We cannot survive without water. Water is very much needed to carry out our everyday activities. What happens if your drinking water is not safe to consume? We cannot think of it. The serious water borne diseases such as cholera, diphtheria, and diarrhea are caused mainly due to consumption of unsafe water. It’s our duty to ensure that the water we drink is free from impurities and disease causing agents. Water purifiers can solve all these problems. Buying water purifiers can be quite tricky. This article will help you to find the best water filters and purifiers for your house.
Buying the water filters directly from the manufacture will be an excellent idea to purchase it at the best price. Sometimes it’s hard to find the manufactures name. You should remember that the brand name does not really matter. But what matters exactly is the effectiveness of the product. We all have the tendencies to compare the price and go for something that is least priced. To save your money, it’s a better idea to go for the cheapest one and there is nothing wrong in that, but you have to understand the reason for why it is bought.
There are mainly four types of water filters. The type of filters you purchase should fit your needs exactly.
The first type is the one which is equipped with reverse osmosis system. In this, the moving water is allowed to flow through a filter so that the water is filtered out of particles. There are two types of filters used in this water filter, the bigger filter for trapping large particles and the smaller one for trapping fine particles.
Membrane filter is the second type of water filter. In this the water flows down to the filter and is filtered out according tot the pore size of the filter. The materials used for membrane filter are cellulose acetate, polethersulfone, or polytatrafluoroethylene. Chemical absorption filters are used mainly to clear off the particles found in the air. They absorb gases, smells and other particles found in air. This system is widely used in industrial sectors.
Ceramic water filter is used to filter the particles by moving the water through a ceramic filter. The main drawbacks of the ceramic filter its fragility and less effectiveness. The other types include the ultraviolet water purifiers, gravity filtration options and hand pump water filters. Don’t be worried if you are staying in an apartment. There are water filters that can be temporarily fixed to the tap so that when you move your apartment you can easily unscrew it and can be fixed in your new apartment without any difficulty.
Scientists say that about 60 to 70 percentage of chlorine present in the water contains carcinogens that enter our body when we take shower. So it is better to have a carbon filter in the shower tap and kitchen tap too. The other main thing you need to consider before buying a water filter is how well the equipment does work to serve your purpose.
I have a Sweetwater Guardian, and I like it. It’s probably easier to pump than any other filter because of the lever it uses. I do know (from using at REI) that it pumps easier than an MSR filter with a similar lever. However, if I were buying a filter for the first time, I would consider an MSR Miniworks or Waterworks or a Katadyn Pocket Filter or Minifilter. The MSR filters attach directly to a water bottle (or my MSR Dromedary water bag), so there’s no output hose to get contaminated. The Katadyn filters seem to get the most use out of their replaceable filter elements, if their claims as to filter life are accurate. All of those filters have the requisite pore size (.2 microns, I believe) to filter out cysts, protozoa, and most bacteria. In any case, check out the monthly panel here about water filters and contaminants, or go to rei.com and find their chart that compares the abilities of various makes and models of filters, to make sure the one you buy removes the things from the water that you want it to. And remember this is only one opinion (mine) among many. You may place greater emphasis on other factors in choosing a water filter. A trick to extend the life of any water filter, which I probably read in this newsgroup, is to cover the “prefilter” at the end of the intake hose that goes into the water source with a coffee filter, to strain out the larger contaminants and keep them from clogging the filter element. 
After living with intestinal distress for a long time, and driving ourselves insane trying to figure out what could have been causing it, we have finally fixed on tap water as the most likely cause. (We’ve known for a long time that the water here was hard — stains on the toilet attest to that! — and it may be that, or it may be something else.)
We have a Pur water purifier which needs a replacement filter every so often. When we recently went to our local camping store, where the purifier was bought, to buy a new filter, we were told they are no longer allowed to sell these. There are plenty of stocks we were told, but they are not allowed to sell them, or the purifiers. However they cannot or will not say why, or whether this is a permanent or temporary state of affairs. They also refused to tell us how or where to contact the makers of the product! They say a similar ban applies to the Sweetwater brand purifier. Does anyone know anything about why the purifier & filter are banned, &/or where to contact the manufacturer, or any other relevant information? First, understand that there is a difference between a FILTER and a PURIFIER. The former filters out bacteria and protozoa but not viruses. The latter filters out bacteria and protozoa and kills the viruses chemically. (OK, the latter may also kill any remnant bacteria and protozoa as well.)
We have a Pur water purifier which needs a replacement filter every so often. When we recently went to our local camping store, where the purifier was bought, to buy a new filter, we were told they are no longer allowed to sell these. There are plenty of stocks we were told, but they are not allowed to sell them, or the purifiers. However they cannot or will not say why, or whether this is a permanent or temporary state of affairs. They also refused to tell us how or where to contact the makers of the product! They say a similar ban applies to the Sweetwater brand purifier. Does anyone know anything about why the purifier & filter are banned, &/or where to contact the manufacturer, or any other relevant information?
I have a Pur Scout water purifier.
We are ready to winterize our unit (2001 27F Terry) and cannot figure out how to disconnect/remove the water purifier filter. The purifier is a separate spigot next to the kitchen faucet. The owner’s manual doesn’t list any details and the “pamphlet” from the mfg.. lacks any kind of replacement directions. I know the filter has to come off somehow. They are supposed to be replaceable. Does anyone have a built in water purifier and know how to remove this filter? There are several types. I believe that the “popular” type is a cartridge filter that is a bit over an inch in diameter and about 10 inches long. You need to remove it and replace it with a bypass hose. It has either quick connect or screw type fittings. The filter manufacturer makes a hose that is exactly the same length as the filter. If you did not get one with your RV, with a few readily available parts from the plumbing department of your favorite building supply store it’s a simple job to make a bypass up.
