Both are known as point of use (POU). This type of water filtration system can filter water from your household pipes that may be rusted or leaching chemicals. Under the counter or counter top filtration device in your kitchen can provide additional drinking water protection even if you already have a whole house water filtration system (POE-point of entry).
Table of Contents
- Advantages Under Counter Water Filtration System
- Things to Consider
- Advantages of Countertop Water Filtration System
- Disadvantages
- The Use of UV Light
- NSF Certifications
Advantages Under Counter Water Filtration System
One obvious advantage of a under counter filtration is that it is a space saver. If your house or apartment is equipped with a small kitchen and you don’t have much counter top space this is a life saver.
Having more counter space leaves more room for food preparation, countertop appliances and other items. There’s nothing worse than not having enough counter space for food preparation. If you’re the clumsily type which many of us are sometimes things just go overboard and then you spend just as much time cleaning up as preparing a meal.
Another advantage is out of sight out of mind. You may not necessarily want to see the hardware but knowing it’s there and working is enough.
- Getting filtered water is convenient
- Filter changes are simple and typically tend to be 6-12 months or longer depending on usage and device.
- Less expensive than whole house filtration systems
- Some merchants provide free installation
Depending on the unit it may have the ability to reduce contaminants such as:
- Radiation
- Chemicals
- Fluoride
- Chlorine
- Hormones
- PFOS and PFOA’s
- Heavy metals
- Nano-Plastics
- Sand
- Rust
- Bacteria
- Mold
- Viruses
- Parasites
Things to Consider
- Amount of water wasted per filter lifetime
- If you’re not handy with tools and manual instructions, then you may need professional installation.
- What level of water filtration do you need
- What type of water flow rate will you get for your house size, number of people and water pressure?
You can purchase a water pressure gauge from your local hardware. Normal PSI is about 45-80. Low PSI is about 20-30. If you are unsure about how to proceed, speak with the dealer about your specifics so they can help you address any issue you feel you might have.
Advantages of Countertop Water Filtration System
Countertop water filtration systems tend to be the easiest to install. Some models connect to your kitchen water faucet. Tools if needed are minimal.
Once connected filtered water is pretty much instantaneous. Depending on the model there may be a no filter option.
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Other countertop water filtering systems are just that they fit on the counter and do not connect to the water faucet and are plug n play. They contain a area for the filter and a separate area for the water reservoir. Better than water pitcher type filtration because the filter doesn’t remain submerged in the water. But instead water briefly passes through the filter and into your cup.
Your biggest job is to change the filter according to the manufacture guidelines.
Today countertop filtration has greatly improved from that of the past, with the ability to quickly reduce a much broader range of contaminants in larger quantities. How much filtration you get largely depends on how much filtration you want and your ability to pay for some of the more advanced technology.
More affordable when compared to the cost of installing a whole house water filtration system.
- Save you money
- Save you space, time and energy of hauling gallons of water home
Some countertop models give you the option for hot, cold and ambient (water temperature as it comes from the source and sometimes referred to as room temperature)
Reverse Osmosis with a remineralize feature so needed minerals are not lost during the reverse osmosis process.
Units with a self flushing feature help machines keep their internal parts clean.
Disadvantages
Capacity is limited if it has a self-contained reservoir vs. a faucet connection.
Some units have connection hoses.
The Use of UV Light
Another option is countertop models that make use of uv (ultraviolet light) to disinfect water removing parasites, viruses and bacteria.
NSF Certifications
Make sure that the water filter has been certified by NSF (National Sanitation Foundation)not to be confused with the National Science foundation. The NSF https://www.nsf.org/ certification confirms that standards have been met. It’s laboratories are capable of doing testing for many different industries to confirm that their products have met those standards. The certification helps to assure the consumer that the product has been tested to meet safety standards and meets the manufacture’s claims. NSF has a water treatment and filtration division that is the benchmark. https://www.nsf.org/water-systems/water-treatment-filtration-systems
Its certifications affect many industries food, water, medical devices, transportation, personal care and many more.
You can search for certified products here: https://www.nsf.org/certified-products-systems
Reputable companies often provide laboratory testing results on their website in a pdf file format.
There are 3 central water treatment certification organizations/bodies.
- WQA(The Water Quality Association)
- The National Science Foundation (NSF)
- IAPMO(International Association of Plumbing and Manufacturing Officials)