What are the Advantages of an Under Sink Water Filter?

What are the Advantages of an Under Sink Water Filter?

Many people who are rightly concerned about the condition of their home drinking water are turning to a home water filter to supply them with safe, healthy water and are abandoning the expense and drudgery of buying dubious bottled water every week. But what other advantages does a home water filter offer and what is the best choice from the bewildering array of water filters on the market?

When it comes to choosing a home water filter the initial choice will be between a ‘point of entry system’  (POE) ie. a whole house water filter system that will filter all the or everywhere throughout the home, and a drinking water filter, a ‘point of use’ system or POU.

The POU filter systems may be countertop, gravity or under sink filtration units. Of these the kitchen under sink water filter UK systems are the most popular and for most people represent the best solution to obtaining safe, clean great tasting drinking water at an affordable price. Advantages ~

• Easy to fit   – only basic DIY skill needed
• Will remove a broad spectrum of impurities
• Are available with single or twin filter housings allowing a wide choice of filter cartridge types/combinations.
• Easy to service & change filters
• Economical to maintain
• Take up little space – no storage tank required
• Models available to suit all budgets

There are of course some issues that may be considered as disadvantages, namely the need to fit a dedicated single dispenser water filter tap with the regular systems, which will require drilling a hole through the worktop. There are however options…

Tap Choices

Many filters are supplied as kits which will include a standard single dispenser filter tap however with regular under sink filters there is the option of replacing the existing kitchen tap with a three way or Triflow tap which will supply the normal hot & cold water but has an extra independant channel for filtered water.

There is a wide choice of styles and prices available in these taps which offer an elegant and convenient alternative to drilling through the kitchen worktop. The other alternative is to use an inline filter which makes use of the existing kitchen tap.

Regular or Inline Filter System?

As previously mentioned, one significant advantage of an inline system is that they make use of your existing kitchen tap. Another is that all the cold water coming from your tap is purified, there is no separate filter supply giving a much higher flow rate so if for example you regularly wash fruit & veg under your tap it would be a great advantage to install an inline filter.

The down side to these are that the higher flow rate often requires more frequent filter changes so they will cost a little more to maintain.

The converse is true of a regular system where the water flow is suited more to just drinking water use where the filters cartridges will last for longer. Also with the regular undersink filters, there is a wider choice of twin housing systems.

Most inline filters tend to be single cartridge types although the excellent twin housing Osmio EZFIT-PRO 200 and 300 systems are notable exceptions.

Connection Types

Under sink water filters may be divided into Inline systems which fit directly into your kitchen feed water supply, and standard or regular under sink filters which take a feed off of the feed pipe by means of a ‘T’ joint or a self piercing saddle valve.

Of the two fitting methods for regular undersink systems, the slip T makes the best choice in terms of a quality job but requires a little more work to fit as it needs a section of pipe to first be removed however it’s then just a matter of pushing the ends in to the push fit connectors.

The self piercing saddle is simpler to fit and does not require the removal of any pipe, the initial turning of the tap causing the pipe to be pierced and water to flow into the filter piping. Both types enable the water to be turned off to allow easy servicing of the filter unit.

The inline filters which fit directly in to the existing pipework should always have a simple shut off valve installed to allow easy changing of the filter cartridges.

Some of the Best Under Sink Water Filters ~

Inline-

Osmio EZFITPRO-100 A simple but highly effective undersink filter which takes up very little space and uses 15mm push fit connectors for easy connection to your pipework.Uses a top of the range WRAS certified carbon block water filter, NSF certified water filter housing, and removes chlorine, bad taste & odour and many other impurities. Currently retails at a very affordable £55.95

Osmio EZFITPRO-300 One of our most popular under sink water filters and for good reason. A twin housing filter system incorporating the extremely effective Coldstream CF-108W cartridge which is along with removing chlorine, heavy metals such as lead, VOCs, pesticides and bacteria and cysts, also reduces fluoride. The second filter is the Watts 2.5 x 10 GAC/Phosphate & De-Alk which is effective against chlorine, taste and odour, heavy metals e.g. lead, and will also reduce hard water. Utilises easy connect 15mm push fittings.

Eco Maxi In-line Water Filter A great little filter which punches well above its weight. At only 10” x 2” this is a slim unobtrusive under sink water filter ideal where there is limited space. Able to produce up to 15 litres of fresh filtered water a minute. It uses Active ceramic spheres which are porous and absorptive, and filter effectively to 1 micron. The ceramics control and eliminate bacteria growth, removes and reduces chlorine and heavy metals, prevent build up of scale in pipework and appliances, and remineralise water with nutrients. Easily installed thanks to its simple 15mm push fittings. Good for 6-12 months depending on water conditions & usage and only £67.95.

Regular-

PurePro RS4000 Under Sink Water Filter The PurePro RS4000 under-sink water filter system incorporates a four stage ultra-filtration purification method with the addition of an alkalizing and ionization filter to condition the water to be even healthier. Employing ultra-filtration technology it effectively removes microorganisms like Giardia and Cryptosporidium from your water protecting you and your family from parasitic illnesses caused by these contaminants. Also removes chlorine, organic chemicals and a broad range of other impurities. Incorporates Quick Change Filter Technology for easy, fast cartridge changes.

FT -Line VE Water Filter System This is a neat, compact system which takes up very little space is therefore an ideal choice of inline filter for anyone seeking a high quality and reliable unit at home with easy maintenance and low running costs. It has the great advantage of also reducing limescale so protecting your kettle, iron & coffee maker from lime build up problems. Easily connected with simple ⅜”push fitting it utilises Two Ft filters with 5 μm polypropylene filtration and activated carbon with silico-polyphosphates which provide a high degree of filtration. Often used by restaurants and cafes on coffee machines due to its reliability and scale protection it is equally suitable for use as a home kitchen water filter.

Osmio INDRA-PRO 300 Undersink Filter Kit & Tap This is uses the same filter configuration as the EZFITPRO300 but comes as a complete kit including a quality single dispenser filter tap. Whereas the EZFITPRO-300 fits directly on to the 15mm supply pipe and filters all of the water coming through to your kitchen tap, the INDRA-300 is connected by means of pipe connector and 1/4″ filter hose and is used purely for the drinking water supply resulting in a longer period between filter replacements.

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This is just a small selection of the under sink water filters that Puriflow has to offer. All our under sink kitchen water filters have been selected with efficiency, reliability and cost effectiveness in mind and each of them will result in a great improvement in the healthiness and taste of your home drinking water with the added advantage of eliminating the need for expensive bottled water.

Purely on a cost basis it makes sense to install an undercounter water filter which will repay the modest investment many times over. To browse our entire range visit our Undercounter-Inline Water Filter page