With the increasing awareness about water contamination, it is the choice and duty of every health conscious citizen to install and use water filtration systems to protect the health of their families. There are a number of reputed brands producing the bets quality water filters which guarantee clean and safe drinking water at all times. They are coming up with newer and better models of filters which have made choosing the right water filter quite a task. 5 stage water filtration is also an advanced water filtration technique which has been devised and incorporated in filters to enhance the quality of water.
The first stage in 5 stage water filtration is a sediment filter which removes larger particles and dust. The second stage consists of a carbon block to remove chlorine, cloudiness and colors. The third stage is again a carbon block which removes every trace of residual chlorine and unpleasant smells. The fourth stage consists of a reverse osmosis membrane wherein water is forced through a semi permeable membrane which allows only pure water to pass through. The final stage may be a carbon post filter to remove every possible residual smell or flavor or may be a flavor enhancing bed of minerals.
All these components may vary in the order of placement in a filter but the combination is generally the same. Some filters may come with an ion exchange resin which removes heavy metals from water or acts as a water softener. These systems are generally publicized as 5 stage reverse osmosis filtration systems because the reverse osmosis stage is the main filtration stage accompanied by other media.
The 5 stage water filtration combines reverse osmosis, activated carbon block absorption and conventional filtration. This combination proves to be very effective in removing almost all contaminants from water. The contaminants may be heavy metals like barium, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, iron and nickel, chemicals like chlorine, asbestos, nitrates, phosphates, bicarbonates and benzene and microscopic organisms like cysts, cryptosporidium and giardia.
The carbon filters need to be replaced every six months and the membrane can last fro three to four years, as specified by the manufacturer. These water purifiers are available in counter top as well under sink versions to facilitate installation according to the necessity of the user. They may also come with storage tanks wherein the filtered water is stored. The filters are designed to shut off automatically when the tank is filled.
The cost of installing and using a 5 stage water filtration system can actually be calculated to a few pennies a gallon, even after adding the cost of replacing the carbon filters twice a year. It is also much more convenient than lugging water from stores to home. Hence it saves your time, money and energy spent on bottled water. The under sink models come with long reach faucets and the other appliance needed for installing the filter are also generally a part of the entire package.
They come with reliable warranties and can be found online on a number of sites for easy comparison before actually buying one. There are some add-ons like mineral filter, de-ionization filter or PH adjustment filters that can be combined with these filters to further enhance the quality and taste of water.