What are the Different Types of Faucet and Sink Water Filters?

We all require access to safe drinking water that is devoid of toxins that could harm our health, such as chemicals, bacteria, pesticides, and others. All of these dangerous impurities, as well as odors, discoloration, sediment, and even terrible taste, will be eliminated by water filters. There are many various types of water filters available today, giving you a wide range of options for how you want your water to be filtered. Price, speed, filter lifespan, capacity, and other characteristics of these vary widely.

What is a Water Filter?

A water filter is a tool that purifies water by removing impurities.

To facilitate the filtration process, the majority of water filter types use one or more of the following: activated charcoal, carbon blocks, ion exchange resins or membranes (such as those manufactured with cellulose), and reverse osmosis.

The methods used by different water filters to remove these contaminants vary; some trap impurities using gravity, while others draw them onto an absorbent substance, like granular activated carbon, or remove dissolved solids using membrane processes, like reverse osmosis (RO)/deionization (DI) units.

What is a Faucet Water Filter?

This is a little device that you mount directly on your faucet, as its name suggests. It filters away the impurities from the water just before it is released, giving you clean water to use for washing and cooking.

Because they are typically affordable, faucet water filters are a preferred option in homes. In locations where the water is relatively already safe and clean, they work best at enhancing the flavor and smell of tap water.

Faucet Filter Type

You must install the kitchen sink faucet that comes with a faucet water filter in addition to your ordinary faucet.

While some filtration systems may let you choose the color and style of the faucet, many only come with one basic faucet, so you’ll need to buy an upgrade from the manufacturer separately.

You might not be concerned with how your filter’s faucet appears, but if you want a faucet that complements the style of your kitchen or looks stylish, you should take this into account when making a purchase.

Keep in mind that most filters cannot be connected to normal faucets, so you won’t be able to purchase any alternative faucet if you don’t like the one your filter came with.

A filter faucet has additional features besides color or style that you could find appealing. Nowadays, the majority of faucets are lead-free, preventing pollutants from tainting your purified water. If you have questions regarding a product, contact the manufacturer.

What do Faucet-Mounted Filters Actually do?

woman pouring water into glass from the water filter in the kitchen.

For households that use a lot of drinking water each day or for those who want to utilize filtered water for other purposes in addition to drinking it, such as cooking or dishwashing, faucet-mounted water filters are an option. Because of the increased water pressure in the pipes, faucet-mount filters are more effective at removing pollutants than conventional pitcher filters. The filters typically last three months or 100 gallons as opposed to two months or 40 gallons for pitcher filters.

But there are certain drawbacks to faucet filters to be aware of. They can only be fitted on conventional one-piece faucets; they cannot be installed on faucets with integrated pull-out sprayers. It takes a time to fill a pot or a large drinking bottle because of their slow water supply rate (typically approximately half a gallon per minute).  

The majority of filter installations have a switch to alternate between the filter and the standard faucet, however if you unintentionally use the hot tap water, the filter could be harmed. If you decide against using a faucet-mounted filter due to these disadvantages, an under-sink filter would be a better choice. Installing an under-sink model is just somewhat more difficult than attaching a faucet filter since this type of filter attaches directly to the cold-water line, eliminating the possibility of the filter being damaged by hot water. It should be noted, however, that neither faucet-mount nor under-sink filters dispense water as coldly as a pitcher in the refrigerator would.

What is an Under-Sink Water Filter?

An under-sink water filter is basically a water filtration unit designed to be placed under your kitchen or bathroom sink. These filters comprise one or more filtration stages and remove various pollutants and contaminants from the water you use in your house.

Activated carbon is the most often used filter medium in under-sink water filters. In addition, several systems make use of sediment filter cartridges, catalytic carbon, ion exchange resin, reverse osmosis membranes, and KDF.

While some houses simply need simple filters like carbon and sediment, others could require a more sophisticated filtration system to raise the quality of their water.

Under sink water filters can target a variety of contaminants, including chlorine, lead and other heavy metals, fluoride, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), thanks to their extensive selection of filter media.

The Different Types of Under-Sink Water Filters

Technician installing reverse osmosis equipment under the sink detail

Sediment Filters

In multi-stage or reverse osmosis under-sink filters, sediment filters are frequently the initial filter stage.

Large sediment, silt, dust, and rust particles are prevented from harming subsequent filter stages by being captured by a sediment filter. Depth, surface, and absorptive filters are the three most typical types of sediment filters.

Smaller particles can pass through a sediment filter with a conventional pore size of 5 to 10 microns, while bigger contaminants are retained (these will be trapped in later filter stages).

Carbon Block Filters

Particles of carbon are compressed into a solid block to create carbon block filters. These filters typically have a micron rating of 0.5–1.0, making them capable of eliminating microscopic pollutants like cysts and bacteria that could otherwise manage to get past the pores of other filters.

As a result of its compressed construction, carbon block filters have a longer contact time with water than activated carbon filters, which enables them to trap more pollutants simultaneously.

Granular Activated Carbon Filters

In multi-stage under-sink water filtration systems, granular activated carbon cartridges, or GAC filters, are frequently utilized as the second or third stage. They can also be combined with other filter media, such as KDF or ion exchange, or used alone in a single-stage under-sink system.

Adsorption and chemical reactions are used by GAC filters to remove pollutants from water, including chlorine, chemicals, disinfection byproducts, and pesticides.

Catalytic Carbon Filters

Carbon Water Filter Cartridge In Transparent Plastic Container W

Cartridges with catalytic carbon are made to take chloramine out of tap water. Chlorine is more difficult to eliminate and more tenacious in water than chlorine. Chlorine cannot be removed by a regular activated carbon filter, but it can with catalytic carbon.

In a multi-filter unit or as the second or third stage in a single-stage water filtration system, a catalytic carbon cartridge is employed. Using this medium, water’s hydrogen sulfide is also reduced.

Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) Filters

Copper and zinc are combined to create KDF filter cartridges, which use the redox process to remove pollutants. Most often, these filters are combined with carbon in a single-stage filter or used in multi-stage systems along with carbon cartridges.

Depending on the filter type, KDF eliminates impurities like chromium, lead, chlorine, mercury, and hydrogen sulfide. Bacterial growth is suppressed by the construction of KDF filters.

Ion Exchange Resin

By exchanging ions with different charges, ion exchange resin allows target contaminant removal. Ion exchange, like KDF, is frequently used in multi-stage systems along with sediment and carbon filters because it removes two pollutants—arsenic and sulfate—that a carbon filter is unable to.

The ion exchange method used in a water softener to soften water is not the same as ion exchange resin. An under-sink resin with ion exchange does not eliminate hardness minerals.

Activated Alumina Filters

Another specialized filter, activated alumina, is frequently combined with carbon or used in addition to carbon in a multi-stage under-sink filtered water system. This filter’s bed of activated alumina granules adsorbs pollutants like thallium, fluoride, arsenic, and uranium that are challenging to remove.

The only filter media that is particularly made to remove fluoride is activated alumina, making it the best choice for fluoridated water.

Ultraviolet (UV) Purifiers

As UV purifiers don’t remove impurities through filtration, they aren’t really water filters. Instead, they emit UV light into the water, damaging the DNA of bacteria and viruses to stop them from doing any harm. UV cannot be used to physically eliminate contaminants; it can only be used to target live things.

UV purifiers can be added to single- or multi-stage under-sink filtration systems, but they are commonly placed in whole-house filter systems.

Semi-Permeable Membranes

Reverse osmosis (RO) under-sink filters use semi-permeable membranes. These membranes can capture the majority of current pollutants, including heavy metals, microorganisms, and everything in between, thanks to their 0.0001 micron-sized pores.

In an under-sink RO system, semi-permeable membranes are paired with additional RO filters, such as carbon and sediment filters. This makes it possible for the RO system to generate pure water, but there are drawbacks as well, including water waste and the removal of beneficial minerals during the RO process.

Conclusion

Heavy metals like mercury, lead, and arsenic, as well as chlorine and disinfection byproducts, are among the dangerous toxins and contaminants that are removed from water through water filtering. Water filters are adept in keeping important minerals like calcium, magnesium, fluoride, and zinc in the water at the same time. They ensure that you get healthy nutrients and protect you from toxins. With water filters, limescale is also prevented.

Water filtration systems have good effects on your health. There are multiple advantages, including moisturizing of the skin, absorption of vitamins, reduction of cancer risk, weight loss, detoxification, and digestion. Drinking clean water is good for your immune system and your brain.