A water filter is a device created with the sole purpose to cleanse the water by removing certain impurities such as bacteria, heavy metals, chemicals etc. Some rely on certain things like charcoal that physically block dirt and germs, other filters utilize chemical and biological mechanisms to deal with water pollutants.
The term water filter itself is quite a broad one actually, as it embodies a lot of different methods for water filtration, although the most common types are:
- Water filters for home use
- Aquarium water filters
- Water filtration systems for swimming pools
Since we are of around 60% water, making sure that you’re familiar with what water filters are and what all the different kinds meant for home use are is essential, especially when you consider how much potentially harmful substances can be found in the tap water that we all have at our homes.
Types Of Water Filters For Home That You Might Come Across
Here’s a neat list for you with the 5 most common examples of water filtration devices that you can use at home:
1. Water filter jugs
These are becoming quite popular as of lately, as they are generally easy to use, reliable and provide decent filtration. Most of them are based on activated carbon and for the most part, they’re good at removing limescale and chlorine, while also improving the taste of the water.
2. Faucet (or tap) filters
Another widespread option that many people use, faucet filters are affordable and convenient as it’s dead easy to remove them – you just have to unscrew the thing.
Charcoal is the primary substance used for filtering the water here and that means it comes with all the associated benefits. However, you should remember that this type of filters isn’t effective against eliminating heavy metals and chemical substances.
3. Whole house water filtration systems
As the name suggests, these systems filter the water in your entire home. The obvious perk to this is that you’ll be able to enjoy cleaner, tastier and healthier water in all the rooms that you have running water in.
The drawbacks though, are that you need who knows how to install it and logically the entire thing would be much costlier than other, more conventional methods for filtering tap water.
4. Water filters with reverse osmosis
The term reverse osmosis might sound too scientific, but in reality what it stands for is demineralization and deionization of the water by utilizing a membrane associated with reverse osmosis.
Arguably the best thing about such filters is that they deliver pretty clean and pure water, but they also make a lot of wastewater that you have to get rid of periodically. On top of that, there’s also the problem with them removing some of the healthy minerals found in water, namely Magnesium and Calcium.
5. Attachable filter for the shower
It’s well-known that the chlorine content in tap water can cause dry skin and even have a negative impact on your hair. Thus, adding a filter to your shower can definitely help by decreasing the amount of chlorine that you receive every time you take a bath.
You can even detach the filter and attach it elsewhere, say in your kitchen if you want cleaner and purer water there.
Okay, But How Do You Purify Water At Home Without Any Fancy Gadgetry?
Regardless of the reason for wanting to filter the water yourself, there are a few great ways to do so, without having to buy expensive filtration systems or anything of the sort – here’s how to do that:
- Add a few drops of chlorine or bleach in the water, just don’t forget to not overdo it as you can poison yourself
- Use the sun to disinfect the water by leaving it in direct sunlight for a few hours
- Place a pine tree branch in the water as these are known to eliminate pathogens in impure water
- Put water purification tablets in the water
- Boil the water to eliminate bacteria
Who knows, maybe one day these methods for water filtration will come in handy. Unarguably, the great about these is that you don’t need particular filter devices to successfully purify the water, albeit not as potent.
Wrapping it up
Apparently, water filters are here to stay and their effectiveness at cleansing water cannot be underestimated. Nonetheless, it’s always good to know how you can filter water yourself, using more unorthodox techniques.
Now that you know what these filters are, feel free to drop a comment below. We’d love to hear your thoughts about water filters in general and in particular if you have a favorite type.