part is, you get great tasting water without the heavy bottles to cary.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filters
Reverse osmosis water purification is not the fastest process, so a storage tank is required to hold the water that has been purified so you have plenty of water for peak usage times. If you don't have space available under your counter a reverse osmosis water filter is not a good option for you. Another thing to remember purification by reverse osmosis is not the best water filtration method available, despite what most people think.
Water Filters Designed to Sit on Your Counter Top
Counter top water filters are easy to install, so they're a perfect fit for apartment living or when you want a less permanent installation. Another great point, a hole in your countertop or sink is not needed to install a countertop water filter. The smallest countertop water filter takes no more counter space than a small pitcher.
A water filter designed for your counter top is the right one to buy when your under the counter space is full of other things.
Under Your Sink Water Filtration
A water filter under your kitchen sink saves usable counter space and makes for a lasting setup. Because water filters that install under your sink are placed out of the way, they can be larger, and consequently offer the best tasting water.
A four stage water filter under your sink supplies the best available safety for your family's drinking water, with token space requirements under your sink.
This style of water filter is also referred to as under counter water filtration, since they can be installed somewhere besides underneath a sink.
Water Filters Attached to the Kitchen Faucet
Faucet mounted water filters attach to your existing kitchen sink faucet and include a valve so the output water can be filtered or unfiltered. These water filters are not recommended, as they only use a tiny filtration cartridge, often only using granular activated carbon, with it's limited filtration capabilities.
In almost all cases, a two stage countertop water filter that uses a carbon block resin filter gives better tasting water than any filter that fits on your faucet.
Even with all these choices, you should be able to easily choose a drinking water filter system that fits your needs. Much of the decision comes down to the usable space in the kitchen and whether you want cooled water from the fridge or a water cooler, or room temperature water for cooking, or some combination.
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