When you compare home water purifiers, or “point-of-use” systems, as they are sometimes referred to, you will see that you have many options. Distillation, reverse osmosis, pitcher types, carbon filters, multi-media blocks, ion exchange, sub-micron filtration or a combination of any or all of these systems is available. Choosing the right option is important, both to your family’s health and to your pocketbook. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.

Distillation

Pros: This method destroys harmful bacteria. Inorganic compounds that have a higher boiling point than water will be removed.

Cons: Chemical contaminants that have a lower boiling point will travel along with the steam and be returned to liquid form in the final chamber. Electricity is required, so electric bills will increase. The cost to filter a gallon exceeds 20 cents. Additional steps are required for complete safety. When you compare home water purifiers, you will find that there are less expensive systems that cost less to use and filter some common contaminants more effectively.

Reverse Osmosis (RO)

Pros: This is a process used by treatment facilities and desalination plants. It removes contaminants larger than water’s molecules, so most things like lead, arsenic and other groundwater contaminants will be removed.

Cons: Removes trace minerals necessary for good health. Water cleaned in this manner tastes stale. Chemical contaminants, such as pesticides and herbicides are too small to be removed by the semi-permeable membrane. Gallons of wastewater are created. The system is slow, so a large storage tank is needed. The cost to purchase, maintain and use is excessive. Electricity is needed to pressurize and power the pumps. Cost per gallon exceeds 18 cents. Additional steps are required for complete safety. When you compare home water purifiers, you will see that RO has more disadvantages than any other.

Pitchers and Carafe-Style Filters

Pros: These are inexpensive to purchase. They remove some chlorine and odor. Most also remove lead. Water can be filtered and stored in the same container. No electricity is required. This is a low cost alternative to bottled.

Cons: Filters have a short life span. Cost of use is about 25 cents per gallon. They work slowly and are prone to leak. They only offer a slight improvement over tap-water. Additional steps are required for complete safety. If you compare home water purifiers, you will find better options.

Carbon Filtration and Multi-Stage Systems

Before I get to the pros and cons, I should say that when you compare home water purifiers on the market today, you should view the product performance data sheets before you buy. All activated carbon and multi-stage systems do not have the same effectiveness. The system that I am evaluating here is the most effective on the market, assuming you are serviced by a treatment facility or have a well.

Pros: Removes a wide range of contaminants including chlorine, THMs, VOCs, cryptosporidium and giardia cysts, pesticides, herbicides, MTBE and lead. No electricity is required. They operate with any water-pressure. Countertop units are easy to install without the help of a plumber. It costs less than $125 to purchase. It costs less than a dime per gallon.

Cons: This is not really a drawback to the product but a warning about bacterial contamination. Following a heavy storm or when your source has been contaminated with E coli bacteria, you should filter first and then boil before use.

Hopefully, the information here will help you compare home water purifiers and make the right choice.

By: Michael Redmond

About the Author:
For the most cost effective and healthy solution to ensure a clean, pure and safe supply of water throughout your home, consider a water filtration system . Find out more about the finest water filtration options for your home at http://www.waterpurificationadvisor.com.

Many people think that pure water distillers provide the most safe and healthy drinking water. But recent studies have shown that this may not be true. And here’s why…

Distillation is a filtration process that filters out contaminants based on relative boiling point. The water travels over a heated coil, causing it to vaporize and become a gas. This is how the actual water is separated from inorganic compounds like lead, calcium, magnesium, and so on. Later on in the cycle, the water is cooled and it condenses back into a solid.

One of the problems with pure water distillers is that they are rather ineffective at removing organic chemicals, since virtually all of them have lower boiling points that H2O does. This means that they are vaporized and transferred with the water itself to the colling stage. Unless pure water distillers are used with a carbon filter, these organic chemicals will never be removed.

The other major problem with these kind of filtration systems is that all the trace minerals that are naturally found in water are removed. Minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, sodium, and magnesium are naturally found in all fresh water sources. Our body’s have evolved to live off of water containing these trace minerals.

In fact, many studies have suggested that drinking demineralized water over the long run can cause adverse health effects. Without getting your normal intake of minerals, you’re more likely to develop mineral deficiencies at some point in life. And since demineralized water is more of an acidic substance than alkaline, minerals have to be pulled from your teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate to neutralize it.

On top of this, free radical production increase in acidic environments, which negatively affects your health. Many studies have even shown that this kind of environment is where cancer cells develop as well!

In light of all this information, pure water distillers may not be suitable for home use. They were really developed to be used in medical fields and the photo and printing industry because they H2O water that was stripped of all solids and particles.

If it’s safe, pure, healthy water at home that you want, then you’re better off getting a multi-stage filtration system that attaches to your sink, shower, or even at the water intake valve in your home. These kind of systems are more effective at removing contaminants while not removing trace minerals. Some even contain technology called ion exchange, which replaces harmful lead ions with healthy potassium ions.

These kind of systems are generally less expensive that pure water distillers too. Instead of paying hundreds of dollars for a distillation system, we spend less than $100 for each of our filters, and they only cost pennies a day to operate.

By: J. P. Michaels

About the Author:
You can learn all about the multi-stage filtration systems we use in our home and why they are so much better than pure water distillers by visiting my website listed below.

J.P. Michaels is a long time user and passionate advocate of pure, safe, healthy water. Being a husband and father of three beautiful children, he understands the dangers of tap, bottled, and shower water – and wants his family to live long and healthy lives. Visit his site now and learn all about the home water filtration system he recommends to anyone who cares about the health and safety of their family —> Go to http://www.pure-healthy-water.com