Finding the Right Water Filter

Healthy Home
More and more of us are turning to bottled water because we think it’s a safer choice. But getting enough water doesn’t necessarily mean you need to be doling out money for fancy bottles or even flavors. You might be pouring your money down the drain.
The water coming out of your tap is probably fine but that doesn’t mean it can’t be improved upon and that’s where filters come in. If your water tastes a bit off, if you’re worried about the contaminants that might have gotten pass the safety standards, water filters will work, and there are several different kinds of them. Let me show you how they operate.
The easiest water filtering system to use is also the least expensive; a carbon filter inside a pitcher. The activated carbon inside the filter traps the contaminants so they don’t end up in your glass. If you don’t want a valve in a pitcher, carbon filters can also be installed in your tap. It’s a very simple installation, you’ll spend anywhere from 35 to 60 dollars and the filter needs to be changed about every 3 months.
If you don’t want to put a filter on your tap, there’s other ways to capture contaminants as they make their way from the source to your faucet. These go underneath the sink and there are several different kinds, and they range in price from say 40 dollars all the way up to 300, but these are middle of the road. I think the most difficult part of this is the job is not going to be the installation, it’s going to be the excavation.
This is the big daddy of water filters. It’s called a whole house water filter and it is literally your first line of defense for all of the water that comes in to your home. It’s designed to remove rust and sediments from the water which makes your appliances like your washing machine, your dishwasher, your ice maker, all those things will last longer simply because of what this takes out of the water going into them. It’s a good idea to call a plumber. It’s kind of an advanced project but a great investment.
But before you buy any water filter, download a free water quality report from EPA website (epa.gov). By clicking thru the water section, you’ll find your local water report. It may read like a chemistry test but it’s worth having because it lists everything found in your tap water. Remember the EPA results only apply to water from public utilities. So if your house on a well, you’ll need to have your water checked about once a year. And no matter what type of water filtration you choose, it’s important to do your homework. With tips for healthy home, I’m Jay Baker.


Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services