Water Filters – which one is best

Water Filters – Which One is Best?

No one filter is best! They all do different things, cost hugely different amounts, and some require more maintenance than others. The key to answering this question is in finding the one that works for you.

A sieve lets water through and holds back anything bigger than the sieve holes, and if this is all you need then buy a garden filter. Keep it cleaned regularly and you’ll be happy.

But if you want to remove more than the solids out of the water then you will need more information. Here we study the different filters and the things that can be removed from water, and as an added bonus – how to improve the filtered water for drinking and showering.

Water as H2O is 2 x Hydrogen atoms and 1 Oxygen atom

Water ain’t just water!

The word for drinkable water is Potable water – it’s safe to drink, cook with, and use for personal hygiene.

Wherever it comes from it is H2O plus a mix of it’s environmental contaminants. Some are good for you, like minerals, whiles others are bad for you, like when the council cleans the water by adding toxic chemicals. Then it spends time inside old pipes and town water tanks… before it reaches your home.

Although the council must follow Potable Water Drinking Guidelines, consistency of the supplied water specifications or analysis can and do vary.

The Fish Tank or Garden Filter

The most basic of filters used in the fish tank or even in the irrigation system in the garden, requires regular cleaning because the algae in the water is caught in the filter and finds itself in a perfect environment to grow.

Dam Water and Turbidity

Lets start with what’s in dam water. As you know they are open area holes in the ground, usually built on an old creek or river course so the bed is dirt. Animals still live in the area so the water contains animal shit and they walk and swim in it. Fish live and breed in it. Many dams are recreational so the motor boats and their inhabitants contribute fuel and dead fish and food waste contaminants.

The general term for dirty dam water is ‘turbidity’. When you collect a glass full it looks murky – that’s turbidity.

The Council Water Chemical Filtration System

Councils filter drinking water from dams through a multi-stage process involving screening, filtration, coagulation, flocculation, pH correction, disinfection (usually with chlorine), and sometimes fluoridation, to ensure safe and potable water is supplied to urban buildings. 

The Old Pipes

Old plumbing pipes can leach various contaminants into your water supply, including heavy metals like lead, copper, and iron, as well as bacteria and chemicals from deteriorating materials. 

The Pool and Spa Filters

For both pools and spas, the main types of filters are sand, cartridge, plastic and diatomaceous earth (DE), with each offering different levels of filtration and maintenance requirements.

Sand filters come with a variety of sands, charcoals and other products used to hold back the debris in the water.

Cartridge filters are either an encasement with filters inside that are regularly cleaned, or disposable paper filters.

The DE filter can be expensive however some pool users prefer a crystal clear finish and this offers the best results. 

Drinking Water Filters

The following filters are used for drinking water, and each has an application and a price. Some are positioned when water first enters the property while others are fixed to the drinking water tap, usually in the kitchen.

The primary use is defined first, then the key information about each follows.

Ozone

Ozone is mostly used to clean swimming pool water. This is not the same ozone from the Earths outer atmosphere, this ozone is oxygen with three arms. Two attached to the oxygen atom while the third arm is looking for something – anything to grab onto. Once attached it dies with whatever it grabbed onto, so it kills all living organisms in the water including bacteria, viruses, and organic compounds. 

Ozone is created by passing air through a high-voltage electrical discharge, which converts oxygen (O2) into ozone (O3). 

Ozone also oxidizes metals like iron and manganese, converting them into insoluble forms that can be easily filtered out. 

Home ozone water treatment systems can range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars and still require other filters and someone with technical skills to maintain them.

Mechanical

Mechanical water filters are used as the first stage of many filters. They remove particles from water using a physical barrier, like a mesh or cartridge, trapping turbidity only. These filters are often rated in microns, indicating the size of particles they can remove. 

Activated Carbon

Activated Carbon Filters are effective at removing chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) gases that cause adverse health effects, certain heavy metals, sediments, and unpleasant odours and tastes. 

They are not designed to remove or kill bacteria, viruses, or protozoa. Nor do they remove Fluoride, Nitrates, and Sodium.

Activated carbon has a high surface area with tiny pores, allowing it to effectively trap and adsorb (bind to its surface) various contaminants.

The Activated carbon filters become less effective over time as their active sites become saturated with contaminants and need to be replaced. The effectiveness of an activated carbon filter depends on the type and concentration of contaminants in the water, as well as the filter’s capacity.

When several filters are used in a multi filtration process or a bank of filters, this is often one of the filters used.

Reverse Osmosis

This is another filter often used in a bank of filters, usually toward the last stage. Reverse osmosis (RO) filters water by forcing it through a semi-permeable membrane under pressure, separating water molecules from dissolved impurities and contaminants, leaving behind a cleaner water stream. 

Ultra-Violet (UV) Filters

UV water treatment systems are often used to ensure safe drinking water from wells, springs, and borehole water supplies. 

UV water filtration works by exposing water to a specific wavelength of UV light (UV-C), which damages the DNA of harmful microorganisms, rendering them unable to reproduce and cause illness. 

UV water filters can be an economical choice for water disinfection, as part of a multi system bank of filters, offering long-term cost savings due to minimal maintenance and no chemical costs, but initial investment and electricity consumption should be considered and they don’t remove heavy metals, chemicals or filter out turbidity. 

Ceramic

Ceramic carbon filters are a popular choice for drinking water due tot their impressive lifespan, however the cost of replacing the filters requires consideration and they don’t remove all contaminants.

A ceramic carbon filter has a ceramic outer shell with a carbon inner core. The outer shell reduces fine sediment particles and bacteria, while the inner carbon core removes chemicals like chlorine, petrochemicals, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds.

Sediment Filters

Drinking water sediment filters are used as the early stage of multi system banks of filters to remove turbidity (dirt, rust, and silt from water), acting as a pre-filter to protect your water filtration system and ensure cleaner water.

They may extend the life of multi system banks of filters, however they have an added cost. It would pay to calculate the total cost of these systems and even consider putting the sediment filter at the inlet of the water, then placing specific filter banks at outlets where cleaner water is required, to extend the life of the more expensive filters.

Ion Exchange

An ion exchange water filter is used to soften or demineralize water. They chemically remove unwanted ions (charged particles) from water by exchanging them with other ions.  

They effectively remove impurities such as minerals that make water hard, and  can help regulate alkalinity and remove harmful ions.

Ion exchange alters the water pH (potential of hydrogen). Water pH measures its acidity or alkalinity, ranging from 0 to 14 acidity to alkalinity, with 7 being neutral). pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the water, up to 7 is acidic, over 7 is alkaline.

Alkaline vs Alkalize:

Alkaline is a descriptive term for a substance’s pH level or amount of hydrogen available, while alkalize describes a process or state where the pH has been raised to an alkaline level, usually above 7 pH.

Water can be alkalized through alkaline water filters by adding baking soda or Potassium hydroxide (KOH) (aka caustic potash, lye, and potash lye), Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), also known as caustic soda, or through electrolysis using metals in water ionizers, which separate the waters hydrogen ions. The last option is the safest for producing drinking water although chemicals are used in some popular alkaline (high pH) drinking water, however this is NOT alkalized water.  

Alkalized water, especially when produced through electrolysis, can be high in dissolved hydrogen, also known as hydrogen-rich water. Hydrogen-rich water, or hydrogen-infused water, may offer potential health benefits, including acting as a selective antioxidant, reducing inflammation, and potentially improving athletic performance and metabolic health. 

Distillation Filters

Distilled water is used in very specific applications in chemistry and in older styled car batteries. It does not have the necessary minerals in it to nourish the body so is not suitable for drinking water.

Distillation involves heating water to its boiling point, which turns it into steam. This steam is then channeled to a cooler area where it condenses back into liquid water, leaving behind impurities that don’t vaporize at that temperature. 

Infrared Filters

Infrared water filters enhance water quality, particularly those using far-infrared (FIR) technology. They are designed to emit FIR rays, which are part of the sunlight spectrum, and they potentially break down water molecules. 

Infrared water filters, often used in conjunction with UV water filters, work by passing water through a chamber containing a quartz sleeve and UV lamp, exposing the water to UV-C light that disrupts the DNA of microorganisms, rendering them unable to reproduce and effectively killing them. 

Although not new, studies suggest is can promote wound healing, improve blood circulation and tissue metabolism, and reduce inflammation and swelling. It has huge potential however it is another that must be incorporated into a bank of filters to remove detrimental turbidity.

Alumina Filters

Alumina filters, specifically activated alumina, are designed to remove contaminants like fluoride, arsenic, and selenium from drinking water by absorbing them rather than filtering them out.

Although activated alumina is considered non-toxic and safe for use in water filtration, handling the alumina dust still has safety precautions to observe.

Microfiltration

Microfiltration is an effective method for removing harmful microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, from large scale drinking water systems like community water supply systems, especially in areas with poor water quality. It is also used in industrial applications for recycling water and desalination plants.

Microfiltration is a type of physical filtration process where a contaminated fluid is passed through a special pore-sized membrane filter to separate microorganisms and suspended particles (turbidity) from process liquid.

In Summary

Step one requires that first the contaminants be identified, those that must be removed from your local water supply.

Step two requires that the most appropriate sequence of filtration be defined for your water system.

The Last Step is to find a company that can provide what you need, with a reliable back up system for the ongoing maintenance of the filters. Preferably a system that will last for a good many years to justify the investment.

Now that you know why the statement “CHANGE YOUR WATER – CHANGE YOUR LIFE” makes so much sense. Kangan Water is the top of the line in home water filtration systems and back up services. Plus by owning one, you are able to introduce them to others and earn commission on the sale.

Or, you can leverage your commission by actually teaching others to do what you do, and earn commission on their sales too… Learn more here.