The use of an activated charcoal water filtration purifier as part of your filter system is an effective way to clear unwanted material from your water prior to using it to drink, cook, or bathe. Highly absorbent activated charcoal is a commonly used material for removing impurities from water. Because of its effectiveness and relative simplicity of function, any system you purchase should include charcoal/carbon filtration as one of its processes of water purification.
Activated carbon can be found in everything from aquarium filtration systems to pitcher-style drinking water filters to larger home systems. However, the best quality systems will employ a multi-stage filtration process, with an activated charcoal water filtration purifier as the first step of the treatment.
The process works by absorbing certain contaminants in water. Activated charcoal is simply carbon that has been chemically infused with oxygen to create pores that absorb contaminants, and it has been found to be highly effective in removing foreign chemicals and microorganisms from water. A water filter that uses the process of reverse osmosis will not be as effective in removing synthetic chemicals, like the ones that originate in herbicides and pesticides, as activated carbon water filtration systems are.
These systems are especially good at filtering other organic impurities including carbon-based chemicals and chlorine, which is often added to water to kill biological contaminants. In fact, the technology is so good, that the U.S. EPA has recognized activated carbon as the best way to remove contaminants from water. Of course, technology will continue to bring us updated means for purifying our water, but the systems that employ this method are considered highly effective in removing a wide range of unwanted substances from water.
Water filters using activated carbon or any other technology should be installed on all faucets that are used in your home for drinking or bathing in water. Some people's homes offer filtered water in the kitchen only, but occupants of the home often use bathroom sinks for drinking water, so this water should be filtered as well.
Although few of us drink our shower water, we are exposed to contaminants through the absorption of the water into our skin and through our breathing of water vapor that can contain chemicals harmful for us to inhale. For this reason, you should plan to install an activated charcoal water filtration purifier on every shower head in your home.
Activated carbon water filtration systems are effective, but their filters do not last forever. Once the pores of activated charcoal are full of the contaminants they've absorbed, the filters should be replaced. Prices on new filters and frequency of needed replacements vary. Information on the packaging of your water filter or on the manufacturer's website will tell you how often you should plan to replace the filter in your system.
