Which is better to choose a water filter

No. 2. Why is the main filter better than others?

The problem of polluted water is so massive that mankind has come up with a lot of different devices for cleaning it. We will not go into details, but among the most popular filtration systems today they use the following:

• pitcher-type filters and dispensaries do not belong to flow filters - a certain amount of water is poured into them, which after a while is cleaned by built-in cartridges.This solution is only suitable for water purification for drinking and cooking, since the volume of vessels, as a rule, does not exceed 3-4 liters;
• the filter nozzle on the tap allows you to purify water from large mechanical impurities, improve its organoleptic qualities. The filter is suitable if the water quality is satisfactory, meets the standards, but you just want to improve it a little. Such a filter is easy to install, you can even take it with you on trips, but it will not cope with serious pollution, has low performance and requires frequent replacement of cartridges;
• the “next to the sink” filter is also easy to install, connects to the water supply using a special adapter and provides an average level of purification, ridding the water of large contaminants and unpleasant odors;
• stationary filter "under the sink" is installed under the sink, allows you to purify water from mechanical impurities, chlorine, heavy metals, eliminate odors and tastes. This is a very popular system, it is easy to maintain, requires replacement of cartridges every 5-6 months, but the cost of its arrangement is higher than the previously listed options. This solution also has some drawbacks. The filter will not cope with the most serious contaminants, it has limitations in terms of performance and cannot be installed on pipes with hot water.

If any of the listed filters allows you to purify water to an acceptable quality, you are very lucky. But if you are not lucky, then you should not be upset, because there are flow-through main filters, which are actually a miniature water treatment station.

The main filter is built into the water supply system of an apartment or house, crashes into the water main and creates a serious barrier to the water entering the apartment, which, passing through the filter system, is cleaned of mechanical impurities, harmful elements and compounds. The filter can be put on hot and cold water, and since it will stand at the inlet, purified water will flow from all taps.

A flow-through main water filter is usually used in houses that have their own source of water supply (a well or a well), but recently a similar system has often been installed in apartment buildings where the water pipes are very worn out. Such filters allow you to solve several problems at once:

• water purification from harmful impurities, chlorine and microorganisms;
• improving the taste of water and getting rid of metallic and other tastes;
• softening, because hard water negatively affects the skin and hair, leads to the rapid wear of some household appliances;
• keeping plumbing fixtures in good condition. Conventional (non-main) filters purify water only at one point of consumption, and it runs through the rest of the pipes in the apartment silted and contaminated with particles of rust and other debris, which gradually leads to blockages and breakdowns. With the main filter, this problem disappears.

The main advantages of main filters include:

• high cleaning efficiency;
• high performance (the filter cleans 20-50 liters of water per minute);
• variability. Depending on what it is necessary to purify water from, various cartridges can be used;
• the ability to purify water for all water intake points with one filter;
• durability with proper use.

Among the shortcomings, we note only the complexity of installation - you will need the help of specialists. You can service the main filter yourself, but if a blockage occurs, you can hardly do without a professional. The cost of trunk systems, of course, is higher than that of simpler filters, but it is not sky-high.

Best jugs

This group is represented by stylish and compact devices with a body and cover made of food-grade plastic, equipped with replaceable sorption cartridges.

Pitchers are used without connecting to a water supply system and successfully purify water from free chlorine, organic and mechanical impurities.

The scope of their application is limited by low productivity and poor cartridge life, they are suitable for preparing drinking water in small volumes, but not for providing all the needs for clean water.

The rating of the best pitcher filters includes models:

• Barrier Tango,
• Aquaphor Line,
• Geyser Orion.

Barrier Tango

In addition to aesthetics, the pluses of the model include the possibility of placing on the refrigerator door and choosing cassettes with different parameters of the filter layer:

• Standard.
• Rigidity.
• Rigidity Iron.

Users positively evaluate the quality and speed of filtration, among the possible disadvantages are the high cost of replacement cartridges (from 250 rubles).

Attention! This model is not equipped with an indicator for tracking the changeover time or the state of the resource, the replacement of cartridges is carried out taking into account the terms indicated on the package (from 45 to 60 days, ≈350 l).

Aquaphor Line

Pitcher Aquaphor Line designed to purify water from active chlorine, lead and heavy metals, organic substances using carbon cartridges with a cleaning resource of up to 170 liters (from 150 rubles, depending on the functions performed).

The advantages of this model include the affordable cost of the jug itself (from 420 rubles) and replaceable cartridges, compactness (with a filtration volume of up to 1.2 liters, Aquaphor Line can easily be placed on the refrigerator doors) and good cleaning quality.

The disadvantages include:

• inconvenient removable cover,
• the need for frequent flushing of the walls,
• low filtration rate.

This model has a simple design and comes with orange, blue and green lids.

Geyser Orion

Users rate positively:

• the presence of a convenient filling valve (the filter cover does not need to be removed or folded back),
• the presence of a resource indicator of the filtration element,
• the presence of a hinged lid on the spout,
• hull strength,
• cheap cartridges,
• variety of offered colors (7 rich colors for every taste).

The disadvantages of this modification are the relatively low service life of the cartridge (250 l) and knocking down the date of its installation when the indicator is accidentally scrolled.

Filter reviews can be read here and.

Which water filter to choose

1. Hard water: ion exchange column; reverse osmosis system.

2. Sand and other insoluble particles: primary mechanical filter.

3. The smell of chlorine: 1 from the sorption cartridges.

4. Turbid water reeking of methane: reverse osmosis system.

5. Fishy and woody smell: absorbent charcoal column and ultraviolet disinfectant; post-filter and UV treatment.

6. Brackish liquid: reverse osmosis system.

7. Hydrogen sulfide smell: UV bacterial disinfection and sorption cartridge optional.

8. Increased acidity: iron removal column.

9. The smell of chemicals: sorption cartridge with coal loading.

10. Corrosive liquid at neutral pH: reverse osmosis system; ion exchange column.

11. The smell of oil: reverse osmosis system.

12. Glandular fluid: absorbent iron removal cartridge.

13. Phenolic smell: sorption column or reverse osmosis system.

What are the types?

Water filters can be divided into two types:

• Rough cleaning.
• Fine cleaning.

Let's take a look at each type of treatment system below.

coarse filtration

Coarse filters are used to extract large impurities (from 50 microns).

They remove mechanical substances:

• sand,
• clay,
• silt,
• rust.

Filters with a large pore diameter prolong the life of water purifiers for washing, because if heavily polluted water is immediately put on sorption cartridges or a membrane, they will quickly become clogged and will not perform their functions.

Other equipment protects:

1. heating system;
2. toilet;
3. boiler;
4. dishwasher and washing machine from breakdowns.

Rough cleaning is the first and important stage of water preparation. The filter is installed in the line, in the immediate vicinity of the central riser.

Its basic element is simple: a metal case, inside which is a steel / nylon / brass mesh with a pore diameter of 50-400 microns.

The smaller the mesh size, the more dirt will hold. A sump is located next to the grid - a place for impurities.It is washed manually or automatically.

Varieties of coarse filters:

• Sump. This is a non-flushing flanged or sleeved water purifier. Its sump is located horizontally or at an angle to the water pipe.

  To clean the sump, you need to turn off the water, unscrew the lid, take out the sump and rinse it. Since its size is small, manipulation is carried out often.

  Straight design mesh filter is more convenient. At the bottom of the body is a drain valve. You put a bowl under it, open it, the dirt drains out.

• Purifier with flushing system. It is completed with two pressure gauges - at the inlet and outlet of water. The sensors measure the pressure, and if after cleaning the pressure is lower than at the inlet, then the cells are clogged. In this case, flushing starts - the valve opens, and the dirt is drained through the drainage pipe into the sewer.
• cartridge system. The device consists of a flask, inside of which there is a replaceable module made of polypropylene or polyester. It is changed as it gets dirty. The equipment works even at low pressure in the water supply, while mesh water purifiers are inefficient.

fine filtration

Fine filters are used to remove 98-99% of contaminants.

They are divided into two large groups:

1. Sorption.
2. Membrane.

In the first case, cleaning is performed by replaceable modules, inside of which is:

• Activated carbon;
• blue clay;
• expanded graphite;
• quartz;
• zeolite;
• ion exchange resins.

Sorption systems capture:

• active chlorine,
• mechanical impurities,
• heavy metals,
• particulate matter,
• hardness salts,
• get rid of color and turbidity.

Reference! Cartridges perform their task for 3-12 months, and during this time they filter 4000-12000 liters.After the resource is exhausted, the replaceable module must be replaced, because it ceases to capture impurities.

Sorption cartridges are installed in:

1. filter jars,
2. multi-stage flow systems for washing,
3. in faucets.

The membrane filter is the heart of the reverse osmosis water purifier.

Semi-permeable material with pores of 0.00001 microns captures 99% of all existing impurities, passing only water molecules and some gases.

The reverse osmosis system perfectly copes with increased hardness, but in order for it to work correctly, water must be pre-treated.

It is performed by sorption cartridges, which were described above. The membrane block is installed in classic reverse osmosis systems with an accumulation tank, in new generation water purifiers without a tank and in some jugs.

Attention! The membrane needs to be changed every 1-4 years.

3 K&N

In forty years, K&N has evolved from a family business to a major international manufacturer with a range of 6,000 items, whose products are known all over the world. Specializing in zero-resistance air filters, the company produces models for installation in regular places in a car, as well as universal cleaning units. They are a conical mushroom-shaped tip and are installed directly to the air line, bypassing the car filter landing box. The company's products not only clean the supply air - they have a direct impact on engine performance, making them better.

With an increase in power, a decrease in fuel consumption is observed, and also due to more complete combustion, the load on the ecosystem decreases. In many premium car models, such air filters are already installed from the assembly line.Of course, for many owners, the price is the only obstacle to buying filter elements from this manufacturer, which is not surprising - the cost is several times higher than the most expensive, but ordinary air filters. However, its resource can reach 120 thousand km (when cleaned with a special compound every 10-15 thousand km), which more than compensates for the high cost.

Advantages of main filters

Why are main filters so good?

• They perfectly clean the liquid, improving its organoleptic parameters. Despite their apparent simplicity, they are very effective.
• Easy to use - the main thing is to choose and install the device correctly. Then you only need to occasionally clean the filter meshes or change the cartridges and that's it.
• Easy to maintain. In some cases, you don’t even need the help of a specialist to place and connect such a filter, if you have already taken care of installing a ball valve in front of the filter, just in case. It will then make it easy to maintain the filter device.
• They have a high capacity - such a filter will allow you to get a lot of clean water without interruption. Remember at least filter jugs, which give only a few liters of clean water per day.

Properly installed line filters

There are also disadvantages. This is the need to insert the filter directly into the line, and the installation of a ball valve is also required. Here you can't do without the help of specialists. Fortunately, these are one-time jobs that do not require large expenses.

The best reverse osmosis water filters

Compared to ordinary flow-through filter systems, such units are more versatile. They not only remove small mechanical particles from the water, but also disinfect it, and sometimes also mineralize it.Thanks to this, it not only ceases to be harmful, but even becomes useful. True, this fact did not play in favor of the price, which is quite high here. This rating category describes the top 3 reverse osmosis water filters on the market.

Geyser Prestige 12 l

This water purification system is highly efficient due to the function of reverse osmosis, which allows it to remove particles with a minimum size from the liquid. It easily copes with the filtration of sodium ions, salts, dyes, small molecules. As a result, the taste of water becomes pleasant and natural, and it ceases to be harmful to health. This is facilitated, in particular, by the option of softening it, as well as 5 stages of cleaning. Convenient is the presence of a storage tank with a volume of 12 liters, where it can be stored.

Advantages:

• Works great even with very dirty water
• It can provide up to 200 liters of clean water per day;
• Has a separate faucet;
• Allows you to forget about scale;
• Iron removal function;
• Availability of filter modules.

Flaws:

Productivity does not exceed 0.14 l per minute.

Atoll A-550m STD

This is one of the most popular units in its category, which has won a place in the rating of water filters for washing due to the high quality of work. As a result, it turns out not only clean and safe, but also tasty. According to customer reviews, it is difficult to distinguish it from spring or taken from a well. This model handles stiffness well thanks to the softening function, which is well appreciated by people with kidney disease.At any time, you can replace an outdated cartridge with a new one, which is not difficult to find on the market.

Advantages:

• Separate faucet included
• Easily connects to the water supply;
• Withstands even heavy loads;
• Not visible to others;
• Mineralizes water, which makes it useful;
• Cleans in 5 stages.

Flaws:

• The maximum inlet water temperature is 38 degrees;
• Cannot filter faster than 0.08L per minute.

According to reviews, water after purification no longer causes complaints about its taste, smell and color for buyers.

Aquaphor DWM 101S Morion

This is a good budget water filter with reverse osmosis, iron removal, chlorine removal. This explains the high quality of the liquid at the outlet, and the option of softening and mineralization is responsible for the pleasant taste. It is installed under the sink, which allows you to save space and not spoil the design of the kitchen. Not even a master can handle connecting the structure to the water supply, and it weighs only 6.2 kg. Its advantage is the ability to work even under low pressure.

Advantages:

• Compactness;
• The presence of a mineralization function;
• Normal cleaning speed;
• The "native" storage tank is more than enough;
• Ease of installation.

Flaws:

• The faucet from the kit may give an oily film on the water;
• Extra long screws for fixing the drain pipe clamp.

Effective disinfection model "Aquaphor DWM 101S Morion" makes the best filter for water purification for installation under the sink, due to which it becomes safe for health.

10 Big filter

It is no secret that a domestic manufacturer primarily focuses on the domestic market, and only having achieved success, it enters the international level.The Big filter company has been known to the consumer for a long time (since 1988) and is known not only in the CIS countries, but also far beyond the borders of the Commonwealth. An undoubted attribute of the conquest of the automotive consumables market is the quality of products, a wide range of models (about 1300 items) and an attractive price. All these characteristics are completely true for Big filter air filters.

The range covers a huge number of car models - from domestic carbureted "classics" to modern foreign cars. Moreover, the latest equipment allows you to set up the release of new models in a short time, which happens almost every month. The international certification of the manufacturer allows you to have no doubts about the quality of the assembly - it is one of the best in Russia. This is confirmed by the supply of filter elements to conveyors not only of domestic car brands, but also of automakers in the USA, Israel, Turkey, the European Union and other countries.

Can you drink tap water?

Water pollution is the ingress of substances into it that make water unfit for human consumption. Water can have a bad taste, it can smell disgusting, but be completely harmless, or it can have excellent taste, be crystal clear and colorless, but be a deadly poison.

It was found that the negative factors affecting people's health are divided into groups. Each group is neutralized separately. Therefore, in modern filters for home use, cleaning one or two liters of water lasts up to five minutes.The cheapest water filters, including those that are worn on the faucet, are designed to quickly pass a relatively large amount of water and therefore contain only activated carbon. Such a simple filter element has two drawbacks: it quickly accumulates dirt in itself and after a while adds it to the water, and most importantly, “coal retains only a part of mechanical impurities. Half of the "chemistry" and bacteria quietly pass through it.

The quality of drinking water is questionable. Today, no one doubts the need to purify tap water, but how to do it is a question. Mankind has developed many methods of water purification, but not all of them are as effective as we would like.

Many reputable scientists do not advise drinking tap water at all, at least without pre-treatment.

The best reverse osmosis filters for water purification

Reverse osmosis is the most advanced water purification system. It uses not only filter elements that rid the liquid of mechanical inclusions and dissolved impurities, but also a membrane that purifies water at the molecular level. The prepared liquid enters the tap, and the contaminants are drained into the sewer.

"Geyser" Allegro M - with a mineralizer

5,0

★★★★★
editorial score

96%
buyers recommend this product

See review

Six stages of purification and a built-in mineralizer make it possible to produce an environmentally friendly, drinkable liquid from a heavily contaminated liquid. In taste and composition, it will be similar to melt water from mountain peaks. At the same time, the water purifier has a two-valve faucet in the kit, which allows you to get purified water without mineralization, if necessary.Such a liquid is suitable for preparing dishes and drinks, as well as for pouring into irons, steamers and other equipment that is afraid of scale.

Advantages:

• 6 stages of cleaning;
• Volumetric storage tank for 12 l;
• Two-valve faucet;
• Mineralization of water;
• High filtration rate.

Flaws:

Not suitable for hot water.

Water purifier Allegro M from TM "Geyser" is suitable for home, apartment or large office.

"Aquaphor" Osmo 50-5-PN - an effective filter for washing

5.0

★★★★★
editorial score

89%
buyers recommend this product

See review

A reverse osmosis water purifier is installed under the sink. It performs ultra-fine water purification, fights against unpleasant odors and turbidity, eliminates bacteria, viruses and softens the liquid. The kit, in addition to the OO filter itself, includes a 10-liter tank and a tap for drinking water. Combined with a high filtration rate, this makes the unit suitable for frequent use.

Advantages:

• High filtration rate;
• 10 l tank and faucet included;
• 5 stages of cleaning;
• Elimination of contaminants up to 0.0005 microns in size;
• Improving the taste and increasing the transparency of water.

Flaws:

Mineralization is not provided.

The Osmo 50-5-PN filter from Aquaphor is suitable for home or office with hard water and a high content of mechanical impurities.

Atoll A-450 STD - compact home system

4.8

★★★★★
editorial score

83%
buyers recommend this product

See review

The presented model is the smallest in the Atoll line of reverse osmosis units, which means that it can be used even in confined spaces. The presence of an elongated drainage tube allows you to drain water with impurities into a separate container, so that later it can be used for household purposes.The built-in mineralizer saturates the water with useful trace elements and oxygen, making it suitable for drinking raw.

Advantages:

• Compact dimensions;
• mineralizer;
• Long drain tube;
• Accumulative tank for 12 l;
• Resistance of elements to corrosion;
• Affordable price.

Flaws:

Low filtration rate.

Atoll A-450 is a budget water purifier model that is suitable for a family of 2-3 people.

Specifications Xiaomi Viomi Filter Kettle L1 Ecotronic C 6-1 FE BARRIER Grand NEO

How to choose a water filter for washing

Modern filtration systems are designed to purify and improve the quality of drinking water. Sink filters are connected to water pipes, mounted under the kitchen sink. Most models are equipped with a separate faucet through which purified water flows.

All devices are externally similar, but differ in internal content. Each device has its own composition of filter elements, the principle of filtration, as well as the final result.

The range of models is so large that sometimes it is very difficult to make the right choice.

Top filters for water under the sink

There are only 2 types of devices that are similar in appearance, but have different "stuffing":

• Flowing. Able to purify liquid more efficiently than a variety of faucet and pitcher attachments. Models equipped with a hollow fiber membrane trap bacteria. Filters are optimal for use with medium hardness. Fill a glass in 10 seconds, a medium saucepan in 1-2 minutes.
• Reverse osmosis systems. Completely eliminate harmful impurities, optimal for use, regardless of the initial water quality.Remove pesticides, nitrates, drugs, as well as viruses and bacteria. Cartridges need to be changed less often compared to flow-through counterparts. There is always a supply of purified liquid: 5-15 liters.

To choose the right filter for your home, you need to consider the initial water quality. So, artesian does not need a complex cleaning system, so a device with 2-3 cleaning steps is enough. If the liquid contains a large amount of impurities, reverse osmosis systems are ideal.

A good water purifier is selected based on a number of characteristics:

Reliability. The materials from which the body and other elements of the device are made must be strong and durable. Otherwise, they simply will not withstand the working pressure.

Performance. It is calculated taking into account the number of people who live in the house. The lowest rates are typical for reverse osmosis systems, which filter no more than 15 liters per hour. For flowing, these parameters increase to 100 liters.

Easy to install and use

Attention should be paid to how the flask is washed and the cartridges are replaced. Most water purifiers are equipped with separate filters, but there are models in which the entire set of elements, together with the housing, must be replaced.

Manufacturer

Experts recommend considering only products of well-known brands that produce quality products that are in demand among consumers. These include Aquaphor, Barrier, Atoll, Geyser, Omoikiri.

The best wash filters 2020

Before choosing a water filter for washing, you need to clarify the cost of removable elements, as well as their availability on sale.Some products will cost almost half the price of the entire water treatment system.

Flow systems for cartridge type washing

This group is represented by flow-through multi-stage devices with relatively small dimensions and weight.

The standard cleaning scheme sequentially includes:

1. prefilter,
2. ion exchange and sorption module
3. postkarbon, with the possibility of replacing any of them on their own.

Attention! Such systems function well at low pressure and are generally unpretentious.

Features and prices of the best models are presented below.

Barrier Expert Standard

A comprehensive system for standard purification of tap water from all major harmful impurities.

The system consists of:

• a mechanical filter for trapping particles with a size of up to 5 microns,
• ion-exchange and post-carboxylic stages with a total filtration rate of up to 2 l/min.

Among the possible disadvantages are the high cost of filtration elements with annual replacement (from 1770 rubles for 3 blocks with a service life of up to 10,000 liters).

Read more about the Barrier Expert Standard filter here.

Aquaphor Crystal

A universal water treatment system similar in principle and number of stages with the possibility of deeper cleaning, simple replacement of any of the three cartridges and reliable protection against leaks.

• budget,
• efficient,
• sealed.

But the frequency of changing cartridges declared by the manufacturer (once a year at a price of 1,720 rubles and an average resource of 8,000 liters) is not always confirmed.

Reference! In regions with excessive rigidity, the standard set of Aquaphor Crystal A is not enough.

Geyser Max

The system includes:

• three-stage filter for purification and softening of hard and extra hard water with AquaSoft composite cartridge,
• unique filtration element based on ion-exchange resins Aragon Mask
• a block of pressed coconut charcoal with silver additives to provide a bacteriostatic effect with a total service life of up to 7000 liters.

These systems are more expensive than analogues (from 3900 rubles, with the price of cartridges from 2700), but in regions with increased water hardness, their installation is more justified.

The opinion of the owners about Geyser Max systems is ambiguous, the effectiveness of protecting household appliances and dishes from scale in most cases is confirmed, as well as the high filtration rate declared by the manufacturer (2.5-3 l / min), but not everyone is satisfied with the taste of the purified water.

More details about this filter here.

Flow filter for water under the sink: rating 2019

Aquaphor Crystal A

The model provides standard 3-stage water purification. The propylene module retains heavy particles in the form of grains of sand and rust. The remaining two coal modules are designed for higher quality post-treatment from suspensions up to 0.8 µm in diameter. The model uses cartridges K-01, K1-024, K1-07 - these are original aquaphor cartridges, but the filter allows the use of third-party components.

The resource of the propylene module according to the passport is 6000 l, however, much depends on the quality of the water. On average, a propylene module lasts 4 months, and coal up to 8, so the first one will have to be changed more often. Its maximum capacity is 2l/min, which is enough to fill the kettle in less than a minute (depending on the volume of the kettle).

Barrier Expert Hard

The flow filter from the Barrier company not only purifies water from heavy suspensions, but also softens it, therefore it is suitable for hard well water

However, please note that pollution is cleaned for particles larger than 5 microns, so this filter will be very convenient for those who have not very polluted, but hard water. The life of cartridges is about 10,000 liters, which, with average water pollution and intensity of use, is 4-5 months

The filter removes organic impurities, active chlorine, iron. The kit also comes with a faucet. The model is quite compact, so it can easily fit under the sink. The filtration rate, like the previous model, is 2 l / min.

Geyser ZIVS Lux

The model provides reliable filtration and softening. After passing through the modules, the water becomes tasty and the smell of chlorine disappears. The ion-exchange resin module perfectly cleans the liquid by removing calcium and magnesium ions. On average, its resource is 5 months, but if it is regularly reanimated (every 1.5 months) with the help of edible salt (1 kg of salt per 10 liters), then it can last more than a year.

The filter uses branded cartridges Aragon 2, BS, SVS, but you can find analogues for them from other brands. Note that the device is capable of filtering up to 3 l / min - it is convenient when you need to quickly obtain a large amount of clean water, for example, during the conservation of cucumbers or tomatoes. Also, an important advantage is the ability to operate the device at a pressure in the water supply system from 0.5 atm - for the upper floors in high-rise buildings it is very important.