The Home Water Filter Decision Guide

PDF · 13 pages · no email, no signup · brand-neutral · no affiliate links inside

What's inside

Chapters 1–4 build on each other. Chapters 5–6 are the ones you'll come back to every time you compare a product.

• 1
  Start with your water, not the productThe two free sources that tell you what's actually in your tap — and the five problems most filters are bought to solve.
• 2
  The six system types, honestlyPitcher, faucet, under-sink carbon, reverse osmosis, whole-house, UV: what each one does, doesn't, and where its money goes.
• 3
  Match the problem to the systemOne table. Sensible first choice versus "usually overkill" for each problem.
• 4
  Certifications that actually mean somethingNSF/ANSI 42, 53, 58, 55 and 401 in plain language, and how to verify a claim against the certifier's own listing.
• 5
  The true cost of ownershipThe cost-per-litre method, a four-system worked comparison, and the four ways running costs get hidden.
• 6
  The buying checklistSix questions to answer before you pay, plus installation and maintenance basics.
• 7
  Mistakes and sales tactics to ignoreBuying for fear, trusting a percentage with no standard behind it, comparing on sticker price — and a one-page quick reference.

Your true cost in 30 seconds

Sticker price is the smallest part of what a filter costs. Enter any system's numbers (any currency) and see what it really costs per litre — the same method the guide teaches. Defaults show the guide's under-sink reverse-osmosis example.

The result is a comparison scale, not a verdict: a pitcher can be cheapest per litre because it is doing the least. The guide's chapter 5 explains how to weigh the number against what each system actually delivers.