7 Water Filter Shopping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Here are 7 water filter shopping mistakes and how to avoid them.

Water is one of the most important utilities in every household. From drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing, water is momentous to our daily lives. And to ensure comfortable living for you and your loved ones, you’ve ensured a constant supply of water in your home.

But wait, do you know drinking tap water isn’t a healthy choice? Yes, the water may be contaminated, posing a health risk to you and your family. While bottled water may be safe for drinking, it might not be an affordable option in the long term.

This is why you need to learn about water filter shopping mistakes as you need one.

With increased water pollution, and high contamination ratio, a water filter is vital to every household. Whether you use city or well water, it’s invaluable to have a water filtration system. This ensures your household has safe, pure, and healthy drinking water.

If you’ve decided to buy a water filter, chances are you are not well versed with them, right? Thus, it’s important to know how to go about buying the perfect one. Here are the common 7 water filter shopping mistakes and how to avoid them to get you started.

1. Buying Water Filter Without Getting Your Water Tested

Most homeowners make a huge mistake of shopping for a water filter without getting their water tested first. In most cases, they buy the wrong water filter not matching their needs. This results in either loss of money, irrelevant filtration capacity, or less supply of water.

It’s important to note there are different types of water filters for different purposes. When purchasing one, you want to buy the perfect one to filter the contaminants in your tap or well water. For instance, ion exchange filters will soften hard water by exchanging calcium and magnesium ions with other ions.

To determine the type of filter perfect for your household water, you need to get it tested. The test will let you know what contaminants are contained in the water. This helps you make an informed decision on the type of water filter to purchase.

When testing your water, you can opt to use a DIY home testing kit or collect a sample and take it to the laboratory for testing. Getting the test done by the lab is more reliable as they have advanced technology and they have standards for transparency.

After getting the results, you now know the types of contaminants in your water. You can now start looking for a filter that will eliminate all these contaminants.

2. Choosing Cheap Units

As it goes with the common saying, ‘cheap is expensive’ buying a cheap water filter will cost you in the long term. Homeowners are tempted to go for cheap units to save a lot when making the initial purchase, but this rarely turns out well. Most of the cheap water filters you come across are basic, and some only remove physical properties.

If your water has microorganisms, odor, or excess minerals, such filters won’t be of any help. You might need to get a high-tech unit to remove all the contaminants.

With a cheap unit, you might also have to spend a lot on maintenance and keep up with a drop in water pressure or poor filtration capacity. It’s thus important to know the right budget for a water filter that will be perfect for your water filtration needs.

3. Going for Very High-Tech Units

While you shouldn’t go for the cheapest, don’t choose the most expensive, high-tech filters. Of course, you want the best protection for your family, and rest assured there is an affordable option for you. You don’t have to go for a highly priced reverse osmosis system with UV purification light for home use.

All you might need is a water filtration system to remove sediments, chlorine, chemicals, odor, and taste. For such needs, an advanced water filter will be a waste of money.

4. Not Checking on Certifications

Most people overlook water filter certifications blindly believing the manufacturer’s claims. However, this isn’t safe for your and your loved ones. There are reputable government departments and organizations specifying water filters standards.

Before buying a water filter, look for certifications by both WQA and NSF. WQA stands for Water Quality Association, while NSF stands for National Sanitation Foundation. These bodies ensure water filters meet the best filtration standards.

5. Not Buying According to Needs

Some people have swayed away and bought the wrong water filter after being convinced by a salesperson. Also, the wrong purchase could be after reading impressive reviews about a water filter. For instance, you might not need a shower filter but end up purchasing one just because you were convinced to get hard water.

Before you start shopping for a water filtration system, be clear-headed about what you’re looking for. Know the unit which will serve your needs, and don’t be convinced otherwise.

6. Miscalculating Water Needs

Most homeowners will buy a small water filter and have to struggle with filtration capacity and flow rate. With increased frustrations, they give negative reviews about the product while it’s themselves to blame.

To avoid such inconveniences and unpleasant experiences, estimate your water needs. Investing in the right water filter will save you from low filtration or slow rate issues.

7. Not Checking on Installation Space

Before purchasing a water filter, have a clear idea about where it will be installed. Also, be certain the unit will fit in the intended space. You don’t want to start replacing the unit or make huge alterations to the kitchen to fit the unit.

To avoid this, match the measurements of your space with the unit dimensions. Also, check if you have all the facilities your filter needs to operate, such as electric sockets and a compatible plumbing system.

Here Are Common Water Filter Shopping Mistakes to Avoid

Water filter systems remove odors, tastes, sediments, minerals, and chemicals to provide clean and safe water. However, it’s important to purchase the perfect water filter for your home to enjoy all the benefits.

Here are the common water filter shopping mistakes and how to avoid them.

Are you looking for a water filter provider? At Berkey Clean Water, we got you covered. We are a global water filtration leader with filters to remove heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants.

Check out this page to buy the best water filter systems.