A shower water filter offers users countless benefits. It will not only improve the quality of the shower water, thereby improving the overall shower experience, it will also considerably decrease the health risks associated with chlorine and other water contaminants, while improving the quality of your skin, hair, and the air you breathe in your home.

Showering is part of most people’s daily routine. For many it is not just a means of cleaning, it is also a relaxing and rejuvenating experience. With the invisible chemicals and residues that are present in household water however, the process could be doing damage to one’s body that may become apparent only when it is too late to find a solution. The most harmful water additive, that is virtually unavoidable in most situations without installing a showerhead water filter, is chlorine.

The documented health risks associated with chlorine, a standard disinfectant additive in tap water, are numerous and frightening. Chlorine reportedly elevates individuals’ risks of contracting various cancers. It is also associated with heart conditions and serious respiratory illnesses. When water is heated and creates a steamy enclosed environment, as in a shower, the body is more susceptible to harmful chlorine fumes as they are vaporized into the air and subsequently inhaled and absorbed by individuals’ bodies. Additional negative effects of chlorine on the body can include dry and itchy skin, resulting in skin irritations such as eczema, damaged hair, and dry scalp, and eye irritation.

Shower water filters are designed to remove chlorine, as well as residual minerals that contribute to hard water, from the shower water. Results of installing a water filter for shower use specifically will include a more comfortable and clean shower that releases fewer chemical fumes into the atmosphere, as well as into sensitive lungs and offended noses, while a hard water shower filter eliminates those mineral deposits on shower walls, and on the skin, that are so hard to make completely disappear. The softer water that results will rinse of dirt and soap far more thoroughly than unfiltered shower water.

Water filters designed specifically for the shower are often available in numerous different designs and models, so that the showerhead does not have to be unsightly. Likely, there are models available to suit the décor of virtually every bathroom. Also, consider additional options that will frequently be made available in combination with filtering systems, and may include massaging features with different water pressure settings to suit individual shower preferences. Finally, consider looking for water saving showerheads that also filter. Water saving showerheads will often feature an additional adjustor on the head itself that controls the amount of water that flows out at any given time. The result not only saves water and does a good turn for the environment, but also will ultimately cut down the monthly water bill costs.

Considering all of these factors will help determine the best shower water filter for you and your family’s needs. Bear in mind that a shower water filter is even more important to protect growing children from the negative effects of chlorine and other water additives.

In order to lower budget costs many health conscious families are hoping to replace the purchase of costly bottled water with an at home reverse osmosis water filter. Although they can include a high-price tag up front, a reverse osmosis water filter system can significantly reduce costs through the year for families purchasing bottled water from the store, easily paying for itself in the first year. Removing up to 99% of unwanted substances, reverse osmosis water filter systems operate with at least five separate stages of purification to provide much cleaner water than their expensive bottled grocery store counterparts. The pre-filter is set up to trap large sediment particles as well as rust and calcium carbonate. The next two stages include carbon filters, which remove chlorine as well as any unpleasant tastes and odors from the water. Chlorine can degrade the membrane used for the reverse osmosis process, so the inclusion of carbon filters to remove it greatly extends the life of the reverse osmosis drinking water filter, needed for stage four. The reverse osmosis filter stage involves a thin membrane through which water is passed through with great force, trapping molecules that were previously dissolved into in on the other side of the filter, where it is removed with wastewater. The fifth and final stage involves another carbon filter to trap and remove any other chemicals that were missed by the first four filters.

Luckily, the science behind reverse osmosis is the most difficult thing about a reverse osmosis water purifier. Systems can be found through many online retailers such as freedrinkingwater.com and advancedwaterfilters.com that are designed to be easy to install, requiring very little in the way of plumbing skills, and low maintenance, requiring new filters no more frequently than every 3 months. Countertop units can be purchased which can be easily transported and attached to most any kitchen sink for pure water everywhere you go. If you have space in the cabinets directly below the kitchen sink, many filters are designed to be set up right there in the kitchen for all your drinking and cooking water needs.

Shop smart when looking to by your reverse osmosis water filter system. Check out several websites to find the differences in their products, because not all reverse osmosis systems are equal. Look for online reviews of companies and products you are most interested in so you are not stuck with a sour deal not advertised on the company’s website. Sign up for the top contender’s customer email newsletters and wait. It will not take long though, before you will receive a newsletter advertising a sale on one of the systems you have been eyeing and you can add a great price for your system onto the list of benefits you will soon be receiving. The thing you will first notice once you install your reverse osmosis water filtration system is how clean and refreshing the water tastes once all the chemicals have been removed, and you will wonder how you ever drank bottled water in the first place.

Water purification systems have become incredibly popular currently, but what do you really know about them? Are these systems necessary or are we just following a trend?

It is no secret that our country’s tap water is full of toxins that are harmful to our bodies. Since the purpose of water purification is to remove unwanted chemicals, materials, and other contaminants from raw water; it is safe to say that this process is necessary. Granted, our public water is treated but that process does not take out all toxic metals like lead and chemicals. The water taken throughout sand beds to get rid of external particles and then chlorinate is added to remove bacteria. This explains the difference in taste when tap water is compared to filtered water, which might also give reason for the rise in bottled water purchases. However, is buying bottled water the safest way to go?

Studies have shown that bottled water is not only costly but also no better than the water flowing from your faucet. First, the water is obtained from the same source as all water … underground springs, wells, and municipal supplies. Then it goes through several processes of filtration where contaminants are removed from the water, just so it can be packaged into bottles and (depending on how long the bottles of water sit) have a chance of being tainted again by traces of the plastic it is held in. Another risk of contamination is that the company may or may not have filtered the water before it was placed in the bottles. So what are you paying for? The cost is not so much for clean water as much as it is for the plastic of the bottle, labeling, packaging, and transportation. So the question is; would you rather pay the cost for somebody else to filter water for you or filter it yourself?

If you chose to do it yourself, you are more than likely thinking of purchasing a water purification system but what kind do you want? Drinking water purification systems include filters for your faucet, pitcher, and refrigerator. Most of these systems include methods like reverse osmosis (where pressure is used to strain the water when removing impurities), sedimentation (allowing the harmful particles to settle out of the water and rest elsewhere), or the use of electromagnetic waves such as ultraviolet light (which breaks down the microorganisms, bacteria, and viruses). You can also look into shower water purification systems if you think you have “hard” water or a whole house purification system. Whether applied under the sink or on the countertop, these systems have a water conditioner designed to soften the water throughout your house and provide a few gallons of high quality drinking water to your kitchen sink or refrigerator.

No matter if you chose to drink the water from the tap, buy a bottle of water or DIY it with a water purification system, now you have a little more knowledge to support you purchase.