Sooner or later, if we think seriously about the benefits of installing Home Water Purifiers we will have to compare actual offers.
Of course we know that suitable devices are needed for protecting the health of our household as we read in selected official references.
We have to look at advertised commercial products and try to make up our minds as to which specific type is preferable.
It would help if we could follow a logic Guideline, an acceptable method capable of advising us how to see clearly into the important issues.
Here I would like to do just that: in this article you will find how to first establish the important items to compare and then how to do this in practice.
We should first agree that we are not talking here about grossly contaminated water supply like that we would find anywhere far from civilization.
In that case we would need a sure method for purifying a minimum quantity of water for sustenance for a limited time.
No, we are talking about the quality of plenty of water supply from city distribution systems.
We want to improve upon that by removing bad taste and harmful contaminants that we know or suspect are present at the tap.
Typical in this respect is the presence of chlorine, a chemical added on purpose to water systems for removing the dangers of attacks from microorganisms, microbial pathogens, biological agents, germs and bacteria that could infect human beings and spread illness.
It should be understood that the killed agents remain in the water reaching the tap, together with the chemicals and other contaminants that where not removed.
The treated water may then be suitable for human consumption and not dangerous in the short term to healthy adults, although its effects in the long term are deemed risky for young children, pregnant women and elderly people by many professional authorities as reported hereafter.
You may wish to see the following document which advises just on that.
It is titled "Consumer Guide to Water Filters" and is found at www.
nrdc.
org/water/drinking/gfilters.
asp On three of the purification methods listed in this document I would like to add my comment, why I think they are not quite useful for Home application.
Distillation, entailing water boiling and condensation, is an energy intensive procedure producing pure distilled water that lacks minerals and good taste.
Reverse Osmosis requires energy to operate.
The worst result however is that the system wastes a lot of water as a byproduct to be discarded, because it now contains the excess contaminants removed from the purified fraction.
Ultra Violet Disinfection, kills bacteria and microorganisms, but has no effect on minerals, heavy metals and chemicals.
Therefore it seems to me that the acceptable Water Purifiers left are those based on multiple level filters that get the job done satisfactorily if the water is not unduly charged with dangerous microorganisms.
Having done the first selection, how can one now look at more specific terms of comparison? They remain essentially performance and additional cost per unit of volume of treated water.
One potentially useful independent website that directly compares ten different suppliers is found at www.
waterfiltercomparisons.
com Following the leads you may wish to check for yourself the results proposed.
The last important thing to check, is the trustworthiness of the suppliers.
I believe that by comparing water purifiers offers with the above subjects in mind one has a good chance of homing on good products.
I hope readers will agree and find the above guidelines useful.