Making the Right Choice of Water Filter Tap

Choosing A Water Filter Tap – What are the Options?

If you are installing an undercounter water filter you will need to consider what sort of water filter tap to use for the filtered water, the options available will depend to some extent on the type of filter you are fitting and the available budget. It is important to make the correct choice for you situation

There are three possibilities:

Use Your Existing Kitchen Tap

The first and simplest is just to continue with your existing kitchen tap. This is possible when an inline water filter is to be installed which fits directly on to your 15mm mains water pipe. These filter are some of the easiest to fit and normally come with push fit connectors. All you need to do is remove a small section of water pipe and push the two ends in to the filter ports. That’s it!

The advantage of this type of kitchen water filter is that all the cold supply through the tap is filtered making it a great choice if, in addition to wanting safe, clean drinking water, you might also want to wash veg etc in filtered water. The high flow rate make them a great choice for a busy kitchen where the sink is in use a great deal. They also have the advantage of saving money on an additional tap.

The EZFITPRO series of undersink filters such as the EZFITPRO-300 are an excellent representation of this type of filter and are available as double or single cartridge systems which will efficiently remove a wide range of impurities. The only small disadvantage is that their higher flow rate means that more frequent filter changes are needed, though they are generally inexpensive.

Single Dispenser Filter Taps

These types of taps are the ones most commonly associated with having an undercounter filter. They are frequently supplied as part of a standard water filter kit and are available in a number of models. Those that are included with filters supplied by Puriflow are of a high quality and will give many years of dependable service, however you should be aware that there are many cheap far eastern imitations on the market often supplied with cheap filters which soon result in problems.

The single dispenser filter taps are situated close to the kitchen sink and require a hole (normally ½”) to be drilled through the kitchen worktop and they can be supplied with connectors for ¼” or ⅜” filter pipe.

These taps are very affordable, simple to fit and easy to use, which may be an advantage for children, the elderly or disabled persons.

The disadvantages of this type of water filter tap are that the extra tap can take up needed space and that there are many situations where it is undesirable to drill an extra hole through the worktop, for example drilling a hole through a granite worktop may require a specialist.

3 Way or Triflow Kitchen Filter Taps

The 3 way Triflow water filter taps are increasingly becoming the tap of choice for those installing a new filter system. Replacing the existing kitchen tap they supply hot, cold and filtered water, with the filtered water running through a seperate channel in the tap to prevent it mixing with the unfiltered water.

There is a wide choice of elegantly designed styles both modern & traditional which will enhance the appearance of the kitchen whilst adding the convenience and practicality of a single tap. These taps are heavily constructed, of a high quality and will give many years of dependable service, backed by a 5 year guarantee on valves and 1 year on the finish.

Depending on the model these taps may have 3 levers (one for each of the cold, hot and filtered/hard water) or 2 levers (one is a hot/cold mixer and the other is for the filtered/hard water)

If considering a triflow tap it is important to choose one compatible with your water pressure. Many of the 3 way taps have a recommended minimum incoming supply pressure of 1 bar (14.5 psi) and maybe unsuitable for some gravity fed tank systems so it would be as well to get the pressure checked before ordering.

The 3 way taps available from Puriflow include the Franke Filterflow range, renown for their superb quality and a wide selection of other high quality three way taps suitable for all styles of kitchens.

The only constraint on choosing a triflow water filter tap may be the initial cost which would be an additional financial outlay to the purchase of the filter system, though they certainly make sense in the long run.