How to use home water filters efficiently
In case you are wondering how to filter water, you should know that there are many different solutions you could think about, depending on your situation. You may need filtered water in the wilderness or you simply may need to have filtered water in your home.
Clean water
1. Boil it
2. Tablets
3. Purifiers
4. Filters
5. Bottled water
How to Filter Water to Make Sure That You Will Have Clean and Healthy Water to Drink and Also to Cook
So, what are the ways to filter water? What will you have to do to ensure the cleanliness of the water you use?
Regardless of your situation, you should know about the available options that you have. What better news than knowing that there is a wide array to choose from so you will surely find one that is suitable for your case. Read on to find out what you can do in order to have filtered water in your home.
1. Boil the water
In case you need relatively small quantities of water, you could think about boiling. In order to filter water, you have to pour the water in a pot, place it on the stove, and turn the stove on. If the water comes to a boil, the majority of the bacteria will be eliminated so there will be no more chance of you getting sick. The bubbles appear when the water starts to boil. However, water is truly boiling when it comes to a rolling boil. This is the moment to start the timer. You should let it boil for 5-10 minutes plus another minutes for every 300 meters above sea level. You should know about filtering water that it becomes inefficient at 5,500 meters above sea level.
Although boiling eliminates microorganisms, bacteria, and chemicals from the water, it does not eliminate metals, minerals, or solids. Also remember that the water's boiling point depends on the altitude. Once you are done, remove the pot from the stove. If you are using this drinking water filter for tap water, you just have to wait for the water to cool. However, if the source of the water is unknown, you should let it settle and drink the water from the top.
2. Purification drops or tablets
You can buy tablets or drops of this kind in sporting goods stores. Remember that the tablets and drops will alter the taste of water, but drinking bitter tasting water is still better than drinking dirty water. If you need filters for water, you could be thinking about iodine and chlorine tablets. These work best if the water you need to purify is over 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Such tablets are usually used in the wilderness. Pregnant women and elderly persons should ask their doctor about using tablets of this kind. In case there are particles floating in the water, you should strain it using a piece of cloth. Add the tablets or drops to the water.
Make sure you read the instructions of the product. Generally speaking you will need a tablet for a quart of water. Be mindful of the tablets' expiration date. After this date the product loses its efficiency. Mix the water and the tablet in the filtered water bottle. You should wait about 30 minutes after the tablet dissolves before drinking. If the water is cold, you should wait for about an hour before drinking.
3. Get a water purification system
When thinking about home water filters, you should make sure you get a water purification system. These work in different ways. For starters, there is the pump purifier. These pumps come with two tanks, one for the clean water and one for the dirty water. You can use devices of this kind in the wilderness or at home as well. As the water goes through the pump, it is filtered. If you attach the pump to the sink, you won't have to worry about wasting time with pumping.
Attached purifier
Another option regarding filter for water is to buy a bottle that has an attached purifier. This works similarly to the water pumps: the water runs through the filter before it reaches the bottle. The third option is to get an ultraviolet purifier. This looks something like a pen. You just have to place it in the water and wait for the pen's light to go green. Then stir the water with the pen until it turns off. The UV rays will kill the bacteria even if the deceased bacteria will still remain in the water.
Gravity fed purifiers
The gravity fed purifier is also a good solution for a filter water system. Just as the name suggests, the system uses gravitation to make the water go through the filter. All you have to do is to pour the water in the bottle and wait for it to run through the filter. As you may have guessed, in the majority of the cases the filters come with two sections: one for clean water and one for dirty water.
4. Different kinds of filters
In case you are looking for house water filter that is accessible and affordable, there are quite a few options you could be thinking about. These include carbon filters and reverse osmosis filters.
5. What about bottled water?
You might think that you don't need a tap water filter is you use bottled water. Nonetheless, you should know that bottled water isn't necessarily cleaner than simple tap water; it only costs more. According to the official reports in 44% of the cases bottled water is only tap water in a bottle. Furthermore, not all kinds of bottled water are filtered. Remember that the producers aren't obliged to publish the water purity tests so in the majority of cases you don't even know what you are drinking. As another aspect to consider, bottled water might have particles of plastic coming from the bottle that will make their way into your body.
It is easy to find a solution that filters water, but in order to make sure that you will stay healthy you will have to think about consistency. It is useless to filter water today if you're not going to filter it tomorrow. Once you start it, you should make sure you stick to it.
