Countertop water filters have become quite popular in recent years. This is so because they are compact, cost-effective, and convenient as compared to other types of filtration systems on the market.
Due to the increase in popularity, we have decided to come up with a detailed guide discussing every essential detail that you need to know about countertop filters. So, without discussing any unnecessary detail, let’s head toward the details.
Countertop Water Filters – Overview
As we have already mentioned, Countertop water filters are compact systems that filter toxic impurities and contaminants from the water, making it totally safe and clean to consume. These filters are generally placed on the kitchen countertop and then connected to the kitchen faucet to supply filtered water.
When it comes to working, countertop filters work in three stages that are described below:
- Filtration process: When the tap is turned on, water flows through the filter cartridge that is fixed inside the countertop filter. This cartridge removes large contaminants such as sediment and heavy metals.
- Activation carbon filtration: After passing through the filter cartridge, the water then flows through an activated carbon. The activated carbon is greatly porous and has a large surface area, which allows it to either absorb or remove contaminants such as organic compounds, heavy metals, and many more.
- Ion exchange or Microbial filtration: This stage depends on the design of the countertop filter. Depending on the design, the way may undergo ion exchange or microbial filtration. In ion exchange, the filter contains resin beads that attract and remove different impurities. On the other hand, the water flows through a microbial filter to eliminate a wide range of hazardous contaminants.
Now, you will have a thorough idea of how countertop water filtration systems work to filter tap water on demand.
Different Types of Countertop Water Filters
There are a number types of countertop water filters that are discussed in this section.
1. Carbon filters:
A carbon countertop filter makes use of activated carbon to eliminate impurities and contaminants from the water. It has a porous material that efficiently traps and removes pollutants, including bacteria, chemicals, sediment, heavy metals, and many more.
However, it is important to note that these may not effectively remove certain minerals and heavy metals and also require regular maintenance.
2. Reverse osmosis filters:
A countertop reverse osmosis system uses a special semi-permeable membrane in order to make the water free from a wide range of impurities. The countertop RO systems are considered highly effective at treating contaminated water and are widely used by people all around the globe.
But one thing you need to know about them is that they generate a lot of waste water during the filtration.
3. UV filters:
This is the final type of countertop filter that we will be discussing today. Ultra-violet filters make use of UV light to efficiently disinfect water in order to destroy microorganisms. Apart from this, these filters also effectively remove bacteria, viruses, and pathogens from the water.
One downside of these filters is that they do not have the ability to remove non-living contaminants from water.
3 Benefits of Countertop Water Filters
Countertop water filtration systems provide a number of benefits that are discussed below.
1. Removal of contaminants:
This is obvious, tap water is equipped with a variety of hazardous contaminants that can pose serious threats to human health. Countertop water filtration systems are specially designed to remove a wide range of toxic contaminants, making the water completely safe and clean.
2. Better taste and odor:
Most of the countertop water filters come with activated carbon filters that are highly effective at improving the taste of the water.
For this, they specifically remove minerals and contaminants that affect the overall taste and odor of the water. The better taste and odor of the water will encourage you to drink, resulting in hydration – which is crucial for maintaining overall health.
3. Maximum convenience and cost-effectiveness
Countertop water filtration systems are highly convenient to both install and use. They require minimal plumbing work and no permanent modifications in the pipelines. This makes them ideal for temporary apartments.
Besides this, they are highly cost-effective as compared to other types of water filtration systems. And the good thing is that, they have low maintenance costs as well as upfront costs.
So, these are some of the major benefits of countertop systems. However, there is a huge variety of countertop filters available in the market from different brands, making it difficult for you to figure out the right one. In order to ease this process, below we have explained how you can pick the right filter.
How You Can Choose The Best Countertop Filter
There are a number of factors that you need to consider in order to choose the right countertop water filter.
1. Select the right type:
First of all, you need to select the right type of countertop water filtration system according to your needs and preferences. Above, we have explained some of the most common types.
However, reverse osmosis countertop filters are the most widely used type of filter. This is so because, they remove a wide range of impurities with great accuracy.
2. Flow rate:
Flow rate is also an essential factor that you need to consider. It refers to how quickly a countertop system can provide you with filtered water. You need to go with the maximum flow rate as you can. So that you don’t have to wait too long to get filtered water.
3. Filtration capacity:
Apart from filtration capacity, you also have to take the filtration capacity of the countertop system into consideration. Basically, the filtration capacity refers to how much amount (Gallons) of water a system can efficiently filter before needing a replacement or maintenance.
Obviously, you should try to go with a high-filtration capacity countertop filter, especially if you have large water requirements. However, it is important to note that, a higher filtration capacity countertop filter will cost more.
4. Cost:
This is the factor that most out there must consider. You should consider the initial cost (purchasing cost) of the countertop filter to determine whether it is according to your budget requirements or not.
Apart from this, you should consider the ongoing maintenance costs, such as the replacement of filters, and that cost as well into your overall budget.
When you consider all these factors discussed above, there is a strong chance that you will end up purchasing the best countertop filters.
Final Thoughts
Countertop water filtration systems have become a popular type of filtration system all because of their convenience and ability to remove a wide range of contaminants. Apart from these, there are many more details that you should know about them. In this blog, we tried our best to cover every essential about countertop filtration systems.