Tips for Choosing a Water Filter for Your Home

August is water quality month, so it’s the perfect time to discuss choosing the right water filter for your home and family. There’s no better way to ensure the purity of your home’s water than a good water filter. They block all manner of dangerous contaminants from making their way into your drinking water. Modern water filters are easy to install and maintain. Here are some things to consider when choosing one for your home.

Find Out What’s In Your Water-

Before you make a decision on a water filter, find out what’s in your water. Get a water quality report. The EPA requires water suppliers to provide a consumer confidence report to their customers. These CCR’s will inform you what’s in your drinking water as compared to EPA standards. If you’re a renter, ask your property manager for a copy of a water quality report. They are required to provide their tenants one upon request.

Pick A Certified Filter For Your Problem Substance-

Once you know what’s in your water, you can pick the product best suited for filtering out specific toxins. Make sure the packaging indicates that the filter meets NSF certification for your particular problem substance. NSF International is a testing lab that contributes to setting the standards for the water filter industry. Other labs that certify products according to NSF standards include UL, WQA, and CSA. You can also look for their certification and be confident you are buying a filter checked out by a reputable and qualified source.

Consider Your Options-

Once you know what you need to filter out of your water it’s time to pick the filter that best suits your needs. Consider your budget, how much water you and your family use, and how much routine maintenance you’re willing to perform. Carafes are inexpensive, but have their filters have a shorter life span and they can only hold so much water on hand at a time.

Countertop water filters allow for a lot of filtered water, but they’re bulky and take up a little more space. Water faucet attachments do the job, but they can be prone to clogging and may reduce the speed of your water flow.

As you can see, no filter is perfect, but you have to choose the one that is right for you. No matter your personal preference, any certified water filter should be able to help reduce your family’s exposure to toxins in your water.

It’s really just a matter of choice. If you’re worried about your water content, it may be time to consider a certified water filter for your home.