Water filters are your go-to device if you’re trying to purify your household water. You can use them to get better water for drinking, cooking, and bathing. There are different types of water filters with many brands to choose from.

Each water filter uses a different technology based on the contaminants they remove. Some filters remove organic contaminants like pesticides and microorganisms, while others remove chemical pollutants and improve the water’s taste.

Water filters usually have NSF certifications on their labels. These labels tell you the contaminants that the filters protect you against.

With so many options, it can be hard to pick a water filter for your home. This article will talk about different types of water filters and how they work. At the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide the type of filter that perfectly meets your needs.

 

7 Types of Water Filters

1. Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis water filters purify water using a semipermeable membrane. A water pump pushes water through the membrane under high pressure. Dissolved inorganic compounds like nitrates, arsenic, sulfates, fluoride, lead, and chlorine get trapped on the membrane, and only contaminant-free water passes through. RO water filters come as whole-house, under-sink, or tabletop systems.

2. Activated carbon water filters

Activated carbon is also known as activated charcoal. It is usually made from coal, coconut shells, or wood. Activated carbon has a very high adsorption rate, making it effective at filtering contaminants from water and air. When water passes through activated carbon filters, it traps chemicals like pesticides and chlorine on its surface. Clean water passes through the filter to the other side and is collected in a storage tank.

3. Sediment filters

Most people combine sediment filters with water filters like reverse osmosis systems or ultraviolet filters. You can use them separately, but you get better results when you combine them with others. Some sediment filters are made with cotton or polyester fibers. They come in a rolled fabric stuck in a plastic-sealed cylindrical container.

Sediment filters are placed just before any other water filter in the pipeline. When contaminated water passes through them, they collect sediments at the bottom. These sediments may be rust, mud particles, or sand. Sediment water filters make water appear clearer before passing it to the next filter.

4. UV Water Purifiers

UV filters work using UV light. They have an ultraviolet lamp tube where water is passed through to be purified. The UV light from the lamp destroys harmful bacteria, viruses, and cysts in the water. UV filters do not remove chemicals.

5. Gravity Water Filters

Gravity water filters purify water using gravity. The water is kept in a two-chambered reservoir. The upper chamber is where water is stored, while the lower chamber is where the water is filtered. A filter with microscopic pores that stops contaminants from passing through it is between these two chambers. Gravity pulls the water down through this filter, and only clean water passes on to the next chamber.

This filter technology is one of the best because it removes almost all impurities. The filtration process keeps the water cool and eliminates bad taste. Because they can be set up quickly, gravity water filters are also great for emergencies. They come in different models. Big Berkey is one of the best models available. You can check out a Big Berkey water filter review to see if the product suits your taste.

6. Under Sink Water Filters

They are fixed underneath sinks. They are connected to your main water line, so any water coming in through the sink faucet is filtered. They come with their own faucet, which you can mount beside the main faucet in the sink. Under sink water filters can have multiple filters in one, which they will use to purify the water in a stage-by-stage process. Each stage will remove a particular type of contaminant before the water moves on to the next filter stage.

7. Ultrafiltration Purifiers

This filter is very similar to a reverse osmosis system. The difference is that it blocks out slightly larger particles than those blocked by RO. Ultrafiltration filters have a thin membrane made of hollow fibers that separate particles from water. As the contaminated water flows through, the thin membrane holds and traps dissolved solids and microorganisms. Ultrafiltration purifiers don’t filter out chemicals, so they’re best used on water with low chemical contamination.