Having filtered water in your home is very important for your health, your finances, and the environment. Water is used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, watering the plants, and more, which makes it necessary to have water that is as clean as possible.
Although, it has been easy for homeowners to ensure that their water is clean by using a filtration system, many people still use the good old-fashioned tap water for everything including drinking.
Unfortunately, not everyone knows the harmful contaminants that tap water have and the impact it will leave on the health of the body.
The common question that is asked about water filters is “Do I really need a water filter?” and the short answer is yes, you need it. Whether your source of water is a municipal system or a well, you will need to install a filtration system to keep it clean, as each source has its own contaminants.
You may think that your tap water is free of contaminants due to the clear taste and lack of odor, but it could still carry high levels of minerals that will affect its efficiency when it is used to cleaning clothes and dishes.
Filtered water has many benefits for you, your family, your clothes, and your home. Keep reading to learn more about filtered water and the best filtration system to use in your home.
The importance of filtered water
Drinking water is necessary for the body, as it makes about 60% of it and keeps it functioning properly. Water helps to regulate the body’s temperature, protect the tissue of your joints and spinal cord, and encourage it to flush the toxins out.
Drinking 7 cups of water a day is a daily routine for many people to keep their body healthy and providing the skin with the hydration it needs to remain young. Water plays a major role in keeping everything working well in the world, which is why there is a higher demand for water filtration systems.
Unfiltered water has huge risks due to containing elements such as bacteria, chlorine, heavy metals, and pesticides. A water filtration system will help remove all of these elements using different methods.
Some of the harmful contaminants found in tap water are:
Fluoride
Fluoride is always recommended by dentists to help give the teeth strength that will prevent bacteria from causing decay in the grooves and pits, but drinking water with fluoride every day can create major damage to the cells and weaken the immune system.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a harmful contaminant frequently found in tap water that is believed to be a cause for cancer development in the bladder and the lungs if the human body is exposed to it for a long time.
Aluminum
Aluminum is found in high levels in municipal water and exposure to it can cause hyperactivity, skin issues, Alzheimer’s disease, and learning disabilities in children.
Disinfection byproducts
Tap water will contain disinfection byproducts, such as chlorine, that has been used to sterilize it.
A water filtration system can help remove all of these contaminants to ensure that you are not use water that will harm your body in the long run. There are many ways to filter the water such as:
Distillation
A method inspired by boiling water to remove contaminants. Water filtration systems that use the distillation method boils the tap water, turns it into steam, and then brings it back to a liquid form that does not contain mercury, lead, arsenic, viruses, bacteria, and more.
Activated carbon
An affordable and easy filtration system that works by absorbing the contaminants with the activated carbon. It clears water of parasites, radon, heavy metals, and pesticides.
Cation exchange
Cation exchange softens the water with positively charged ions that will attract negatively charged ions. This water filtration system has beads of resin that will make the positively charged particles stick to. It also helps to save the home’s pipes from damaging particles such as calcium and magnesium.
The benefits of using filtered water
Aside from water filters protecting your body, it has beneficial properties for the environment and reducing the costs on buying bottled water. Here are the best benefits from installing a water filtration system in your home:
1. Protects your body from diseases
Staying hydrated throughout the day is very important to remain healthy and drinking unfiltered water can cause more harm than good. Protecting your body from harmful contaminants that enter your body through water can be easily done by using a filter.
Some risks that water contaminants have on the body are increasing the possibility of developing cancer and bladder problems, your child having learning disabilities, weakening the immune system, dementia, and more.
Using a water filter is the simplest thing you can do to prevent your body from getting sick.
2. Save a lot of money
Many people choose to buy thousands of water bottles to make sure that they are drinking clean water, but that will cost a lot of money and harm the environment.
Spending money on installing a water filter will be a great investment to minimize the costs of having clean water in your home and reducing your plastic footprint.
3. Remove odors from the water
Tap water can easily be distinguished from filtered water due to the unpleasant odor that is caused by chemicals used to clean it and the heavy metal the water is exposed to.
The taste and the odor of tap water can make it very difficult to drink as well.
4. Protect your skin
The chlorine in unfiltered water can cause the skin to become irritated and develop conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. A water filter can prevent sensitive skin from the chlorine that causes irritation.
5. Better soap lather and cleaner clothes
High concentration of minerals in water can make it difficult to get a good lather from soap and shampoo. Filtered water help to make your home appliances such as dishwasher and clothes washer work more effectively. It will also save you money from constantly buying soap and shampoo that has been used excessively due to it not lathering.
6. Reduces plumbing problems
Heavy metals, minerals, and chemicals are known to cause a lot of damage to the pipes and any home appliances that needs water to work. Using a filtration system will protect your pipes, home appliances, and water heaters.
7. Preserve the environment
The world is constantly using plastic bottles more and more each day. People who care about the environment often think that recycling their water bottle is guaranteed, but your home’s recycling bin could get contaminated and ends up in the landfill. Minimizing the water bottles you use will help ensure that you are preserving the environment.
The best water filters for your home
There are many water filters that can be installed in your home and that can depend on what you are looking for in terms of affordability, function, and method.
Here are the best water filters to consider for your home:
Brita
Brita is one of the most common water filters you will find in homes. It easily fits inside the fridge and is guaranteed to remove chlorine, as well as heavy metals.
A Brita filter has to be changed every couple of months and it has an indicator on the top of the lid to let you know if the filter needs to be replaced.
Berkey
Berkey is known as a leader in creating water filters that provides the most purified drinkable water. It removes bacteria, parasites, pesticides, radon, and more. It can be used inside the home, for travel, and outdoor activities. It can purify water that comes from wells, rivers, streams, and more.
Berkey Canada can be purchased in different sizes such as 2.75, 3.25, 4.5, or 6.0 galloon.
3-Stage Max Flow Under Sink Water Filter
This system can only be used by placing it under the sink to filter the water for up to six months. It is easy to install to filter out many contaminants such as chlorine, cysts, heavy metals, pesticides, VOCs, and more.
This system is a favorite among many homeowners, as it makes it extremely easy to use clean water for cooking, making coffee, and for drinking.
Aquasana’s portable water filter
Aquasana is another great company that makes water filters in different varieties such as the stainless steel portable water filter. This bottle can remove lead, chlorine, bacteria, and more.
It is great if you enjoy spending a lot of time outdoors and don’t want to purchase bottled water.
Soma’s Glass Carafe
Soma has created one of the most stylish water filter pitchers with this glass carafe. Don’t let the chic shape fool you, as this filter can remove many contaminants such as chlorine to enhance the taste and the small of the water you are drinking.
The Soma Glass Carafe filtration system is great to use when you have parties and guests over to provide a sophisticated atmosphere to your home.