Are Off Brand Water Filters Safe? A Comprehensive Guide

This article provides an overview of off brand water filters and their safety standards. Learn about NSF standards for water filtration products and how often you should replace your filter.

Are Off Brand Water Filters Safe? A Comprehensive Guide

Counterfeit filters can do more harm than good by potentially contaminating the water that passes through them, according to a recent industry-sponsored study. While the initial cost of off-brand filters may be lower, it is important to consider the higher quality, performance and safety standards of original factory filters. Second Nature's It Matters filter is certified to meet NSF 53 and 42 standards, as well as its higher-quality OEM options. This filter is designed to leak more than 99% of lead from drinking water, as well as remove contaminants such as chlorine, lead, turbidity, asbestos and VOCs.

Additionally, the dispenser can pick up airborne particles that may come from rotting food in the kitchen. It is important to be aware that even if your refrigerator filter is doing enough work, if water gets back into the dispenser particles, anyone drinking that water can be at risk of contamination. Different water filters have different life spans, so you'll need to check the documentation that comes with yours to see how often you need to change it. Be sure to put on some kind of reminder to replace your refrigerator water filter or you could be exposed to dangerously contaminated water.

For Second Nature, replacement options are easier than searching for your OEM refrigerator filter because you only have to buy it once. If your water tastes weird and you start to see black chunks of carbon in the dispensed water, or if the flow is significantly reduced, then of course you waste the mass and get a new filter. The EPA states that 90 percent of U. S.

public water systems meet their standards; however, you may want to use a water filter to further ensure water safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the most common reasons people start looking for filters is that they don't like the taste of water. It is estimated that there are millions of fake water filters on the market, and it's so serious that U. Customs and Border Patrol have begun to seize them.

These filters need to be changed approximately every six months, and failure to do so can have disastrous effects. Since it's such a popular complaint, many of the most popular refrigerator and jug filters are designed to improve that flavor. In the 1700s, some households used filters made of sponge, charcoal and wool, and filtration did not take place on a municipal scale until Scotland built the first water treatment plant in 1804. Theoretically, a single faulty refrigerator filter could contaminate thousands of glasses of drinking water. The NSF tests water treatment products for specific standards such as distillation, cyst reduction, reverse osmosis, and taste and odor; in other words, whatever you want your water filter to do, the NSF will be able to tell you how well it does it.