Using Faucet Water Filters in Your Home
You might not necessarily need a water filter, as your water utility company must provide a Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) detailing every contaminant tested in your water supply and document its levels. The CCR is also required to tell you if the levels meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) standards. However, that doesn’t mean clean water in the municipal pipes won’t become contaminated. Look no further than the lead-in-the-water scandal that engulfed Flint, Michigan.
Undoubtedly a water filter will give you peace of mind. It’s not a permanent solution to serious water problems like evaluated lead levels, but it can temporarily fix them and is a more cost-effective approach than buying cases of water bottles.
Regardless if you’re after safe drinking water or just simply like the taste of filtered water better, read on for a compiled list of the best faucet water filters on the market.
Features to Consider in a Filtration System
The world of water filtration systems can feel overwhelming. The main purpose of any water filtration system is to remove contaminants. Water can be subjected to numerous contaminants, and not all filtration systems remove every single one of them.
Chlorine and Chloramine
Both of these substances are used to sanitize public water supplies, making the water safe to drink. Chlorine and chloramine aren’t harmful, but if the levels are too high, you may experience irritation and discomfort.
Lead
The most concerning contaminant is lead. Lead seeps into water supplies due to the corrosion of old pipes. Lead is dangerous and not something you want in your drinking water.
Agricultural and Industrial Chemicals
Chemicals used to protect crops and in manufacturing or industrial processes can sometimes leak into water systems, groundwater and well water supplies. Some of these chemicals are hazardous, and you may want a filtration system to detect and remove them.
Types of Water Filtration Systems
Pur Advanced Faucet Filtration System
As far as best sellers for filtration systems are concerned, Pur seems to win this title hands-down. Pur boasts ANSI/NSF certifications as well as the ability to eliminate 71 contaminants from tap water, including lead, mercury, pesticides and industrial chemicals. This advanced water filtration system also targets compounds that the EPA has raised concerns about more recently, like certain pharmaceutical chemicals, BPA and estrone. Brita, Pur’s leading competitor in water filtration systems, only has 56 certifications, and none are for these additional compounds.
Pur Advanced is easy to install on your kitchen faucet. Pur has several adapters or different aerators. Once installed, you use the Pur Advanced faucet filter by flipping a toggle on the device to direct water through the filter, which then disperses out through a separate dispenser. Mineral Core technology filters water through natural minerals for great-tasting water. Pur Advanced is also available in three different finishes.
Cost: Depending on the company, you can find the Pur Advanced Faucet Filtration System online for about $30-$48.
Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System and Brita Complete Faucet Filtration System
Brita is one of the leading companies in the water filtration market. However, it holds a runner-up place compared to Pur. Still, Brita’s filter systems are a solid choice. The Brita lineup includes the Basic Faucet Water Filter System and the Brita Complete Faucet Filtration System. The Complete model offers a normal flow and a spray pattern for your kitchen faucet. The Basic doesn’t include this flow option, but both systems remove particles and reduce 99% of lead, chlorine taste, asbestos and benzene. Unlike the Pur filtration system, Brita doesn’t detect mercury. Both Brita Basic and Brita Complete are easy to install with no tools required.
Cost: The Brita Basic Faucet Water Filter System can be found on Amazon for about $35. The Brita Complete Faucet Filtration System can be purchased at Walmart for about $45.
Waterdrop NSF Certified Water Faucet Filtration
The Waterdrop filtration system is ANSI/NSF certified, but only for chlorine, taste and odor, not to reduce lead. But the Waterdrop is still a good choice for a mounted faucet filtration system thanks to its 320-gallon long-life filter, which can last a family for about three months with typical water usage. The Waterdrop is fast, too. Its filter design has a mechanism that allows you to fill four water bottles in just a minute.
Cost: Purchase the Waterdrop NSF Certified Water Faucet Filter on Amazon for under $20.
Engdenton Faucet Water Filtration System
The Engdenton Faucet Water Filter boasts a 6-month filter lifespan, depending on your usual water usage. The Engdenton is also built to last as it’s made from high-quality food-grade stainless steel casing, making it crack- and leak-proof. The Activated Carbon Fiber filtration (ACF) eliminates impurities from tap water and targets and reduces chlorine. Like the Waterdrop, the Engdenton Faucet Filter is fast. It can fill about seven or eight standard-sized water bottles in about 1 minute. This is one of the more expensive water filters on the market, but it is built to last.
Cost: Find the Engdenton Faucet Filter on Amazon for $81.
Culligan FM-25 Faucet Mount Filter
Culligan’s FM-25 water filtration system is certified for seven contaminants, including chlorine and lead. It does have a shorter filter lifespan than other filter systems and requires replacement every two months per 200 gallons. This filter uses a carbon block cartridge to reduce compounds and contaminants like atrazine, chlorine and lead while creating better-tasting, eco-friendly drinking water. The Culligan is easy to install and requires no tools or special know-how. It isn’t compatible with pull-out or handheld faucets, but it is available in a sleek chrome or clean white finish with a fast water flow rate of .5 gallons per minute.
Cost: Find the Culligan FM-25 (and its other series’ models) on Amazon for about $30-$40.
About Water Filtration Systems and Their Standards
It’s easy to get lost in the certifications and standards of the water filtration system world, and there’s no real way to know exactly how effective a water filter will be. This forces consumers to rely on the manufacturer’s word and certifications.
Two American institutions establish the minimum requirements for filtration systems: the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Look for these acronyms when determining your water filter, as it means that the brand has at least achieved the minimum standard of these institutions. Filters aren’t required to remove all contaminants to earn certifications, so you’ll want to see just how many a brand has before you purchase.
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