Tap Water Filters: Reviews and Buying Guide

A tap water filter is a local water filtration system which is used to get clean filtered drinking water right at your kitchen or bathroom sink. These filters produce filtered water on demand, making them so simple and effective. These filters often have a lever that lets you choose between filtered and unfiltered water, which significantly extends the life of your filter cartridge.

The filtration process inside this filters have several stages of filtration, each stage eliminates different types of contaminants. In the first stage, a non-woven screen removes the sediments like rust, sand, dirt, and debris. The next stage uses an activated carbon block to remove chemicals. In the final stage, heavy metals like lead and mercury, as well as the remaining contaminants like magnesium, calcium and nitrate are removed. This stage of filtration removes the odours from the water and improves its taste.

The benefits of a tap water filter are numerous. Some of them are:

1. It removes a number of harmful contaminants from drinking water, like heavy metals, chemicals, bacteria, and debris. 
2. Tap water filter can remove the chemicals present in the water, improving the taste and making it ideal to drink.
3. These filters let you choose between filtered and unfiltered water in an instant. For example, you need cold water to water your plants or to wipe down your countertop. Why use filtered water? Just turn the lever and use the direct tap water instead. 
4. Finally, having a tap water filter is great for the environment as they reduce plastic waste. 
5. A single filter cartridge can purify the equivalent of 700 plastic bottles of water. Not to mention that these filters are very much recyclable!

Before purchasing and installing a tap water filter, we have to consider many things. First of all, one has to determine what kind of filter they need, plastic or steel. The plastic ones are 100% rust resistant and inexpensive, but generally less resistant to wear and tear.Stainless Steel tap filters cost more upfront but tend to last much longer with fewer deformations and leaks. These filters also blend in with the faucet and sink more naturally. 

When buying a tap water filter, one has to check on the certifications the particular product has. This ensures quality. For example,  NSF/ANSI 42 certificate means that the filter reduces impurities like chlorine and unpleasant tastes and odors. Filters with  NSF/ANSI 53 are certified to reduce one or more contaminants with a known health hazard, such as lead or mercury. 

Lastly, there are certain add-on features we need to consider like the Filter change sensors and Remineralisation filters. The filter change sensors are LED indicators which tell us when to change the filter cartridge. And the remineralisation filters re-add the lost minerals into the water to improve alkalinity and taste.