Many water filters are available today so you and your family can experience clean drinking water and filtered water in the shower and bath. Household water filtration is good. We will talk about some of the difference manufacturers of water filters as well as the different types you might run into. These filters will be manufactured by brands such as Crystal Quest, Aquasana, and Watts Systems.

There are a lot of variations in household water filtration systems. Some like the whole house water filter can be used to filter the water that comes from your water main. All your faucets and showers will received filtered water. These water systems can be pricey but adjustable too depending on the impurities you want removed.

The most intense house water filter system is reverse osmosis. In RO all the contaminants and minerals are eliminated from the water. It is almost like distilled water when the reverse osmosis process is done. This type of water filtration is used on one faucet and for drinking water exclusively except in rare occasions where a whole house system might be set up. This is not a common thing to do though at all.

A very common household water filter are the ones you see mounted under the sink. These canister water filters will normally be hooked up to the cold water line. They are mostly used for drinking water filtering but some are on all the time. The common replacement time for these filters is about 6 months. They also have different ratings as far as how many gallons they can successfully service before needing replacement.

There are also counter top and faucet water filters. These are set near the sink with a line running to the spout. You generally push the switch and you get filtered water. The faucet water filter is actually attached to the spout and sits on top of it or to the side. Again you flick the switch to get filtered water.

Refrigerator pitcher water filters are the cheapest and most common home water purification systems you will find. This is simply a container with a small two-stage filter set in it. It uses gravity and the unfiltered water flows slowly through the activated carbon and in most cases KDF filter media. They actually work pretty well but the filters need to be replaced frequently.

The shower filter is a filter designated to the showerhead. They are super easy to put on. You just take the old head off and screw the new cartridge on. Of course, if you had a whole house water filter you would not need one of these. But for apartment living or renting, they are perfect.

One of the most effective water filter systems is the whole house filter. Many of these use a 4-stage system. The unit in the first position has a 5 micron filter in it. This section removes all the bigger particles of debris but does not slow filtering down. In stage 2 water atomization is used as it contains copper and zinc. By separating the atoms of the contaminants, they are easy to remove. This process also actually changes the molecular structure of chlorine to a safe substance. The third stage is filled with activated carbon. It is media that is very useful for removing chlorine, drugs, pesticides and improving taste. It is commonly considered one of the most helpful media available for water filtering. The fourth stage filter contains coconut shell carbon, which is also activated and highly efficient in chemical removal. Because there are so many holes in carbon, it is excellent at filtering out impurities. It is good at removing chlorine but not chemicals.

There are companies that offer sealed units to replaceable cartridge units that range from five to seven layers. Most companies have replaceable cartridges where entire stage is devoted to some type of removal. Crystal Quest uses a five stage process for one of their main water filters.

Generally speaking, the Aquasana filter has a dual filter system that uses a combination of sub-micron filtration, ion exchange and carbon filtration. It will remove chlorine, synthetic chemicals, VOC's or volatile organic chemicals, lead, THMs or Trichlorethanes, solvents, herbicides, pesticides, cysts or chlorine resistant parasites and turbidity.

Home water filters overall do a great job of removing contamination. Except to replace water filter cartridges every 6 months or 500 gallons on most filters like the Aquasana AQ-4000. That if the norm. Aquasana's shower filters will last about 6 months and their whole house filter will last 300,000 gallons. (Update: There are exceptions to this 6 month rule. Whole house water filters that are custom designed like little company Pure Elements designs can last up to around 10 years without any maintenance. That is amazing and almost maintenance free.)

Crystal Quest makes a completely disposable water filter. This filter comes in a sealed container. It fits under your sink and will stop allowing water to flow through it when it needs changing. Then you just replace the whole thing. The time frame for this is usually about 1 to 3 years depending on how much you use the filter. Crystal Quest also makes a shower filter that only requires a water filter replacement about once a year. That is better than the normal 6 months.

The Watts Premier UF 3 stage filtration system is inexpensive. The filter utilizes carbon and sediment to achieve quality filtering. This little system takes out a lot of the grit and sediment found in some homes. Plus it removes the lead, chlorine and bad tastes. But the biggest selling point to this filter is the ease of cartridge replacement. It is simply done by pushing a button that releases the filter. Nothing to screw apart while under the sink in tight quarters. Just push the button, release the old filter and snap in a new one.

The more filter replacements you need to do will affect the overall cost of keeping the household water filtration running correctly. Therefore, some inexpensive filters may cost more over time because of all the replacement filters needed to keep them running optimally. Just something to think about.