Home Water Filters

Humans have been purifying their drinking water supplies for thousands of years. The first evidence of purification dates back to 2000 B.C., when the ancient Egyptians used cloth and charcoal as a way to purify and clean their supplies. Since then, filtration systems have advanced, and homeowners have numerous options for purifying their water for better taste and health.

Filtering liquids through media is one of the most basic types of purification. A filter media can physically block impurities, adsorb them or combine the two actions. Most of these filtration devices use activated carbon granules, which work through adsorption, which is a process that attaches contaminants from a liquid to a surface, and then pass the liquid through several stages to separate and eliminate contaminants.

Filtration is highly effective and can remove VOCs, heavy metals, benzene, tetrachloroethylene, lead, chlorine and chlorine byproducts from your household drinking supplies as well as the potentially dangerous giardia and cryptosporidium, which are occasionally found in public supplies because they are resistant to chlorine. Reverse osmosis is another option.

Reverse osmosis, which was developed several decades ago, pushes pressurized liquids through a semipermeable membrane. The salt, fluoride and other chemical components are removed, but it may not be effective against VOCs and other contaminants that have small molecules. This may result in a more acidic beverage and can strip calcium and critical minerals from your bones.

Distillation is the final process. Liquid is heated to the boiling point, and the steam is passed through to another container. The contaminants, which have a higher boiling point than the liquid, are left behind. Unfortunately, while this type of purification can remove chemicals, bacteria and viruses, it can be wasteful: As much as 80 percent of the original material is lost during the process.

Installing the right filter in your house can be a good investment. It can allow you to enjoy a cold glass of water that tastes great direct from the tap and offers you all the health benefits of good hydration without any of the health risks that can be posed by many contaminants. Whole house filtration systems can be used to ensure every tap in your house is clean and safe, but systems can be found for every need and budget, including convenient bottles that fit easily into the refrigerator and devices that attach to the faucet.