How To Choose The Best Water Filter For Your Home

I admit it, I’m one of those mummas who hasn’t ever thought of a water filter for my home. For me, it has always been that bit ‘too far away’ on my health journey. I feared the cost, wondered if I really needed it and each time I looked at getting one, my mind exploded. Have you seen all the options out there? Yikes!

But after hearing ‘clean water’ from enough places including my naturopath that is treating my little mans eczema I started looking at options. I called a bunch of water filter companies and I came across Rod from MyWaterFilter.com.au We had a great chat about how to choose the best water filter for my home, what I should consider and the different cost options. He was SO helpful that I through myself out on a whim and asked him if I could interview him for my blog because if I’m confused by all the water filter options, surely other mummas are too?

Rod agreed and I filmed it so you too can have a listen. It goes for 20 minutes so please do find some quiet time in your day to have a listen to the whole thing.  You'll learn:

• What’s in our water and what parts are no good for us or our kids
• How the chlorine in our water is killing a lot of our good gut bacteria
• Why jug filter doesn’t always clean your water properly
• What we need to add back into our water to bring it back to ‘life’
• The benefits of a $50 filter on your bath or shower to stop the chlorine in there (hello eczema?!)
• And, how easy it can be to choose a filter and get it in your kitchen ASAP

Here’s a little rundown of the options so you can choose the best water filter for your home:

Best jug water filter
Price: $30 - $199
Pros: Convenient, small, easy to use and replace.
Cons: Fairly slow, doesn’t hold much water and ongoing filter cartridge costs.
Good starting-out option: http://www.mywaterfilter.com.au/water-filter-jugs-pitchers/fill2pure-regular-filter-water-jug.html

Best tap mounted water filter
Price: $ 69 - $ 650
Pros: Small, fits onto an existing tap and allows you to switch quickly between filtered and non-filtered water. Allows a constant flow of filtered water. Often you can install it yourself, so great when renting.
Cons:  Means you have a water diverter attached to your tap spout and a water line to the filter on your counter top.
Good tap-mounted option:  http://www.mywaterfilter.com.au/benchtop-water-filters

Best counter top water filter
Price: $ 99 - $ 400 (initial)
Pros: Filters a good amount of quality water without the need for a plumber to install it. Simply fill the top tank and the water filters as it collects in the bottom tank ready for you to drink. This unit sits on the counter top so it’s great when renting.
Cons: The stand-alone ones are big and if space is an issue they can get in the way. And, you need to fill them by hand.
Good counter-top option: http://www.mywaterfilter.com.au/ceramic-water-filters

Best under sink water filter
Price: $180 - $1,000 (initial)
Pros: Filters large amounts of water without needing to attach to an existing tap or clutter your counter top. Often offers the best filtration options.
Cons: If you don’t have the skills, a plumber will need to install it. It will take up under-sink space and is a more expensive option.
Good under-sink option: http://www.mywaterfilter.com.au/under-sink-water-filters

Which water filter did I choose:
For me, I went with an under-sink option as I had the space and I really wanted a stand alone tap. I make broth a lot so I like to be able to turn the tap on, fill the slow cooker and come back in a minutes time to it full. Same goes for filling jugs of water for the day. Tap on, fill, get the cups out of the draw, tap off. Speed, doing a good job and buying a filter once and not worrying about it again were my essentials.. I ended up getting the Xtream 7 Stage Reverse Osmosis Water Filter with Alkaliser. 

I’m 2 months in and I can vouch 100% that my belly no longer hurts when I drink (watch the video and you’ll hear more about that), I feel hydrated and we can all taste the difference in the water.

My filter is ‘reverse-osmosis’ and if you’re confused by what that even means, join the club. I’d heard the term but never fully understood it until Rod explained it in our chat (see the video above). In short, the water is passed through a couple of cartridges to remove the sediment and chlorine from the water. It then goes on to another cartridge (the reverse osmosis membrane) which splits the water. It pushes all the contaminated water to the drain (or in my case, a hose which goes direct on to my veggie patch), while storing the pure water in the 9L holding tank until we need it. This process removes nearly all the contaminants from the water and adds mineral back into the water, ensuring it’s alkaline and easily absorbed.

This process means you dump 50% of the water you filter. This isn’t unique – all reverse osmosis water filters will do this. (So don't call Rod freaking out like I did!) I want to save water so  I had my plumber run the wastewater pipe straight out on to my veggie garden. You can get up to a 15m cord! I’m thrilled that I get clean water and that my garden gets watered without me even having to step a foot outside. 

Anything else I am going to try?
Sure is, I am going to try a shower and bath filter to help with my little guy’s eczema. It is the chlorine in the water that dries out our skin and hair. I know this because swimming for him is tricky, he gets red so if I think it through, there's no surprise the same is happening in the bath.

I do really recommend you do give Rod a call and tell him you read Stace’s blog and would like to get a filter too. This post is not sponsored, as I said above I simply want to help you in navigating this CRAZY world of filters,

Lets get a conversation going, have you looked into a water filter? Which one did you find works well for you? Any tips you found helpful in looking for one?

Stace x 

PS.  If you’re looking for some help with your families food, not because you don’t know what to do but because you’re too busy and tired to see a way to do it. Please email me here. I am a health coach and I can show you practical ways to cook around allergies, to get your energy back and support you on-on-one to get you to where you want your health to be, faster. Email here so I can tell you a little more about the packages I offer.