How to Choose the Right Shower Filter for Your Home
Shower filters are one of the best unsung innovations that greatly improve the quality of our lives without even noticing it. Shower filters remove impurities, contaminants, and other harmful minerals from the water supply, which greatly improves the quality of water. With so many options available in the market, choosing the right shower filter can be taxing. With that said, today’s article will help you narrow down your choices by listing down factors to consider when choosing the right shower filter for your home.
What do shower filters do?
From the name itself, shower head filters are used to strain water from chlorine, contaminants, impurities, and other sediments that are harmful to our bodies. There are different kinds of filters, but their main purpose is to improve water quality and grant more health benefits to their users.
What are the benefits of using a showerhead filter at home?
There are many health advantages to installing a shower filter in your home, and some of them are listed below:
You’ll have healthier hair and skin. The water you use contributes to the condition of your skin and hair. If you’ve been having dry, flaky skin, it may be caused by impurities present, triggering an allergic reaction that can damage your skin. There’s always a chance that your dry hands are caused by the water because of the presence of chlorine in it. Although the mineral chlorine is important as a disinfectant, having too much of it is detrimental to our bodies. The same goes for your hair; chlorine can dry it out, making it brittle and more prone to breakage. Using a shower filter will help strain these unwanted elements so you can enjoy quality water that is gentle on your skin and makes your hair shinier and stronger.
Your chlorine exposure is reduced. In continuation with the above statement, chlorine also strips your body of its natural oil that is needed to keep it healthy. With no oil acting as a barrier, it makes your skin more irritated and prone to cuts and abrasion while your hair gets duller.
Your bathing experiences improve. Washing your body is one of the most relaxing experiences you can do at home; it doesn’t cost a lot, and you can even do meditation under running water. This experience can be significantly boosted with the help of a shower filter, providing you with quality water that’s sure to wash off all the dirt and grime in your body without harming your skin.
Your overall health is better. With your skin clear from any blemishes or irritants and your hair feeling fuller and shinier, you’re guaranteed to sleep well at night because there are no irritants that cause your problems.
What are the different types of shower filters?
Given how there are many kinds of impurities and contaminants in water, there are also respective filter media that are used to strain them. Some of the more common filters used in the market are the following:
Activated carbon filters. As the most common type of filter on the market, this filter is known for its highly porous nature that traps contaminants and sediments. It’s made up of organic materials like wood and coal, and it’s known to remove unwanted odor and taste in water.
KDF filters. Short for Kinetic Degradation Fluxion, KDF filters utilize a mix of copper and zinc to remove impurities in the water through a chemical process that changes the electrons in them and turns them into harmless and gentle components.
Ceramic bead filters. Sometimes referred to as ceramic balls, these filters are effective filter media used to strain water of dirt, debris, and bacteria by creating tiny pores that trap the contaminants. Compared to the other filters, ceramic beads are the most inexpensive type on the market, which makes them the best choice for people with a tight budget.
Combination filters. Just as the name suggests, a combination shower filter uses a mix of different media—the most common are activated carbon and KDF. Thanks to the activated carbon, it absorbs most of the unwanted organic components in the water, while KDF lowers the effects of hard water and prevents bacterial growth.
What are the factors I should consider when choosing the right shower filter?
You should choose a shower head filter depending on the kind of concern you want to address since not all water supplies face the same problems. Some have more chlorine present in them, while others are more concerned about the sediments and other impurities. Here’s a short list of factors you can consider when choosing a showerhead filter:
Type of filter media. We listed some of the different filter media available on the market, so depending on your concern, you can choose a filter type that addresses your problem. For example, if your problem is the excessive amount of chlorine in your water, then you can opt for KDF filters; not only will it lessen the chlorine content, but it will also help get rid of the strong odor that comes with it.
Water hardness. There are certain areas that suffer from hard water, meaning their supply has a lot more particles and contaminants that cause skin and hair issues. Although it doesn’t totally clear out all the hard minerals, using KDF helps soften these minerals so it doesn’t cause abrasions to your skin when bathing.
Easy installation. Find a filter that’s easy to install and maintain. There are some available that you can easily install by yourself, but there are also other types that require professional help. For the latter, it’s usually the more advanced type of shower head filter that comes with more benefits, but you have to consider that you may need to call in professional services when it comes to dealing with possible issues and changing the filter.
Compatibility. Above all else, you must find a shower head filter that’s compatible with what you have at home. Check with your local supplier and service provider if their products are compatible with your shower head fixture at home.
At the end of the day, the determining factor that will help you choose the best shower head filter for you is the kind of water issue you have at home. Still, it would be great to look at added benefits so you can make the most out of your improved water quality at home.
