Two Popular Drinking Water Filters You Should Think Twice About

When you compare the prices of drinking water filters, it's easy to become confused. You might think that a drinking water filter that costs more does a better job, but that's not always the case. We looked at 10 of the top rated drinking water filters and found they ranged from $34.95 to $420.00 -- quite a broad price range! So, what are the differences that make one drinking water filter cost so much more than another?

One issue is mark-up. You may know that resellers buy a product from a factory and then "mark up" the price in order to make a profit. Resellers are companies that do not manufacture anything. They simply go around the world looking for products that they can buy for a relatively low price and sell for more. Drinking water filters are just like any other product in this regard.

So, if you can buy a drinking water filter (or any other product for that matter) directly from the factory, you will save money. Sometimes the amount that you save is enough to buy two or three for the same price. It all depends on how much the reseller marks up the product. If you do some research, you soon learn that most manufacturers of drinking water filters charge about the same price or at least in the same ball park. The average price is around $140.00 for a counter top system.

But what about those really low priced models? The names that we hear the most, those that are most highly advertised, are Brita and PUR. So, let's take a closer look a

them to see whether they really deliver.

A Brita drinking water filter for the faucet retails for about $34. It removes chlorine, but not chlorine by-products known as THMs. To me it seems quite illogical to block one, but not the other. Chlorine and THMs have both been linked to cancer. In women with breast cancer, the level of THMs in their fat cells is much higher than what is found in the fat cells of women without breast cancer. Experts believe that chlorine is responsible for several hundred new cases of rectal cancer every day.

There are some other impurities that a Brita drinking water filter cannot block. These include VOCs (chemicals found paint thinners, dry cleaning solvents and gasoline) and MTBE, a gasoline additive. All of these substances have been found in public reservoirs and cannot be removed by treatment facilities. Even though the government has created what they consider safe limits for their presence, many scientists agree that exposure to even low levels over long periods of time increase the incidence of heart disease and cancer.

PUR drinking water filters remove even less impurities than Brita. Many people may buy PUR drinking water filters to improve taste and reduce odor. Unfortunately, a large percentage of them are completely unaware about the dangerous chemical contaminants that are not filtered by the PUR filters they buy. They also don't realize that, while it's very easy to filter chlorine, it's not so easy to remove THMs. These filters also do not block pesticides and herbicides that are commonly used throughout the United States. Anything that is used in the environment eventually ends up in the reservoir and finally makes it in to your home. The right drinking water filter can and should remove all of these chemicals.

The best drinking water filters are reasonably priced and block everything thrown at them. Spend some time looking for the right one and be sure to do all the research. Feel free to check out my website below for more information. You'll be surprised to learn that the ones that are promoted most highly aren't necessarily the best.

Rich Eng serves as the leader of a high growth healthcare services business for a Fortune 500 company. A 20 year industry veteran and "holistic health and fitness" coach, he constantly researches better ways to improve one's mind, body and spirit.

Visit his site at http://www.clean-filtered-water.com to learn more about the drinking water filters he personally uses and why he chose this product after extensive research.