Drinking Water Purification: Purchasing Considerations on Size and Design

Drinking water filters for your home are available in many different designs. Each design has strong and weak points, so selecting the right filter to fit your lifestyle, and your preferred location is a great place to start the decision making process.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filter Systems

Reverse osmosis is a slow filtration method, so a pressurized water tank is included to store sufficient purified drinking water for later use. If there is not lots of extra space available below the counter, reverse osmosis water purification is not an option.

Another important fact to consider is filtration by reverse osmosis is not the best water filter technology available.

Faucet Mount Water Filters

Faucet mounted water filters install on your existing kitchen faucet and include a diverter valve so you can use unfiltered water for washing dishes and such. Faucet mounted water filters are not recommended, as only a minimal replacement filter cartridge can be used. These cartridges often only include activated carbon granules, which is not very effective when used alone.

Water Filters Installed Under Your Sink

A water filter installed under the sink leaves your countertop workspace free and produces a clean, long term installation. Since water filters under your sink are installed out of view, they can be large enough to provide the best drinking water filtration.

A four stage water filter installed under your kitchen sink provides the best drinking water available, with minimal space usage under the sink.

This water filtration design is also known as under counter water filtration, since they work under any counter, not just under the sink.

Refrigerator Water Filter Systems

Refrigerator water filters mount on the back of your refrigerator to provide filtered drinking water and ice produced from your fridge.

A refrigerator water filter protects your family from contaminants which can even find their way into bottled drinks thru your refrigerator's ice maker.

If you are not the type that does much cooking at home, filtering the water and the ice that comes from your refrigerator may be all you need to do. Filtration systems for your refrigerator are identical to filters for an ice maker, the only difference is the type of appliance you attach.

Water Coolers with Filtration

Water coolers aren't just used in offices now days. Millions of parents try to get their kids to drink more water and minimize sugar filled drinks. Moms really like the idea of kids refilling their own glasses without a trip to the fridge.

A good water cooler purifier produces hot or cold drinking water on demand, so you can make cool-aid or hot chocolate as the weather dictates. The best part is, you get safe drinking water with no back breaking water bottles.

Countertop Water Filtration Systems

Water filters for your counter top can be quickly and easily installed, so they are perfect for apartment living and other temporary installations. Furthermore, no drilling of sinks or counter tops is required to install a water filter on your counter top.

A counter top water filter with a single canister requires no more counter space than a water pitcher. A counter top water filter is the right decision when no space under the sink is available.

Pitchers with built in Water Filters

Water filter pitchers push water through filtration media using the force of gravity. These filters cannot filter the water very well because they are unable to use ceramic filtration media, because gravity is the only force available, as opposed to the water pressure from your tap. Filters of this type are most often one of the slowest ways to filter drinking water and have limited choices for cartridge media.

Portable Water Filters

For people on the go, portable water filtration systems are almost a necessity. Portable water filters cover the range from filtered water bottles to single canister counter top water filters.

In spite of the many choices, you should be able to easily decide on the water filtration system design that's best for your home. Much of the decision is based on the space available in your kitchen and how you most often use purified water.

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