How to Make a Water Filter Choice

Filter choice is where we put all the pieces of the puzzle together and decide "Which water filter is best for me?" I give you a set of criteria for evaluating filters and coming to a wise filter choice. I first state these five criteria in a simple and concise form. I follow up with a more detailed description of each criteria on a separate page to actually help you think through that criteria in terms of your own situation. It's a little like choosing a wife or husband. There are people who just know that so-and-so was meant for them. They do very little reflection or analysis of their choice. Sometimes this is intuitive. They have sized up the other rather accurately but intuitively. Experience proves they were right in their choice. For others they discover later that either their intuition was off or their perception was distorted due to an emotional infatuation. It is much safer to be explicit than to be only intuitive in choosing a mate. The person who identifies their criteria for choosing is on safer ground. What is essential in a mate, and what is non-essential? Such things as age, background and faith could be deciding factors. With this kind of grid, they can make a safer and better choice. Intuition has its place, not as the sole criteria but to collaborate what you have concluded explicitly. Enough for the theory of decision making! Five Criteria to Consider in Choosing a Water Filter 1. What exactly do you need? (This is the all important point of departure and why one-size does not fit all. "Need" could include such diverse elements as the size of your family, the quality of water in your community, your budget, your purpose for filtration. Need is the foundation of filter choice. For a full treatment of this subject go to The Question of Need.) 2. What impurities do you want to remove? (Filtration has to do with filtering out contaminants. Identify the particular ones you are anxious about. Maybe you just want to get rid of them all as much as possible. What you identify here will determine the kind of filter best suited to your needs. For a fuller discussion of this subject go to The Question of Contaminants.) 3. Is the filter certified to remove these impurities? (Here you are wanting to be sure that the claims of the company making the filter are accurate about what impurities it will remove and how long the filter lasts. You are looking for third party confirmation by a reputable authority. I give you detailed information on The Question of Certification on another page. There is an additional page entitled "NSF.org Made Easy" for those who find this resource hard to use.) 4. Is the filter convenient to use? (Many a filter has been bought only to collect dust because it was too complicated to install or too costly to maintain or took up too much space, etc. In short, what are the inconveniences of each kind of filter and can you live with them long term? For a full treatment of this subject go to The Question of Convenience) 5. What does it cost? (We are not talking about the initial cost of the filter so much as the real cost. Some filters cost little, but have to change filters so often that they end up costing more than a better quality filter. We are talking about actual cost per gallon of the filtered water. For a full treatment of this subject go to The Question of Cost) Peace of Mind We could sum up all of these criteria of filter choice into one: "Peace of Mind". Which filter or filters would you be able to stamp with the designation, "This would give me peace of mind about the water I drink and the water I give to my family to drink?" Use these five questions to find which filter choice would earn your personal certification: "Peace of Mind"