Countertop Water Filter
...Model: Crystal Quest Plus

Who Needs It?

A quality carbon block countertop filter is for those who want not only better tasting water but a high quality of purity as well. Being a countertop means that it is much bigger than a faucet mount filter and hence there is more carbon block material filtering the water, i;mproving the removal of pollutants. It's not the highest level of removal of pollutants. A water distiller or a reverse osmosis filter can give you higher, but carbon block filters much faster than these slower methods. The countertop model as opposed to the under sink model is great for those who have adequate countertop room.

The Crystal Quest Plus model is particularly effective in removing fluoride. This is its specialty. If the removal of fluoride is a major concern to you, this may be a good choice for you.

It's Claim to "Excellence"

Out of the hundreds of carbon water filters, what recommends the countertop water filter model, Crystal Quest Plus? The filter media is NSF certified for standards 42 and 53. Colin Ingram says in The Drinking Water Book that "its large volume allows more effective filtration than most countertop units." He gives it a "good" rating, the second out of four ratings going from "acceptable" to "good" to "very good" to "excellent". His definition of "good" is that it "eliminates the majority of potential pollutants". The reason for this rating can be read below under "disadvantages".

It's Features/Advantages

• It is a large countertop unit that is sealed and has no replacement cartridge.
• It is backwashable which extends the life of the filter.
• It is a 7 stage filtration system. It uses 2 cyst filters, 2 types of redox media, an ion-exchange media and granular carbon media.
• It filters at a speed of three quarters of a gallon to one gallon per minute.
• It will filter 10,000 gallons over a period of 1 to 3 years.
• It's dimensions are 10" by 14".

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of the countertop water filter: model Crystal Quest Plus are the same as the disadvantages of any carbon filter. There are four elements that affect the quality of filtration: 1) The amount of time that the water is in contact with the carbon, 2) The density of the activated carbon, 3) The quantity of the carbon, and 4) The amount of water that has gone through the filter, which becomes increasingly ineffective the longer it is used until it needs to be replaced. In short, there is a relative element to the filtration. It is relative to these four factors. As opposed to a purification system such as distillation which removes all impurities completely, except for VOCs which are usually remove by other filters. And as opposed to reverse osmosis which removes more pollutants but not as many as distillation, though ro is also slow.

The second disadvantage of carbon filters is that they cannot remove many micro organisms such as bacteria and viruses. They cannot remove toxic minerals, nitrates, and soluble salts.

What Contaminants Does It Remove?

The countertop water filter: model Crystal Quest Plus is particularly known for its ability to remove fluoride from water which most carbon block filters are not capable of doing. It also effectively removes Chlorine, Lead, Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Chromium, Selenium, Mercury, Iron and other metals that may be present in the water.

Cost

1. Initial cost: $90.00 to $130.00

2. Cost of replacement filter cartridges: no cartridge replacements (disposable every 3 years)

3. Capacity: 10,000 gallons

4. Cost per gallon: 1¢

Where to Purchase?

amazon.com

At A Glance

For Further Information

To learn more about this kind of filter and other faucet mount filters go to Countertop Water Filter.