Water Purifier Comparison
...The Question of Convenience

Water Purifier Comparison

One criteria for helping you make a water purifier comparison and decide if a particular filter is for you is to study how convenient it is to use. Each filter has it's pros and cons. This is why it is so complicated finding the right one. The choice is vast! The question of convenience may not seem too important, but listen to what Colin Ingram says in his valuable book, The Drinking Water Book.

"There are a lot of water purifiers stored unused in closets and garages because their owners found them to be too much trouble."

So in making a water purifier comparison, the question you need to ask yourself about each filter you are considering is, "Is this filter and it's various characteristics, both good and not so good, something I can live with long term?" Here are some "inconveniences" to look out for. Remember, what one person considers an inconvenience, may not be a detractor for another.

General Inconveniences
To Look For

1. How long does it take to filter your water? Some filters have a delay time taking hours to filter a few gallons.

2. How often do you have to replace the filter element? Length of use varies widely and affects the cost.

3. Is there a monitor that tells you when to replace the filter? Or do you have to remember to calculate?

4. How much space does the filter take up? And where is that space?

5. Does the filter use electricity, and if so how much?

6. Does the filter waste water in the process of filtering? How much water?

7. Is storage required for the filtered water? Where?

8. Does the filter remove natural healthy minerals as well as contaminants?

9. Is the installation easy or does it require the help of a professional?

Specific Inconveniences to Take Note Of

Faucet Filters and Pitcher Filters. This kind of filter is usually inexpensive and easy to use. However, they are limited in their capacity to purify. If what you want is good taste, good odor and clear look, they do a good job. Beyond that, the number of health affecting contaminants they can remove is limited. You need to look at the claims of the individual brand of filter and see if it is certified by NSF as backing up their claims by this third party test organization. The other inconvenience is that the filter element needs to be replaced regularly, adding to the things you need to remember and the ongoing cost of filtering your water.

For further discussion of Distillers. This kind of filter boils and then condenses water to remove impurities. The process is slow, taking three to five hours to purify a gallon of water. It gives you hot water at the end and uses electricity in the process and then stores the purified water. They don't remove all bacteria, viruses or some chemicals and usually rely on a carbon filter to do that. They also remove the natural healthy minerals in the water.

Reverse Osmosis. These filters use a membrane to do the filtering. They can come in various forms from a simple faucet filter to a large multistage unit, under the sink or on the counter. Inconveniences with reverse osmosis are that they are very slow and they waste water, anywhere from 3 to 10 gallons of water to purify one gallon of water.

Carbon Filters. There is a vast variety of sizes, shapes and prices all the way from the faucet filters and pitcher filters described above to very effective larger units that take space on the counter or under the sink. One drawback with this kind of filter is the possibility of bacteria growing in the filter itself, when not in use, hence needing to be flushed out by running water before using.

Ultraviolet Units. The strength of these units is that they destroy all bacteria and viruses in the water, but no more. They are not designed to remove other contaminants and so are usually used along with other kinds of filters. Colin Ingram again says, "As outbreaks of illness within communities are increasingly traced to water born microorganisms, the use of a UV system becomes increasingly attractive"

You need to remember that a water purifier comparison by families of filters is not always valid when you come to an individual filter. For example, a distiller may not remove certain volatile chemicals, but it may include a carbon filter as a part of the unit which will.

For further discussion of other aspects of water purifier comparison go to our discussion of "How to Choose a Water Filter"