Home water filters are easy - just attach to your faucet and use. A home water purifier system is significantly more complicated, but in the end the improved water quality is worth it. While you'll need to include professional installation into the cost and give up some of your under-counter space to it, a good home water purifier system will deliver bottled-quality water to your faucet, giving you quality you're willing to pay for at a fraction of your normal cost. If you use a lot of bottled water and have the space to include it, you should consider installing a home water purifier system.

When considering home water purifiers, you'll want to learn about their filter systems. Do you need to change filters frequently? This is an issue for some filter types, and it's important not just because of cost but because of the convenience factor. If you neglect to change your filter frequently enough, the water you drink just before filter changes could be more contaminated than unfiltered water. If you're the sort who will put off such tasks, you should probably invest in a system that does not require changes.

Home water purification systems also vary widely in the types of contaminants they remove. Not every system will remove the contaminants you need to eliminate. Before you invest in one, make sure it removes the things you need to get rid of. One system, the reverse osmosis system, will remove almost every contaminant you may be concerned about, but it takes up a lot of room and may not be appropriate for every location in your home.

Cost is an important issue when considering a home water purifier. The least expensive home water purification system is the sort that attaches directly to your faucet, using activated carbon to filter out impurities, but you can go as far as getting an industrial-grade UV system, which destroys every known living contaminant in water more effectively than chlorine ever could, for a little over a thousand dollars. Most home water purification systems are in the two hundred dollar range, but for some, installation may take a professional and therefore cost you a little more. With cost, however, you should also look at how the filter you're choosing works. Some will provide you with all the drinking water you need and more, at bottled-water quality; if you're a big bottled-water drinker, this can save you more than the cost of installation. For those who have hard water and overchlorinated municipal water, a shower water filter can save you a fortune by helping your quality shampoos and body soaps work more effectively.

You'll find four basic types of home water purification systems. Reverse osmosis systems are best for most needs, and keep purified water in a tank beneath your sink after contaminants have been filtered out with an osmotic membrane; they often include a UV purifier and an activated carbon filter as well. UV systems eliminate biological contaminants, making them perfect if you depend on "country" water instead of a municipal supply. Activated carbon filters are cheaper, but remove a limited number of contaminants and need fairly frequent changes. Finally, a KDF-55 filter acts in your showerhead to remove those contaminants, soften water, and eliminate chlorine. Understanding the differences between these different filter types will enable you to make an intelligent choice about which is right for you.