The activated carbon also takes out some organic pollutants such as chloroform and trichloroethylene, but the majority of jug filters are not really designed for this task. They contain a relatively small amount of activated carbon and cannot remove all organic contaminants. In fact, most of the manufacturers do not claim that they can, but many people who buy these filters have an exaggerated idea of their abilities.
For people whose main problem is sensitivity to chlorine, and who cannot afford a plumbed-in filter, a jug filter would be a good choice.
Most jug filters contain silver to prevent bacterial growth, but even if silver is present it is important not to leave water standing in the jug for more than a day, as there can be a build-up of bacteria. These are not usually harmful species, but it is wise to be careful. The top part of the jug should be cleaned out once a week. Jug filters without silver cannot be recommended. To discover if the filters do contain silver, you will probably have to write to the manufacturer.
In areas with hard water, the filter may not last as long as the manufacturer claims. However, the activated carbon element should go on working after the ion-exchange resin is saturated with calcium carbonate. So you should continue to get chlorine removal, even if the kettle furs up slightly.
Plumbed-in filters using activated carbon are intended to remove much more from the water than jug filters. They contain far more carbon, and it is generally of a higher quality. Most of these filters do not contain ion-exchange resins, so they do not remove hardness from the water, nor do they take out
metals such as lead. But for anyone whose main problem is chemical sensitivity, they are a good choice. (Lead is only really a problem in areas with soft water.)
A high quality filter of this type will cost between £100 and £200, but the filter should last for several years. The actual running costs work out at between 3 pence and 5 pence per gallon, quite a lot cheaper than the jug filters. (Reverse osmosis units usually cost £300 or more. Once this outlay has been made, the running cost, in terms of replacing filters and membranes, is about 3 or 4 pence per gallon).
*419\180\8*
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.
You must be logged in to post a comment.