Water filters. Whole house? Shower head?

[Don Wiss]

I find water filtering to be awfully complex. I don't want to drink fluoride or chlorine.

For drinking water I'm now drinking Mountain Spring in the clear plastic jugs. I'm happy with this. When I renovate my kitchen I could put in reverse osmosis, but then I'd be taking out the calcium and magnesium. Living alone, bottled water isn't all that expensive.

But what about showering? I like to get rid of the chlorine there. Then what else shouldn't be in my shower water?

Coming from the mercola.com web site it sends you to

where they give you a free water check up. It basically has a database of the water reports that each water system must file. With commentary added by someone, either Mercola or AquaMD. It does not list chlorine or fluoride levels. Not surprising, as the water authorities add it and think they are beneficial. I added the red color for ones out of range. Here's what it has for me: But what gets confusing is just what filters remove what? The water pressure in the fourth floor shower isn't all that strong. Do shower head filters only remove chlorine? The whole house filters presumably remove much more. But do they remove things that I'd like removed? Such as what is red on my report?

Thanks, Don

[Joseph Meehan]

Personally I would like to get the chlorine out before I drink the water, but then chlorine has keep many of us alive who would be dead long ago with it. The amount in water by the time it reaches you home is very very low and has been shown to be quite safe. In fact it makes most filters safer since it help kill the stuff that grows in the filters if someone does not change them often enough. It also is not easy to get out using filters (so I understand)

Fluoride in the quantities it has been added to water systems has been found to be beneficial and is a naturally occurring in many water supplies. Not to mention it reduces tooth decay.

If I still have your attention, congratulations. The above aside, it should be your choice.

I might suggest you may want to re-consider that bottled water. It has been found that those plastic containers add some far more harmful contaminates to the water than the ones you are worried about. Not enough to kill you and unless you leave the water sitting in the jugs for extended times they should not hurt you, but I would rather not have it.

All filtering systems have their good and bad points. I would never ever trust the web site run by or paid for anyone who would benefit from the sale of the product. You are right to be confused, after all they don't want to inform you they want to sell you.

I suggest taking a look at the most non-commercial test you can find. Consumer Reports magazine is a good source, at least it is if you read the whole thing to understand how they do the ratings. Too many people only want to read the final results and then don't understand what they mean.

Good Luck

[mark Ransley]

Scrap the bottled, a good undersink will do just as good or better . For a shower, well those are small , and probably have a short life. House hold , are usualy sediment filters, although my small GE says it removes chlorene. R.O. waiste water, and remove important minerals, They are overkill for most.

[Don Wiss]

Depends on the type of plastic. As I noted I buy my water in the clear plastic jugs. Those are PET plastic. The water in the cloudy softer HDPE plastic are the ones where the chemicals leech into the water.

Don .

[Gary Slusser]

"Don Wiss" wrote

You have some serious problems with that water based on the limited analysis. It isn't all that good in just about all areas shown. The 6 pH should be in red too. Along with all the things a pH that low can do and then add to the water.

You need POE treatment rather than just certain things related to the shower and the things mentioned in the drinking part of the subject.

The acidity has to be buffered or it will eat copper and leach lead out of lead based solder and brass fixtures/fittings. Pinhole leaks in copper tubing is a huge problem and although acidity isn't not the only cause, it is the primary cause in the majority of cases. Your water is extremely hard and high in TDS so I really question the validity of the pH result. Nitrate is very high although 10 ppm is allowed, it is a carcinogen and causes serious health problems in a fetus and infants while pregnant women should not be using water with that level of nitrate in it.

I suggest you get in touch with a water treatment dealer. The proper RO would greatly reduce/remove those parameters that RO and distillation are used for. The rest needs other types of treatment.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Joseph Meehan]

Gary and I often have different opinions. However in this case I have to totally agree. This sounds like someone who should have a professional help him address the complex issues of water quality.

[Don Wiss]

But RO and distillation are not options for POE. And getting in touch with a water treatment dealer isn't going to get me unbiased opinions. They are going to push what they sell.

Don .

[Gary Slusser]

You also have biases and they along with your problem water are at odds, but what do you base that opinion on?

I'm an independent dealer and like most others, I would first tell you what type of equipment you could use for the jobs your water calls for. Then I'd tell you what I think you should use based on the overall picture of your application and installation needs. Then I'd give you the price of maybe as many as three different ways to treat your water quality problems and have you ask questions and go shop around. You don't know it but the vast majority of those folks that don't 'buy' then, come back and 'buy' from me after talking to usually, national brand name franchisee type dealers' sales force personnel. :)

Should I tell you that there is RO for POE applications? Certainly you don't think my telling you that when I sell them, changes the accuracy of my statement somehow. But I didn't mean POE RO or distillation, I meant the absolutely needed pretreatment needs for either. If you want a quote, email works.

Gary Quality Water Associates

[Gary Slusser]

"Joseph Meehan" wrote

professional

magnesium.

surprising,

distillation

Well thanks Joe. I've decided to let you slide on your other post above. There's too many points I'd need to deal with to straighten you out but.... this one is right on. I've been doing just what you suggest for

15 years and successfully treat water much worse than his. When it comes to real 'problem water', if it's made, I have it available from the world's largest manufacturers.

Gary Quality Water Associates