Friday, 3 October 2008

Home Filtration of Tap Water is Necessary For Your Good Health

Home filtration of tap water is a necessary part of a complete water treatment plan. But, finding an effective water purification device is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Trying to save money, while doing it, is another part of the problem.

If you aren't careful, you'll spend a lot more than you need to and still end up drinking or showering in chemical contaminants. You could still be drinking lead, even with an expensive reverse osmosis or RO system. The devices only reduce lead to within the "federal action level."

Let me tell you something. If the amount of lead in your water exceeds the federal action level, there is something wrong with your public treatment facility. They have to make changes if these high levels are detected. That's why it's called the federal "action" level.

There are companies that provide home filtration of tap water systems that include an ion exchange step. These systems remove more than 99% of lead, without removing beneficial minerals like reverse osmosis does.

Depending on where you live, you may have a relatively healthy mineral content in your supply. RO was originally designed to de-mineralize water. The minerals cause corrosion in delicate industrial equipment. But, these same minerals are a benefit for drinking water, as they contribute to our good health.

Ion exchange systems can even improve the mineral content by exchanging traces of lead and copper for potassium and sodium. Chlorine corrodes the lead and copper pipes that transport water to our homes. So, most of us have trace copper and lead running out of our faucets.

Copper is not particularly dangerous, but it does spoil the taste and stain fixtures. In the shower, it dulls hair-color and reacts with chemicals used to color-treat hair. The result can be an orange or greenish tinge.

Finding effective home filtration of tap water for showering is even more difficult than finding effective drinking water filters. Most of the systems on the market slightly reduce chlorine and that's it.

Here's another fact for you. If you have chlorine in your water, you also have chlorine byproducts, technically referred to as THMs. There are only a couple of showerhead filters that remove THMs. The best buy costs around $70.

The high priced Wellness brand, costing over $200, does not really do anything special. The company makes exaggerated claims and the price is based on the inclusion of "rare" Japanese stones. Don't believe it, and don't buy it.

The best home filtration of tap water is achieved with a multi-stage device that includes granular carbon to remove chlorine and a multi-media block to remove THMs. The block has a sub-micron porous structure that removes parasitic cysts and microscopic sediments. The structure also prevents water from cycling around and not being cleaned, as happens with devices that only use granular carbon.

For less than a dime per gallon, your family can have all of the clean drinking water that they need every day. That is cost effective home filtration of tap water, since buying bottled would cost at least ten times that amount. Plus, home-filtered water tastes better, as long as you get the right system.

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