3 Tips for Picking the Perfect Sink Filter

November 14, 2018 1 Comment

Regardless of whether or not your sink filter sits atop your counter or is installed underneath your kitchen sink, it will function the same way. Water, as it travel to the unit, will first pass through your sediment/microbial reduction filter. This is ALWAYS the first filter the water hits. The reason being it’s important to remove any sediment (dirt, sand, miniscule debris, etc.) from your water before it travels through to the second or third filters as it will protect the other reduction cartridges from clogging prematurely. In addition to sediment removal, the first filter will remove microbial impurities like bacteria, parasites, cysts, and viruses.

After the water leaves the first filter and heads to the second, depending on your set up it will either head to the chemical reduction filter or the fluoride reduction filter. For TWIN units (2 filters) the next filter will be the Aquaspace Cartridge which serves to reduce chemicals an other organic and inorganic compounds. This filter will remove: Lead, Chlorine, Taste & Odor, Herbicides & Pesticides, Industrial Solvents, Pharmaceuticals, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), Trihalomethanes (THMs), and other gases like Radon.

For TRIPLE units (3 filters), the second cartridge will most likely be your Fluoride and Heavy Metal Reduction Cartridge. This filter will reduce municipal fluoride to safe, undetectable levels, as well as reduce other heavy metals like Arsenic, Mercury, Chromium Six, Bismuth, and Antimony. This filter is only available in our TRIPLE sink units. The Fluoride & Heavy Metal Cartridge may be substituted for a different reduction cartridge depending on your water quality and specific contaminants you may have in your water. See number 3 below.

If you have a TRIPLE unit the water will exit the Fluoride Cartridge (second) and enter the Aquaspace Cartridge (third) last. After the water travels through each of the 2 or 3 filters and is completely filtered it will head towards the exit. Whether this is a stand alone faucet or diverter valve connected to existing faucet is based on your set up, and whether you have a countertop or under-the-sink filter.

Check out our Countertop vs. Under-the-Sink blog post

3 questions to figure out which filter is perfect for you:

1. Do you need fluoride or heavy metal reduction?

You’re probably well aware of the adverse health effects of consuming too much fluoride. And with 65% of America’s municipal water being fluoridated, chances are you have fluoride in your water. 

If you are one of the many Americans with fluoride in your water and looking to reduce the amount to safe undetectable levels, you are going to want to opt for one of our TRIPLE Sink filters. The TRIPLE is the only way to get fluoride reduction in a sink unit. If you have well water, maybe you don’t have to worry about fluoride, but instead are concerned about other heavy metals like arsenic, mercury, or chromium six in your water. The TRIPLE unit is the way to go because the fluoride cartridge also reduces heavy metals.

If you don’t have fluoride in your water, or aren’t concerned about other heavy metals, the TWIN unit may be best for you. The TWIN is a great option for sink filters and a cheaper option for those looking solely to get microbiologically safe and chemical-free water. 

2. Do you want to add magnets to improve your water?

Yes, that’s right. Magnets! Each sink unit whether it’s a countertop or under-the-sink, TWIN or TRIPLE, has the option to add magnets on to the housing of the unit. The housing is what we call the container in which the filters go inside.

Magnets have a very interesting effect on water and serve to “decluster” the water molecules. For more information on how it works check out this tech page here, or read our about our experiment on magnets here.

When water travels through a magnetic field, the bonding angle of the hydrogen and oxygen is affected. The angle changes from 104 degrees to 103 degrees. This small change effects how many H2O molecules group together in one single “cluster.” H2O normally groups together in clusters of 10-12 molecules, but when the bonding angle is effected it causes the H2O molecules to group together in smaller clusters of 5-6 molecules, effectively “declustering” the water.

So why are smaller clusters better? For this answer I’ll turn to Jon Barron internationally renowned health expert:

“The smaller the clusters, the more bio-available the water is -- the more easily it is able to pass through cell walls, to transport nutrients and remove waste, to facilitate all of the communications systems in your body, and to pass through your body as a whole. The larger the clusters, the more inefficient water is at performing these same functions... What holds water molecules together in clusters is surface tension. Magnetizing your drinking water breaks its surface tension, making it wetter and more useable by every cell in your body.”

So what does this mean in practical terms? Using magnets can have several benefits on your water:

• It will hydrate you quicker and with less water
• It can enhance performance in daily activities or physical exercises
• It makes the water wetter, noticeably improving the feel of the water
• It makes suds “sudsier,” when using declustered water (water with reduced surface tension) to wash your hands or clean dishes
• Simply make the water more efficient for your body.

3. Do you need a specialty cartridge?

Everyone’s water quality is different. If we’ve learned anything from being in the filtration business after 35 years its this. That’s why we do make a variety of reduction cartridges for specific contaminant removal. We have our recommended filters, that will be good for about 99% of America, but there are some people that have a specific contaminant that is in their water that they need removed. Whether it’s an issue at their municipal treatment facility, the geology of their local well that has a particular substance in it, or the manufacturing/ agricultural industries polluting the environment around their sources of water, a customizable filter is always a possibility.

Here are a few examples of cartridges available designed to tackle a specific water quality issue:

• Acid Neutralizer- for acidic water (below 7 pH)
• Acid Increasing- for naturally alkaline water (above 7 pH)
• Arsenic Reduction
• Iron & Manganese Reduction
• Nitrate Reduction
• Phosphate Reduction
• Radionuclide Reduction
• Sodium Reduction
• Uranium reduction
• Water Softening

 Any of these filters can be substituted for the Fluoride & Heavy Metal Reduction Cartridge. Depending on your water quality, and especially if you have well water, it’s important to test your water to know which if any contaminant you might have in your water. As always you can send your test results in to us and we can give you a free consultation to help you decide the best course of action for alleviating any water quality problems.

So which is the best of the best?

The two sink units that we recommend the most and which will give you as close to perfect water as perfect can be is our AQUARIUS TRIPLE ™ with Aquatomic® Magnets. This unit is available both Under-the-Sink (Model: AQ-135F/AT) and as a Countertop (Model: AQ-435/AT). This unit incorporates:

• Microbial Ceramic Cartridge- bacteria, parasites, and cysts
• Fluoride & Heavy Metal Cartridge- fluoride, arsenic, mercury, chromium six, etc.
• Aquaspace Cartridge- chemicals
• AQUATOMIC Hydrating Magnets- improves bioavailability, increases hydration

Regardless of which option you decide on, I hope this serves as a great guide for making the right decision for you and your family.

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