There are a number of things to take into account when buying a water filter to ensure that it will meet the needs of your household. Water filters come in a number of guises ranging from filters designed to process all of the water entering a home or business to simple pitcher filters for drinking water. There are also a number of types of filters available for handling different water contaminants at a range of costs. When buying a water filter, try to keep several considerations in mind so that you can choose the best one.
The first thing to think about when buying a water filter is what it is going to be used for. In some instances, water quality is so poor that all the water in the house needs to be filtered. In others, you may just want to filter drinking water due to contaminants or poor flavor. Perhaps just the shower water needs to be filtered, due to contaminants which are making it hard. Think carefully about your needs: a whole house filtration system is extremely expensive, and should be avoided unless it is vitally needed.
Capacity is also an important issue when buying a water filter. Many filters have limited capacities for input and output that can be extremely frustrating when you need water quickly. It is also important to find out how long individual filter cartridges last, if the filter is a cartridge type filter, because as the cartridges give out, the capacity will shrink even more. Especially if you are installing a filtration system for an entire home, the capacity is a crucial thing to find out about when buying a water filter. While the manufacturer will provide estimates, try to get real life performance reports as well.
When buying a water filter, it is also important to consider what types of contaminants you are filtering out. In some cases, filters are specially designed to handle particular types of contaminants, and may not be effective for others. If your water is hazardous to drink, it is especially important when buying a water filter to make sure that the filter will remove the harmful substances from your water. Most water filters clearly list what they do and do not filter, and you can get reports on your water quality from the city, if you live in an area with municipal water. If you draw water from a well, you can ask the local health department to test it for contaminants for you.
Finally, think about cost when buying a water filter. Balance the cost of the total filtration system with maintenance and other options, like buying filtered water in jugs for the household. In some areas, you may be able to receive financial assistance with a water filtration system if your water is dangerous, so check with your local health department.