Best Water Filter for Apartments- What You Need to Know

Best water filter for apartments

This blog post will discuss the how to choose the best water filter for apartments.

While most people may not be aware of it, water can contain contaminants that can negatively affect our health and the health of those around us.

Some people find it hard to convince their landlords to install a water filter with an improved filtration system in their apartment.

What’s the Point of a Water Filter?

Clean water is necessary to live, and water filters provide a way to make the water safe to drink by removing contaminants. They come in many types of filters, such as faucet, pitcher, under-counter, and more.

In most apartment settings, installing anything that will alter the basic structure of the building isn’t allowed. This reduces your options to faucet filters, water filter pitchers, countertop water filters and shower head filters.

Get Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) from Water Utility

The Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is a consumer’s tool to assess the quality of their water. This report is created by the water utility, which is required to provide it annually.

The CCR reports on the drinking water quality in your area, which includes information about contaminants that may be in your drinking water. The report should include information about the contaminants, where they are found in your drinking water, and the maximum levels allowed or not allowed under current law.

The CCR report measures for chemicals like lead, copper and disinfection byproducts to ensure that they are within federally regulated levels. It also looks at pH levels to ensure that you have access to safe drinking water at a healthy pH level.

Why is the Consumer Confidence Report Important?

It is important because it provides information about the quality of drinking water in the area. You will make a better decision on the type of filter to get when you have this report.

What Makes a Water Filter Effective?

We all know how important it is to filter water, but what are the most important factors that make a water filter effective?

An effective water filter will remove particles, dirt and sediment that may enter your home.

The filter must also be able to remove contaminants. There are multiple ways a filter can accomplish this which we will explore in this blog post.

A filter must be able to prove it can remove the contaminants, not just make the claim. We will see how this is accomplished, too.

What to Look for in a Water Filter For Apartments

1. When selecting a water filter, consider the size of your apartment

There are many water filters on the market, but not all of them will work well in your apartment. Consider the size of your apartment to find a filter that will work for your needs. The options for apartment dwellers are:

• Water Filter Bottles
• Water Filter Pitchers
• Faucet Water Filters
• Countertop Reverse Osmosis
• Countertop Distillers
• Shower Filter/Bath Filter

We will look more in depth at each of these types of filters.

2. Find a water filter that is easy to install and maintain

The best water filter should be easy to install and maintain. The filter should also remove the contaminants that concern you the most. These can be chlorine, fluoride, lead, PFAS and more.

3. When buying a water filter, consider how much space you have in your kitchen for appliances and storage.

When buying a water filter, it is important to consider how much space you have in your kitchen for appliances and storage. This pertains to the countertop and pitcher water filtration devices. Some can take up considerable counter space.

4. Choose a water filter with an NSF seal or one that WQA has certified

When choosing a water filter, it is important to look for a seal from the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF), one certified by the Water Quality Association (WQA) or certified by an independent lab. With the seal or certification, your filter will remove certain contaminants and lead particles while also maintaining the quality of your water. Below is a table the details the NFS standards for drinking water.

NSF Standards for Drinking Water Filters

5. Read reviews on the product before purchasing it online or in store

It’s important to read reviews before you purchase a product online or in store. These reviews can help you decide if the product is right for your needs, if the quality is good, what people have to say about it and much more.

Reviews can help you make a more informed purchasing decision and will also give you an idea of what other consumers think of this product.

Water Filter Bottle

Water filter bottles are a great way to get filtered water everywhere you go. They are simple to use and provide great tasting water. They are usually equipped with a fine mesh filter and an activated carbon filter that will remove chlorine, taste and odor, and more. Check for NSF certifications on the brand you are looking to buy.

Water Filter Pitcher

Water filter pitcher provides a larger quantity of filtered water. Many can meet NSF 42 and NSF 53. Some can meet NSF 401. You can find water filter pitchers with filter life ranging from 100 to 400 gallons.

The ZeroWater filter pitcher actually removes minerals and reduces the total dissolved solids to near 0 ppm. While the ZeroWater filter pitcher can remove nearly everything, the filter life is very short. It usually lasts for about 40 gallons max. This depends on the quality of the water being filtered.

Water filter pitchers come in different sizes. Make sure your pitcher can fit in your refrigerator if you want cold water.

Water Filter Dispenser

These dispensers are the big brother to the water filter pitcher. The only difference is they are too heavy to pick up and pour the water out, so they have a tap on the bottom of the container. They are a more convenient option for a family.

Faucet Water Filters

Faucet water filters fit on the end of a standard water faucet. You can’t use a faucet filter on a pull down faucet nozzles. These filters are usually rated for NSF 42 and NSF 53. They are easy to install and maintain. Faucet filters have a bypass lever to bypass the filter for washing dishes or hands. This prolongs the filter life.

Countertop Reverse Osmosis Filters

Reverse osmosis filters remove virtually everything from the water. For apartments, the countertop models feature a batch operation. You fill a tank with tap water and the reverse osmosis filter filters the contaminants and put the filtered water into another tank.

The reverse osmosis filter requires a considerable amount of countertop space and requires electricity to operate. There are multiple filters: activated carbon (can last up to a year), reverse osmosis filter (can last 2 to 5 years), and remineralization cartridge(only if you want to put beneficial minerals back in the water).

Countertop Distiller

Countertop distillers also create purified water in batches. They will require electricity to operate. The distillation process is very slow. Some distillers can distill a gallon of water in about four hours. They take up about as much space as a coffee maker.

Shower Filter/Bath Filter

A shower filter is a product that can improve your bathing experience. With a shower filter, you will remove chlorine, dirt, and other pollutants from your water supply. This can reduce dry skin and hair breakage, as well as eliminate the need for expensive salon treatments.

The shower filter fits on a standard shower pipe. They are easy to install and maintain and don’t alter the plumbing.

The bath filter hangs on the end of the bath faucet. They require no installation and are easy to maintain.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must change the filters on any water filtration device regularly. You can create a harmful situation if a filter gone beyond its recommended life.

Table of the Best Water Filter for Apartments

How to Choose the Best Water Filters for Your Needs

• Arm yourself with the CCR first.
• Determine what you want to remove from the water.
• Decide how much countertop space you want to use.
• Figure out how much filtered water you will use for drinking and cooking
• Choose a type
• Check initial cost
• Check ongoing cost
• Read reviews

Conclusion: The Benefits of Having the Right Water Purification System in Your Apartment

After reading this article, you should have a better understanding of the different types of water filters and their benefits.

The best water filter for an apartment is the one that will work in your space and meet all of your needs. We hope this article has been helpful in narrowing down some options for you!