Reverse Osmosis Filters - Making Your Water Less Healthful?

Reverse osmosis filters are quickly becoming a thing of the past as more and more studies point to the health risks of de-mineralized water.

Although once very popular due to clever marketing, they are no longer considered the best choice when it comes to water filtration.

A reverse osmosis filter works by exposing water under pressure to a semi-permeable membrane with ultra-fine pores. Due to the fact that most inorganic contaminants are molcecularly larger in size than water, only a portion of the water passes through, without the inorganic compounds or trace minerals.

However, there are many chemicals that are smaller than the water molecule, so a carbon filter must be used as well to address these toxins.

Why aren't reverse osmosis filters the best option?

There are a number of reasons why you are better off with a multi-stage filter rather than a RO system. Here they are in a nutshell:

These systems waste about 2-3 gallons of water for every gallon they produce.

Usage cost is about 18-24 cents per gallon, as opposed to 10 cents for a multi-stage unit.

Reverse osmosis filters remove essential trace elements such as calcium, potassium and magnesium, which can be harmful to your health.

Compared to other options, reverse osmosis water filtration is the least efficient and requires the most maintenance.