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Different Types Of Water Cooler Filters – Which One’s The Best?
Every water cooler uses a specific type of filter. These filters eliminate the chemicals, toxins and contaminants from your drinking water. They are working behind the scenes, their magnificence usually contained in a small, cylinder-like tube. It may not look like much, but there’s usually a complex chemical exchange going on inside these filters.
What filters do is pull in contaminated water, strip away harmful toxins, and release only purified water. Depending on the effectiveness of the filter, and for which purpose it was designed, it may not remove all contaminants. Some filters are designed to target a specific chemical, like chlorine. Others are made specifically to neutralize odor and taste. The heavy-duty ones focus on inorganic compounds, like nitrate and fluoride, which are the hardest to process.
Whichever system your water filter uses, it’s helpful to understand what it’s neutralizing; the chemicals behind the process and how the filter uses their own to combat them. Bacteria is rampant in water and you want to make sure your filter is strong enough to kill off the biggest threats. Here are the most trusted types of water cooler filters:
Activated Carbon Filter
By far the most common, and the most used, but not necessarily the most effective. In fact, carbon filters are one of the few filters with so much wiggle room in their performance. Depending on the brand, they can range from very potent to semi-worthless. Carbon filters are not made with the strength to eliminate pollutants like nitrate and phosphate, but they can be extremely efficient in removing common contaminants, such as asbestos, lead and mercury. Other carbon filters just enhance taste and odor of water, without thoroughly purifying it. It’s a good idea to ask questions and research the brand when going with a carbon filter.
Ceramic Filter
A ceramic filter is not very effective, nor is it known for it’s effectiveness. It blocks out the visible bacteria- any dirt, debris or other solid sediments. Ceramic filters use small holes to filter water. There is no chemical process behind these filters. It is a filter in it’s truest sense. So they do not remove any chemical contaminants.
Deionization Filter
This process focuses on electrically charged molecules (ions) in your water. “Deionization” is actually a fascinating process of molecular exchange; the filter essentially balances and neutralizes the electrical charge of the ions coming in and going out. It is extremely effective and precise in removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs), like acetone, benzene and formaldehyde. But deionization fails in any removal of .. things that are not ions. This filter does not pick up on microorganisms.
Reverse Osmosis Filter
By far the most sought-after filter of today, reverse osmosis (RO) filters do an impeccable job of clearing out the heavier contaminants of fluoride, nitrates, arsenic.. but they miss the simpler contaminants of chlorine and VOCs, which carbon filters actually excel in. So many companies design RO water coolers with an activated carbon component. RO filters are all the rage, but they also use 3 – 20 times more water than they produce. It is recommended they only be used for drinking water, because that is a huge amount of wasted water.
There are several other types of water cooler filters, but these systems really stand out in today’s filter technology field. If you haven’t looked into water filtration, we say it’s high time you add “water purity” to the top of your priorities. Contaminants flourish in water, and there are many different types; some more dangerous than others, and some places are more prone to specific bacteria. Depending on where you use your water, and how many people are drinking from it, it’s a good idea to speak with a professional and look into an appropriate filtration system.
If you’d like more information on water filters, or are looking to install a water cooler in your store or office, call one of our representatives today. We can walk you through our different types of filters, and help you select the best one for your needs.
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