Mr. Water Filter's Blog

Another common question:

I really want to buy filtered shower heads for our bathrooms, but my husband is concerned about spray power.

He doesn't want a wimpy spray. Is there a certain shower head that is a great filter AND doesn't sacrifice the spray pressure?

Also, I really like the handheld ones (helpful when washing the dog) and would like to put one in at least one of our showers. Do you have a specific recommendation regarding the filter ability and spray pressure on handhelds also?

Continue reading "Which Filtered Shower Head Has the Best Spray Pressure?" »

Here's a question about reversing the flow through a KDF shower filter, which is also called back washing.

Will reversing the flow through my shower filter release chlorine into my shower water?

Reversing the flow of water through a KDF shower filter does not release chlorine. With KDF, chlorine is transformed into harmless chlorides, which pass through the filter and go down your shower drain.

The reason to backwash a filter is that the KDF granules will reposition as water flows in the opposite direction. The initial flow may wash out a small amount of solids, but more importantly, it allows the water to contact parts of the KDF granules that were pressed tightly together when the water flowed in the other direction.

The KDF is pressed together in the opposite direction so that the water can make contact on sides of the granules that may have been pressed tightly against other granules when the flow was going the other way.

There's no danger to backwashing your KDF shower filter, it just helps to extend the life of the filter cartridge.

Got the following question via email the other day:

Will a shower head filter with the KDF-55 remove all of the arsenic we have or only part of it? We have .014 or 14 PPB arsenic. Does the arsenic also give off a gas in the shower that will also be taken care of?

Continue reading "Do Shower Filters Remove Arsenic?" »

This is a very common question because some shower filters are sold under multiple name brands.

In many cases, you can identify the shower filter by looking at pictures, but lots of people hesitate to buy a cartridge until they are really sure it will fit their shower filter.

Here's a process and resource to help you find the right cartridge for your shower filter.

Continue reading "Which Cartridge Fits My Shower Filter?" »

Many people have asked for more in depth info on the benefits of shower filters. Questions have ranged the generic, what are the benefits, to will I really feel the difference in my hair and/or skin.

Here are the major benefits for which people have shown the most interest:

Continue reading "Shower Filters - What are the benefits?" »

I got my Sprite shower filter and really love it! The instructions suggest back flushing the filter every month, but there are no details on exactly how to do this.

Can you tell me how to back flush my shower filter?

Continue reading "How Do I Back Flush my Sprite Shower Filter?" »

The town of Mount Desert in Maine has voted to remove fluoride from their drinking water supply.

Usually, the news is about some town that decided not to add fluoride to their water, but to actually vote (229 vs. 42) to remove fluoride is something new. Even more amazing is that the local water officials are happy about the vote.

It will be interesting to watch and see if this is the first of many, or just an isolated case.

You can read the full story at Maine Coast Now.

If you live in a town where fluoride is still added to the water, I've got a solution for you.

Lots of people seem to have shower heads that they absolutely won't part with, so they're looking for a shower filter that will work with their beloved showerhead. Well, the answer to the above question is good news for showerhead lovers around the world...

Continue reading "Can I use a Shower Filter with My Current Shower Head?" »

This question seems to come up more often as various companies market products to remove chloramines from shower water.

Several websites want you to believe that chloramines are dangerous and need to be removed from your shower.

Truth is that chloramines are not a concern in the shower or bath tub. Here's why...

Continue reading "Are Chloramines Dangerous in the Shower?" »

The US Geological Survey New Hampshire and Vermont Water Science Center created a model for predicting locations where ground water will contain high levels of arsenic.

This information will be used by water system planners and as an exposure assessment in an epidemiologic study of bladder cancer in the region.

Interesting facts from the abstract:

In eastern New England, 20-30% of private wells exceed the arsenic drinking water standard of 10 micrograms per liter.

Previous studies suggest that arsenic in bedrock groundwater may be partly from past arsenical pesticide use. Variables representing historic agricultural inputs do not improve the model, indicating that this source does not significantly contribute to current arsenic concentrations

Indications are that the arsenic is from naturally occurring sources.

You can read the abstract here.