Ultraviolet Water Filters are a new development in water filtration. Instead of filtering harmful substances out of the water, they use ultraviolet light in order to render bacteria and viruses in the water inert and harmless by altering their DNA so they cannot reproduce. While they don’t filter out minerals or chlorine, the ultraviolet bulbs need only be changed around once a year.

Ultraviolet Water Filters Totally Safe

Ultraviolet light will effectively render all living organisms in the water harmless – the high intensity of the light penetrates into the nuclei of the cells of the organisms and essentially scrambles their DNA. Without viable DNA, the organisms are unable to reproduce and will be made harmless to you. In addition to bacteria and viruses, ultraviolet light affects many organisms that are difficult for conventional water filters to filter out, such as giardia and cryptosporidium. By using Ultraviolet Water Filters, you can be sure that your water is totally safe for you to drink, without any possible contaminant organisms that could infect you and make you ill.

Disadvantages of Ultraviolet Water Filters

Although ultraviolet light makes water filter safe to drink, it might not make it palatable to drink. Mineral deposits, chlorine, and a host of other contaminants are not affected by ultraviolet light, and can cause water to have an unappealing taste. This affects not only the taste of the water when you drink it, but also the taste when you cook with it. Additionally, mineral deposits in the water can prevent the ultraviolet light water filter from functioning properly. The minerals can protect microbes from the UV light by essentially casting a shadow onto them. If you have hard water, it’s best to get a whole house sediment filter for your water supply to pre-treat the water before it is exposed to the ultraviolet water filter.

Ultraviolet Water Filters Maintenance

Maintaining Ultraviolet Water Filters is easier than maintaining most filters; with charcoal water filters or sediment water filters, you will need to replace the filters monthly or they lose their effectiveness. With Ultraviolet Water Filters, the only maintenance you need to do is to change the UV bulb once a year. After a period of a year, the amount of ultraviolet light the bulb can produce diminishes and it can no longer be considered reliable for decontaminating water. You also need to clean the outside of the sleeve that houses the bulb occasionally as well since dust can build up and reduce the effectiveness of the UV light.

Buying Ultraviolet Water Filters

You won’t be able to find ultraviolet water filters at the grocery store, even though they may sell other types of water filters. Since ultraviolet filters are whole house filters, you’re more likely to be able to find them at home improvement stores. If you are unable to find an ultraviolet water filter in a retail store, consider looking online to purchase one. There are also a wide variety of Ultraviolet Water Filters available online; you can easily compare models and read customer reviews of the filters in order to find the one that best fits all your household needs.