Three developments have fueled the desire for more convenient home water treatment devices. First, an awareness about dangerous cancer-causing chemicals showing up in our water has grown rapidly over the last several years. So much so that it’s very common for people not to trust unfiltered drinking fountains at parks, schools and other public places. Second, the modern family’s life has become busier and busier and the desire for healthy filtered water on the go continues to expand. Lastly, technology keeps making filtration devices cheaper, more effective and more convenient.
Water Filters can be found on counter tops; installed under sinks; placed inside the lid of a water bottle; part of a water pitcher and fitted to a refrigerator water filter. Two of the most convenient and popular water filter types are pitchers, like those made by Brita, and refrigerator water filters. There are 3 very big differences that you should consider before choosing between a water filter pitcher and a fridge water filter.
Convenience
There is no doubt that grabbing a pitcher or using the refrigerator’s water and ice dispenser are extremely convenient ways to provide cold filtered water for your family, especially if you have kids. But when you look closer at both methods, one is a clear winner for ease and maintenance.
While you can go to the fridge and quickly grab a Brita pitcher, they hold relatively little water and need to be refilled often. This requires taking the container over to the sink and letting the top portion fill up with water. After waiting for the water to slowly pass through the filter, you need to repeat the step several times until the pitcher is full. Unfortunately, it becomes easier and easier for family members to avoid this mundane task. If you have young ones and the responsibility of refilling the container falls on them, the situation is even more ripe for neglect. For adults and children, a refrigerator filtration system is an ideal appliance because the automatic water dispenser gives you a convenient way get healthy water without having to deal berkey vs alexapure with the upkeep of a water filter pitcher.
Performance
Both the Brita pitchers and in-line refrigerator water filters by Aquasana use GAC (Granular Activated Carbon). GAC is recognized by the EPA as the best available technology for removing organic chemicals like chlorine. Yet, the fridge filter contains a great deal more of the carbon media and is therefore more effective and able to last longer.
Brita does offer a 2-stage faucet filter. Before water reaches the GAC, it first passes through a non-woven screen that blocks sediment. However, the non-woven screen also has the drawback of being very small and less effective than larger filter systems.
