Monday, September 7, 2009

Activated Carbon Water Filters Rock

An activated carbon water filter is primarily designed for the removal of chlorine from our drinking water, which is far more important than many people seem to realize. Many scientists and medical professionals now believe that the historic jump in cancer cases over the last century is primarily due to chlorine ingestion.

The truth is that activated carbon filters will remove far more chemical contaminants from your drinking water than just chlorine alone, and that is a good thing because in addition to chlorine there have been 2,100 other identified cancer causing agents that have been discovered in our water supply.

The reason that an activated carbon water filter for the home is necessary is that the water treatment facilities equipment is so dilapidated and out of date that there is almost no possibility that they can simply be overhauled in order to render them capable of eliminating these toxins from our drinking water.

The likelihood of these treatment facilities being gutted and re-fit with the modern equipment that they need in order for them to be able to effectively clean our water is extremely low, especially with our economy in the state that it is in. so it looks as though activated carbon filters are our only answer, but they alone cannot guarantee us pure water.

An activated carbon water filter is capable of effectively blocking most of the chemical contaminants that we face, but it cannot block every single one of them. That is why it is necessary to complement your carbon filter with what is known as a multi media block. Between the two of these filters you will be safe from 99.99% of all present chemical contaminants.

However activated carbon filters and multi media blocks are not the only protection that you will need to have in your water purification unit if you want for your water to be truly safe. There are also biological contaminants in your drinking water that are impervious to the chlorination disinfection process.

To an activated carbon water filter should also be added a sub micron filter. What this filter does is that it acts to remove all of the parasites and cysts from your drinking water, thereby guaranteeing that you and your family will be kept safe from the ravages of any waterborne disease that may be present.

Activated carbon filters could be a real life saver for both you and your family, but remember that the other featured filters are equally important as a way of protecting your family's health. The best thing that you can do in order to ensure that you are safe from the many toxins in your drinking water is to install an activated carbon water filter today.

If you're scared to death of the drugs found in drinking water, we compare the various water filter systems at http://www.best-water-filter-guide.com and show you which ones have been scientifically proven to remove the highest amounts of contaminants

Activated Carbon Water Filters Vs Reverse Osmosis Systems

The need for proper Home Water Filtration Systems becomes apparent, since we have to face a disconcerting development: current water treatment facilities are timeworn and municipal city water sources contaminated with pollutants. Which water treatment solution / water filter system makes the most sense to ensure pure, clean and healthy water for the family? The examination of two common water filtration & purification methods throws light on this question.

Reverse Osmosis Water Systems Lack Efficiency

In a reverse osmosis system (ROS) the water is passed through a sediment filter to remove sediment, dirt and algae. In a next step, the water passes through one or two (depending on model) pre filters, which remove volatile organics from the water. In a next step the water reaches the reverse osmosis membrane, which removes minerals, lead, inorganic compounds, salt and more. The water then flows into a holding tank (4 gallon), which is an essential component to the system, since the process of reverse osmosis is not instantaneous.

The small pores of the Reverse Osmosis membranes are restrictive to such organic compounds as salt and other natural minerals. That means reverse osmosis is very effective at desalinating water and producing mineral-free water for use in print- or photo shops. In terms of removing dangerous chemicals and purifying drinking water, the reverse osmosis alone, without an additional carbon filter, is not sufficient, because the pores of the membrane block only large molecules like salt.

Natural Trace Minerals will be Blocked

Only activated carbon filters are able remove the molecularly smaller substances and chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and chlorine. Another disadvantage of Reverse Osmosis Systems is the removal of naturally occurring and healthy minerals. Natural trace minerals will be blocked by the Reverse Osmosis membrane. These minerals make the water tasty and serve as a vital function to our body system.

Water without these trace minerals can actually be unhealthy for the body. Long-term consumption of such de-mineralized water can be harmful to the body system and result in mineral deficiencies in the body. The waste of a large portion of water running through a Reverse Osmosis System is also problematic. The system generally wastes two to three gallons of water for every gallon of purified water it produces

Activated Carbon Filters More Reliable

The process of water filtration with Activated Carbon Filters is characterized through the flow of water through a granular bed of sand or another suitable media (e.g. several stages of carbon and multimedia filters). The media retains most solid matter and ensures the removal of all unwanted materials while permitting the water to pass. The first filtration stage will remove the most concentrated chemicals like chlorine and Trihalomethanes; subsequent stages will remove smaller and more evasive chemicals, like herbicides or pesticides.

Carbon Adsorbs Chemicals

Granular Activated Carbon Filter Systems clear water of larger compound materials (e.g. salt) and retain trace minerals in it, and also selectively remove much smaller and more dangerous chemicals like chlorine and pesticides, which Reverse Osmosis Systems can't remove. These water filters use a chemical adsorption process (which means to attach by attraction). In this way a variety of dissolved contaminants are attracted to and held on the surface of the carbon particles. Above that, these systems do not require a heat or pressure source, which makes them fairly cost-effective.

Pesticides, solvents and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are not completely removed by Reverse Osmosis Systems because the pores of the membrane are blocking only larger molecules. Only if an additional post carbon filter is used, these filters are effective and able to remove the molecularly smaller substances and chemicals like pesticides, herbicides and chlorine.

Conclusion

Granular Activated Carbon Filters are effective and valuable water treatment devices, but the consumer has to consider its limitations. One has to keep the water pressure at a uniform and steady flow rate that needs to be maintained for optimal performance, and the filter cartridge must be changed according to the manufacturer's recommendation and/or the number of gallons the filter is rated for.

The most effective Home Water Filtration and Purification System currently available on the market is a Point-of-Entry Water Filter System, which combines two filtration technologies: Granular Activated Carbon and KDF process media, where water runs through several layers of GAC and KDF media for maximum exposure and purification.

Waterfilter-Info.com wants to draw attention to an alarming endangerment: the contamination of drinking water. US scientists state that it is not longer safe to drink impure and unfiltered tap water. Waterfilter-Info compares different water purification systems and water treatment methods and delivers comprehensive information about which water filter systems are most reliable in terms of Contaminant Removal.

How Can a House Water Filter System Be Considered Green Or Environmentally-Friendly?

Everything is being labeled as green or sustainable. Every manufacturer wants to join in the green bandwagon. But the word "green" is probably being misused and exaggerated just to sell something. When it comes to water filters, it looks like no one actually knows the how to define them as eco-friendly. Case in point was a recent blog post by a "green guru" on a popular cable news website. As part of his list of recommended green products he described a faucet mount water filter as "green" simply because it's less bulky on the kitchen faucet. I wonder when awkwardness has become a measure of environmentally-friendliness.

Here is a list of how I will evaluate a water filter as being "green." I will consider a home filter system eco-friendly if:

  1. The filter can be recycled after use just like most used Brita faucet filters and now the ZeroWater pitcher filter. These companies accept used filters instead of sending them to landfills.
  2. The material of the filter unit is made of stainless steel. Majority of Multi-Pure and some Crystal Quest water filter systems are made of stainless steel while most filter brands come in plastic covers; we all know the dangers of plastic to the environment.
  3. The filters use less water to filter unlike the reverse osmosis (RO) filters which use more water than a typical activated carbon filters. Aquasana, Multi-Pure (except their undersink RO filter), Crystal Quest and some other filter brands are made of activated carbon.
  4. You save money compared with your annual expenses on bottled water, and also factor in your expenses and frequency of buying replacement filter cartridges. By carefully doing the cost comparison, you will avoid paying more for the filter than you pay on bottled water. More importantly, you will not be scammed into paying for an overpriced water filter that has not been tested.
If a tool is available to compare energy savings from several water filters like the one used to compare energy savings between a Multi-Pure filter and a Brita faucet filter. The comparison shows the Multi-Pure MPAD countertop filter will save you money and energy more than Brita Aquaview countertop filter. This is hardly a surprise to those that know value of Multi-Pure water filter systems. They are high quality and dependable water filter systems and are certified by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) International.

For the best water filter system buying tips, you may visit the author's blog at Water Filter Systems Blog.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

ACTIVATED CARBON FILTERS

As a scientist, I know that small changes can make big differences in the long run. Applying this knowledge to my own life, however, does not always come quite as easily. It can be a lot harder to really understand what little changes you can make to improve your health than to understand the principle. You see, I have been plagued by some pretty bad health problems for the last few years, and I have not been able to solve them. I had not imagined that something as simple as activated carbon filters could make a difference, but they did.

You see, I am allergic to almost everything. Fortunately, I am not one of those folks who can die from being in the same room as peanuts. None of my allergies are that sever. What they lack in severity, however, they make up in number and persistence. Because of the allergies, I am always sneezing, my eyes are always itching, and I get sick much more than most people do. I figured that I would just have to live with it. After all, it seemed like there was nothing I could do.

When one of my friends suggested getting activated carbon filters, I thought that she did not know what she was talking about. I knew a little bit about the science behind the activated carbon filter, and I knew that they were not as efficient as you would think. The best activated carbon filters, in fact, usually only remove about 80 percent of pollutants, whether from water or from air. That may seem like pretty good performance, but that is with the top of the line air filters under ideal conditions. In the real world, they do not do nearly that much.

Nonetheless, I finally decided that I might as well try activated carbon filters. After all, I had nothing to lose, and I was sick of always being sick. I started with an activated carbon furnace filter to clean the air being blown in through the ventilation system. I then added a few room filters, and an activate carbon water filter as well. They worked wonders. Within a week, I was feeling better, and within two, I was doing the best I had in years. Apparently, my body had been overloaded by allergens. Once I decreased the contaminants a bit, the ones that were still in the environment did not seem to bother me as much.