Bottled water may be convenient, but a countertop water purifier is a more sustainable option that reduces plastic waste and protects you from potentially harmful contaminants. Water filters remove aesthetic and health-harming chemicals, sediments, and bacteria to ensure clean drinking water.
얼음정수기렌탈These systems are easy to install and don’t require any plumbing changes. Some are even portable enough to take with you on vacation!
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse Osmosis (RO) is the gold standard of water filter technology. It removes nearly all contaminants, including lead, chlorine and fluoride. It also eliminates the waste and environmental impact associated with bottled water.
Countertop RO systems have a small footprint, making them suitable for most spaces. However, it’s important to check the dimensions of each model. You’ll want to ensure that the system has enough space to accommodate a full tank of water and allow for regular maintenance and filter changes.
A typical countertop RO system includes an activated carbon filter that uses adsorption to reduce chemicals, bad taste and odors. This is followed by the reverse osmosis membrane, which filters out up to 99.9% of all total dissolved solids. The final stage is a remineralization filter that adds back healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium, raising the pH of the water to 7-8.
Unlike under-sink RO systems, most countertop models don’t have an integrated storage tank and produce water on demand. Some are designed to fit on the faucet and connect directly to a kitchen sink, but others require an external tank. Most have a quick and easy installation process that doesn’t require the help of a plumber, but make sure to double-check that it fits your faucet before purchasing. If not, many of them include adapters to suit your specific needs.
Carbon Block
Carbon Block filters use multiple methods of contaminant reduction action – mechanical filtration, chemisorption (chemical reaction adsorption), and physisorption (physical adsorption) – into a single device to reduce a broad spectrum of harmful contaminants. These filters are typically recommended for municipal treated water that may contain a variety of chemicals and toxins. Unlike granular activated carbon, the structure of carbon block allows the particles to maintain a static position within the filter which helps prevent water channeling that can occur with GAC.
Carbon blocks are produced by either compression or extrusion molding processes. In either method, a mixture of carbon and polymeric binder is poured into fixed molds and heated under high pressure and heat to form one continuous cylinder of material that is then trimmed down to size. This is a time intensive process that needs careful attention to ensure the carbon and binder material blends together properly and efficiently.
Compared to granular activated carbon, solid block carbon filters require more energy and time to manufacture but the uniform pore structure and larger surface area of carbon block offers greater effectiveness in reducing a wider range of contaminants including chlorine, chloramines, VOC’s, lead and heavy metals and cyst parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. These systems are ideal for municipal treated water and will also improve the taste, odor and overall quality of your drinking water. Some of these systems include a remineralization filter that returns the beneficial minerals to your water.
Granular Activated Carbon
GAC (granular activated carbon) filters are a cost-effective method for taste, odor and chemical removal. This type of filter is a common feature in home water treatment systems, as it removes chemicals and foul tastes in addition to providing insurance against toxic algae blooms that could occur in your water source. GAC is made from coal, lignite, peat, wood, nut shells or other organic matter that has been heated in the absence of air to create tiny pores and cracks. This random porous structure has a vast surface area, with one teaspoon of GAC having the surface area of a football field.
The pore size of GAC makes it an excellent absorbent, with the negative ions of the chemical compounds passing through it being attracted by the positive ions found on the carbon granules. The adsorption process is called electro-positive absorption. Once the adsorbate is attached to the carbon, it can be filtered out of the water through physical filtration or by oxidation.
GAC can be used as a stand-alone water purifier to reduce many taste and odor compounds, chemical contaminants and chlorine in municipal (pretreated or chlorinated) water supplies. It is also very effective as a pre-treatment in reverse osmosis units, reducing many of the organic contaminants and chlorine that could foul the RO membrane. It is particularly useful in removing chlorine and toxins like trihalomethanes (THMs), atrazine, cyanide, phenols and PCBs.
Micron Filter
Typically, the lower the micron rating of a water filter, the finer the particles it removes from your drinking water. This helps to protect against harmful bacteria and viruses as well as smaller particles like sediment and rust flakes.
This particular countertop system from NU Aqua features a unique remineralization stage that actually improves the taste of your tap water by adding healthy minerals. It’s also a great value as the filters last for up to 8 months and you get a decent warranty from the manufacturer.
The filter cartridge is made of granular activated carbon which does a good job at reducing toxins in your water including chlorine, heavy metals, organic chemicals and VOC’s. It also reduces lead and PFOA/PFOS that are found in municipal drinking water as well as Cryptosporidium and Giardia cysts.
This countertop water filtration system attaches to your existing faucet and provides on-demand filtered water for drinking, cooking, beauty face wash, cleaning and even plants. It’s a great way to save money on bottled water while at the same time helping to reduce plastic waste. It’s a simple and easy to use system that only takes minutes to install. After installation, you’ll just need to press a button to instantly dispense filtered water. It’s also a great choice for travelers as it is very compact and portable.