Refrigerator Water Filters For Your Health

• Tweet
• Pin It

In recent years, the quality of America’s municipal water systems has deteriorated. Increased pollution due to sprawl and development in the water sheds along with the aging of the facilities to treat and deliver water mean that the water coming from your tap might not be something you would want to drink. Fortunately, there are some effective and low cost solutions. One of these solutions can be refrigerator water filters.

While many people install filters on their kitchen or bathroom taps, they often forget about installing one for the refrigerator. This common oversight results in using ice or chilled drinking water that has not had contaminants removed from it.

Many newer models of refrigerator already have filters installed in them, but most home owners are unaware as to what type of filter it is or what their replacement options for it are. Most refrigerator water filters are granular activated carbon based. Basically, these filters use a charcoal like substance that has a very high surface area. Water flows through millions of tiny pores in the filter and the impurities adsorb or stick to it, letting purified water flow out.

More advanced refrigerator water filters use a multi-stage approach, in which several different filters are cascaded to produce even purer water. In these systems, an activated carbon component is combined with an ion exchange unit, and in some cases a ceramic filter. These additional filtration steps also provide water softening.

If your refrigerator does not have a built in filter, then an inline system can be installed. This type of filter is installed on the water feed line leading to the unit, and can be either activated charcoal or multistage system. The drawback to these systems is that the filter cartridge is often remotely located from the refrigerator itself, leading to people forgetting about it and consequently not changing the filter often enough.

For all types of refrigerator water filters, it is very important to change the filter cartridge to ensure proper operation and adequate filtration. The recommended lifespan for most water filters is about six months, depending on how much water or ice the refrigerator uses. Check the information from your manufacturer for specific details on replacement. Most filters are readily available at home improvement or hardware stores for moderate cost. For more information on water filters check out www.PristineWaterFilters.com.