A water filter is an important device used to filter tap water and clean it for consumption. Despite the relatively good quality of drinking water, it may make sense to buy a water filter. So you can always be sure that the water you drink is of good quality. In addition, a water filter is also practical for travelling, because the water quality abroad is often much worse. With a water filter for tap water, you can always consume high-quality water on holiday without having to boil or clean it.
You can buy a water filter on the Internet, for example. However, there are some things you should consider here and a comparison of the different water filters for tap water is also usually useful. The following guide will tell you everything you need to know about water filters and how to buy them.
What is a water filter?
A water filter is a device that – depending on its design – cleans tap water of harmful substances and bacteria in various ways and filters it for consumption. In most cases, the water conditioner or water filter also serves as a descaler. For this reason, the unit is also useful for good drinking water quality. It also gives you the certainty that you are always consuming clean water.
Which devices are available for drinking water treatment?
The water filter is available in many variants and models. Even though these are generally similar in their functions, there are still some differences in what the units do exactly. One example is the decalcification system or the reverse osmosis system. Below you will find an overview of the various units.
The cartridge drinking water filter
The cartridge drinking water filter is probably the best known water conditioner found in many households. The device serves on the one hand as a lime filter, but also cleans the water of other harmful substances and bacteria. So you always have the certainty in your house that your tap water is of the highest quality and pure of harmful substances.
The device uses a filter cartridge to clean the water. These must be replaced at regular intervals to ensure good drinking water quality. The appliances are relatively small and compact and are installed like the other kitchen appliances and operated manually if necessary.
Water filters and water filtration systems
In addition, there are also water filter systems or water filters that are permanently installed. An example is the water filter for the tap. This is connected directly to the tap. It also serves as a descaler and filters the water when it leaves the tap. Unlike a cartridge filter, you do not have to decant or manually filter the water first. A filter on a large scale is also known as a water filter system.
However, an appropriate filter system is very expensive and time-consuming to install. It is therefore mainly used in large residential buildings or for commercial installations. However, it can also be installed in any other house or building and makes sense especially in regions where the drinking water is of poor quality or has a high lime content.
The reverse osmosis water filter
The reverse osmosis water filter uses a process called reverse osmosis to purify the water. In this physical process, the natural osmosis process is reversed. In this way it is achieved that solid substances, in this case lime or pollutants, are concentrated in a chemical liquid, which is in the reverse osmosis water filter, and are thus removed from the drinking water. The reverse osmosis water filter is mainly used in decalcification plants, but is also used where the water is contaminated with other solid substances.
Travel and outdoor water filters
As the name suggests, an outdoor water filter is intended for outdoor use, outdoors. It can clean water from natural sources, but it can also filter the water that comes out of the tap. This is convenient because you often don’t know what the water quality looks like in foreign places and you should always be careful when consuming water from natural sources, even if they are considered pure.
Differences to normal cartridge drinking water filters
A descaling system as well as a water filtration system are identical to a water filter. However, these systems operate on a much larger scale and can filter a much larger amount of water. A cartridge filter, for example, can usually filter between one and two litres of water. The tank does not have more capacity.
A water filter system or a descaler, on the other hand, is used to treat several hundred litres of water for drinking. In addition, such systems work automatically so that the water has already been filtered and descaled when it leaves the tap. With a cartridge filter, on the other hand, you must first remove the unfiltered water from the tap. Then fill it into the cartridge filter, where you have to manually filter the water at the push of a button.
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