Table of ContentsIntroductionShower Filter OverviewWhat Is a Shower Filter?Are There Solutions Besides Shower Filters?With Filter vs. Without FilterThe Benefits of Having a Filter on Your ShowerAll About Shower FiltersShower Filter FactsDifferent Stages of Shower FiltersShower Filter GuideHow to Install a Shower FilterTips on Maintaining Your Shower FilterConclusion
Introduction
All of us expect to feel refreshed and clean after taking a bath. Unfortunately, this is not always achieved because of the poor quality of water that we have in our homes. The primary reason for this is the fact that there are a lot of chemicals that are present in the water.
In case you don’t know yet, water supply companies use chlorine and other types of chemicals to treat water so that it will be “clean and safe” enough to use. However, these chemicals do have their corresponding side-effects to the human body, especially when absorbed or taken on a daily basis. This is where shower water filters come in.
Not using a water filter in your shower can put you at a significant risk of catching certain kinds of diseases, such as urinary tract infection (UTI), skin diseases, cholera, and diarrhea. Yes, taking a shower using unfiltered water is not much different from drinking water that is not filtered or treated in any way—both will result in health problems.
We are going to talk about what shower filters are and how they can be of service to ourselves and our families. In fact, we will even go a little further as to share with you how you can install one in your shower as well as how you can maintain it so that it lasts for years!
Are you ready to take on this new change? Then, brace yourselves and let’s get started!
Shower Filter Overview
When people think about filters, more often than not, they relate them to treatment solutions that are used to treat drinking water. This association is fairly common. After all, the water we drink each day really ought to be appropriately separated and free of harmful content so that what we are left with is hygienic and fresh water that will not put our health at risk.
Then again, in reality, the water that we use for showering and bathing should also be taken into consideration. This is because similar to drinking water, it is also absorbed by our body. In fact, the water that we use to clean our body influences the general nature of the exterior of our body, which is our skin.
Your skin is the biggest organ in your body, and as you shower for even just 10 minutes every day, you expose yourself to chemicals that could compromise the health of your skin and hair. This is the reason why a lot of people now advocate the use of shower filters.
What Is a Shower Filter?
A shower filter is a water-filtering device that is placed onto the tip of a showerhead to filter out chemicals found in most house water. It is available in different scales and designs that fit specifically onto different showerheads.
By removing these potentially harmful chemicals, showerheads help in fighting dry skin as well as in preventing these same chemicals from further damaging hair that is treated with hair colors and straightening agents.
After successfully installing a shower filter and using it for some time, you will likely notice that your skin is feeling less dry, your hair is more hygienic and bouncy, and there is less scale development around your tub and faucet.
That last bit was a very much welcomed advantage because it means that you won’t have to clean your bathroom as often. This is because your shower filter had already removed certain minerals and possibly destructive chemicals and dirt in your water that would have otherwise made the bathroom dirty.
Are There Solutions Besides Shower Filters?
While there are other, more expensive ways to treat water, putting a filter on your shower is an efficient, speedy, and simple solution that you can actually do yourself. If you wish to go all out though, then you can always choose to install a house water filtration system. Obviously, this can be very expensive.
These systems are designed to filter every drop of water that enters your house, therefore providing powerful and extensive results as opposed to just using a single shower filter. Doing this will resolve water issues like soap buildup, bad-tasting water, and chemical smells.
There are also some people, however, who choose to use a water conditioner. What this does is soften the hard water that runs through your pipes and into your shower.
Needless to say, the most convenient and budget-friendly solution is to use a shower filter.
With Filter vs. Without Filter
As we discussed a while ago, bathing with just plain, unfiltered water is not enough to clean ourselves thoroughly because of the chemicals and dirt that can be found in the shower water. The reason for this is that shower water that is not yet filtered can be full of different chemicals such as chlorine, which is just as harmful as microscopic organisms and parasites lurking in the water.
As an example, high amounts of chlorine can be found on swimming pools. Have you observed that after bathing on a swimming pool, your skin became wrinkled and your eyes got painful and reddish? More than likely, those were the effects of chlorine on our body. Having long-term exposure to it can put your health at risk and can also be fatal if taken for granted.
The skin is significantly more than just a casing and protection for the body. It is the biggest organ, and it is in charge of critical capacities like the creation of certain nutrients and synthesis on our body.
Here are the following factors that you must consider why you should put a filter on your shower:
- Our body can consume a lot of chlorine by showering compared to drinking. It might appear to be irrational, but bathing in chlorinated water can trigger heightened levels of chlorine retention than consuming water that has a high chlorine content.
- It is a given that we normally bathe using warm temperatures. This, in turn, opens the pores, which allows the chlorine to enter a huge portion of the body.
- It is a given that we normally bathe using warm temperatures. This, in turn, opens the pores, which allows the chlorine to enter a huge portion of the body.
- The water in the shower produces chemicals into the air. This is probably one of the worst that you can experience if you do not integrate a filter on your shower.
- Plain shower water can cause significant damage to the skin and hair. The main reason for this is that there are lots of microorganisms that can be found in shower water. A lot of chemicals can also be found there, and these chemicals are used to treat water too. However, they are very harsh on the skin and can put our skin’s health at risk if absorbed excessively.
- Plain shower water can cause significant damage to the skin and hair. The main reason for this is that there are lots of microorganisms that can be found in shower water. A lot of chemicals can also be found there, and these chemicals are used to treat water too. However, they are very harsh on the skin and can put our skin’s health at risk if absorbed excessively.
- It can cause a lot of health problems and certain types of cancers. It is linked that the chemicals that are present in shower water can trigger cancer because some of them are carcinogenic. Some examples of the cancers that you can get from extensive exposure from these chemicals are bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, colon cancer, and more.
The Benefits of Having a Filter on Your Shower
Aside from having a cleaner shower water, there are several significant effects of having a filter on your shower. Here are the following benefits that you can enjoy if you use a shower filter the next time you shower:
- Healthier Skin
By having a filter on your shower, you can lower the risks of acquiring many skin conditions such as dermatitis, psoriasis, and dry skin, which are all really awful. It can leave the skin feeling dry and flaky.
- More Beautiful Hair
With the use of a shower filter, your hair will have reduced contact with harmful chemicals and lesser chlorine, which damages the strands of the hair. It will also help conserve the melanin on your hair, which will make its color to last longer.
- Cleaner Air
By having a filter integrated into your shower, you can prevent the inhalation of harmful chemicals that are released through the air.
- Lesser Chlorine
By having lesser chlorine on your shower water, you are minimizing all of the bad effects that chlorine can bring on your health.
- More Energized Feeling
Absorption of chlorine can make your body feel weak, which is why when the chlorine has been reduced, you will eventually feel that you are stronger and better.
Of course, it is not enough to only know about these things. What you need to do is educate yourself about the different kinds of shower filters that you could add to your home.
All About Shower Filters
We have shared with you the many risks of not using a shower filter, as well as the different benefits that you can get from using one. In this chapter, we will be taking a closer look at shower filters so that you can decide if this is indeed something that you want for your home and your family.
There are different kinds of shower filters that are very effective in reducing chlorine and chloramines. Here are the most common types of shower filters that are available in the market today:
- Carbon Filter
These are filters that are most commonly used in houses because it is very affordable compared to other types of carbon filters. It is so effective in cleansing the water that the water processed in this filter is safe enough to drink.
- Kinetic Degradation Fluxion or KDF Filter
This is a great alternative as well because it is also affordable. While KDF filters are great in reducing chlorine, when it comes to chloramines, they are not that effective compared to carbon filters.
- Vitamin C Filter
This is probably the best filter available in the market right now because it is the most effective in the complete removal of both chlorine and chloramines. This is the best choice for achieving better health as well as greater skin and hair.
Shower Filter Facts
Here are some of the facts regarding shower filters that you must keep in mind for you to get a deeper understanding of how it works and what it can offer:
- Shower filters expel all the chlorine
False. Even the most excellent filters can only expel 90 percent or more. However, there are filters that don’t expel chlorine completely by any stretch of the imagination. The ones that guarantee 99% expulsion are probably just hoax.
Then again, there are vitamin C filters that are claiming that they can remove up to 100 percent of the chlorine content in shower water.
- KDF filters are the best in chlorine expulsion
True. However, when it comes to the removal of chloramines, it has a subpar performance. As such, it is great for homes that have least to no chloramines on their water supply.
- Our skin takes in chlorine when showering
While our skin does take in chlorine every time we shower or bathe, it is only in small amounts. This is because chlorine can’t get through the pores on our skin quite easily. In addition, whenever chlorine is indeed absorbed by our body, it is quickly expelled as well.
- Shower filters have the capacity to expel chloramines
Partly, yes, they do. If you are using a vitamin C shower filter, then most probably, some chloramines can be expelled partially.
Different Stages of Shower Filters
The filtration of showers somehow has a resemblance to drinking water filters. They are both composed of several stages in which water passes through in order to be cleansed and become purified from harmful chemicals.
The number of stages primarily depends on the shower filter, and it ranges from just three all the way to 10 stages. Here is an example of these stages:
- Activated carbon
- KDF 55
- Calcium Sulfite
- Cotton mesh
- Metal mesh
- Tourmaline balls
- Germanium ceramic balls
- Magnetic energy ceramic balls
As mentioned, these are only a few of the choices that you have. There are also other filtering stages that you can choose to include into your shower filter depending on the type of water that you have in your pipes. Needless to say, these stages are the most important ones.
Now that we know shower filters a little more, it is high time that we learn how to install and maintain them in order to protect our investment. Read on to the next chapter where we will be talking all about shower filter installation and maintenance.
Shower Filter Guide
We will guide you on how to install and maintain it properly so that you can get the most out of your investment!
How to Install a Shower Filter
Installing a shower filter is pretty simple. However, it must be done with proper care and guidance because the cleanliness of your water is at stake here. The tools required for setting up a shower filter are Teflon tape and a wrench. Once you have acquired the tools needed, follow the steps below:
- Shower filter flushing
Hold the shower filter under the faucet and turn the water on to expel the extra amount of carbon particles from the filter. This may turn the water dark for a short period of time. Continue flushing the filter for about 20 seconds. Turn the shower filter over and flush the other direction.
- Remove the existing showerhead
Expel the current showerhead from the shower arm by rotating it counterclockwise. More often than not, this is attainable with the use of the bare hand. However, you may require a tool if your old showerhead is excessively tight. Use your fingers to strip away the old Teflon tape and clean the strung pipe.
- Install the Teflon tape
This is one of the trickiest parts in installing a shower filter because sometimes leaks can happen due to the improper sealing on the fittings. Before putting the Teflon tape, ensure that the o-rings are completely safe in place on all of the fittings (male and female).
Once that’s done, wrap it around tightly on the threads of the filter as well as the arm. Around five to eight full wraps of the Teflon tape is already sufficient.
- Insert and turn the shower filter and showerhead clockwise
Place the new shower filter on the shower arm and insert it clockwise. Then, turn it until it tightens.
- Check if it is already tight by turning it with a little bit of force exerted.
In the event that extra tightening is required, utilize a delicate material to secure the completion and fix it with the use of a wrench.
Tips on Maintaining Your Shower Filter
It is completely useless if you have a shower filter, but you do not know how to maintain it because having a dirty shower filter is no different (or worse even) to a shower that has no filter at all.
We will discuss some tips on how to maintain your shower filter from time to time so that it can be on its best shape every time you use it. Expect limescale buildup to happen from time to time because it is the accumulated chemicals and dirt that the device filter. Here are the following tips on overcoming them:
- Use a delicate, clean yet never abrasive fabric for cleaning. Perfect examples of these are sponges and microfiber fabrics.
- Avoid steam cleaners because shower filters are sensitive to extreme heat and can eventually harm them.
- Used gentle citric detergents for much effective cleaning.
- Do not spray the cleaning agent directly on the filter, Instead, spray it on the cloth and use it to wipe it off your filter and showerhead. In this way, you will not damage its surface.
- Rinse it with clean water. Before you bring the showerhead back, turn on the shower so that it will flush out the dirt and other residue left.
See? It is easy to maintain your shower filter; just do not forget to be gentle at all times for you to avoid any unwanted incidents, such as damaging the components.
Then again, there are some showerheads that are non-removable in which no matter how strong the force you exerted, it would still not move. For this type of showerhead, you do not want to put too much force on it because you might break it.
What you can do is clean it with the use of vinegar. How? Simply follow these steps:
- Get a plastic bag that will fit on the size of your showerhead and fill the half of it with white vinegar.
- Put the bag on the showerhead and ensure that it is completely soaked in the vinegar.
- Tie the plastic bag securely.
- Leave it overnight for optimal results.
- Remove the bag and then turn the water on for several minutes.
- Scrub the showerhead with a clean toothbrush while the shower is off.
- Turn it on again for several minutes.
- Turn off the shower and get a clean cloth to wipe it dry.
Conclusion
Shower filters are a great help in ensuring the quality of our moments in the bathroom when we are taking a refreshing shower. It will significantly improve your overall health as well because of the safety and assurance that it gives in expelling dangerous chemicals and dirt from the water.
Here is the summary of what we tackled:
- What are shower filters and their primary uses to humans
- Different benefits of shower filter to our health and environment
- The different types of shower filters and the stages that comprise their process of filtering water.
- Proper Installation and maintenance of shower filters for optimal performance
While you are using this wonderful device on your shower, you always have the peace of mind that the water that is coming out of the shower is more hygienic and will give you a fresher and more rejuvenated feeling every time.
Lastly, we really appreciate that you have given us the privilege to share our knowledge with you about shower filters. If you are eager to know more tips and reviews regarding the different shower filter products available on the market right now, check out more of our articles.
