Faucet vs Counter-Top vs Under-Sink Filters
Best Home Drinking Water Purifiers from Pur, Brita, Aqua etc
Mar 16, 2009
Home water filters are a good alternative to bottled mineral water, improving the taste and quality of tap water. They are
- Economical. Bottled water can cost a few hundred dollars per person per year.
- Environmentally friendly. No plastic bottles to throw away. One disposable filter cartridge can last for months.
- Convenient. No need to carry water from the store every week.
Popular brands include Brita, Pur, Aqua, Katadyn and Everpure.
Faucet Water Filters
Filters mounted directly on to the tap are popular.
Advantages
- Typically uses block-carbon filters for fine filtration.
- Convenient, flip a lever to toggle between filtered and unfiltered water.
- Doesn't take up counter space.
Disadvantages
- Prone to leaks and cracks. These filters need to be light enough to hang off the spout. Many are not strong enough to resist the water pressure and will leak after a few months. Metal parts, especially the part that screws into the tap, will last longer. Culligan is one brand that uses metal parts.
- Need to control the water flow. Opening up the tap to full could generate pressure high enough to blow the filter off the spout.
- Possible to accidentally run hot water through it, ruining the filter.
- Can be difficult to attach to non-standard faucet outlets (screw diameter).
Pitcher Water Filters
Pitcher filters are jugs with an additional top compartment to hold the filter. Water is poured into the top. Water drips through the filter and is collected below.
Advantages
- Reliable and long lasting. There is no high pressure water to stress the filter.
- No installation required.
- Portable, can be placed in the refrigerator.
- Simple construction is easy to clean.
Disadvantages
- Filter is typically granulated-carbon, which is coarser than block-carbon filters, letting more particles through. The Brita website states that their faucet filter "removes microbiological cryptosporidium and giardia" but doesn't make the same claim for their pitcher filter.
- Needs to be manually refilled.
- Limited capacity. May need to be refilled a few times a day.
- Slow water flow. Gravity drip means it takes longer to filter water.
Counter-Top Water Filters
Counter-top filters are large, about a foot high. A hose is fixed to the faucet spout to divert water to the filter. A valve allows the water flow to be switched to the filter or out through the faucet (providing unfiltered water).
Advantages
- As convenient as faucet filters.
- Typically uses block-carbon filters for fine filtration.
- No size and weight limitation means more robust construction, higher reliability than faucet filters.
- Larger filter means more efficient filtration, higher rate of water flow compared to faucet filters.
Disadvantages
- Hose is permanently connected to the faucet spout, possibly getting in the way.
- Possible to accidentally run hot water through it, ruining the filter.
- Can be difficult to attach to non-standard faucet outlets (screw diameter).
Under-Sink Water Filters
Advantages are the same as counter-top filters. An additional advantage is that the filter is hidden under the sink and doesn't take up counter space.
Disadvantages
- Possibility of major water leakage. The filter sits between the water mains and the faucet. This means that if the filter or hose cracks, an unlimited amount of water could flood out from the mains, especially if no one is home.
- Not possible to switch between filtered and unfiltered water, unless two faucets are used.
- Most difficult of all the filters to install.
Water Filter Effectiveness
People naturally judge a water filter by its ability to remove sediment and unpleasant tastes and smells, especially chlorine. However tasteless metals, bacteria and chemicals could remain in seemingly pure filtered water.
Detailed filtration performance of different filter models can be checked on the NSF website.
The Best Water Filter
Home-owners who only wish for better-tasting water can be satisfied with a simple and reliable pitcher filter.
For maximum filtration effectiveness, a counter-top filter is probably the best all-round design.
Water filters are convenient and economical (replacement filters are cheap and last for months), good enough for most purposes. But they aren't the last word in water purification. If even purer water is required water distillers should be considered.
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