Shower Filter Buying Guide
This guide will tell you everything you need to know when you're shopping for shower water filters, including factors you can use to compare shower filters.
Why Buy Shower Filter?
- Remove chlorine, chloramine, VOCs and other harmful chemicals from your shower water. Many of these chemicals are absorbed by the skin and travel directly to the bloodstream.
- Reduce cancer risk. Showering in chlorinated water is linked to increased risk of bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, and other cancers.
- Moisturize skin and hair. Have you ever noticed how a chlorinated swimming pool dries out your skin and hair? Chlorinated shower water does the same thing. A dechlorinating shower filter will give you softer skin and more lustrous hair. As Dr. Oz once said, "The best thing you can do for your hair costs less than 9 cents a day. Get a charcoal filter and put it on your shower head."
- Improve indoor air quality. A hot shower sends dangerous chemicals like chloroform into the air, where they are inhaled. In fact, chlorine in shower water has been known to trigger asthma attacks. Shower filters improve the health of your lungs as well as that of your skin and hair.
- Reduce soap scum and scale buildup. Cleaner shower water makes for a cleaner shower!
Shower Water Contaminants
Chlorine is the primary cause for concern when it comes to shower water. Water treatment plants add chlorine to water to kill germs, but chlorine is a toxic pesticide, as classififed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. So why do municipal water authorities add chlorine to water? Because, unfortunately, it's the most cost-effective way to kill germs. But that doesn't mean it's safe. Chlorine may irritate the skin and the lungs. Further, the most frightening fact about chlorine is that it combines with other molecules to form carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) like chloroform, trichloroethylene (TCE) and other trihalomethanes (THMs). These carcinogens may be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, and they've been linked to cancer as well as liver disease, heart disease, respiratory disease, and other health problems. A single 10-minute shower increases chloroform levels in the home by up to 100 times. All of our shower water filters will remove chlorine from your shower water.
"Chlorine is so dangerous that it should be banned," said biologist Dr. Herbert Schwartz. "Putting chlorine in the water is like starting a time bomb. Cancer, heart trouble, premature senility, both mental and physical conditions are attributable to chlorine-treated water supplies. It is making us grow old before our time and producing symptoms of ageing such as hardening of the arteries."
Chloramines are a combination of chlorine and ammonia. Many water treatment facilities have begun using chloramines instead of chlorine because of EPA limits on trihalomethanes. Chloramines producer fewer THMs, but they also form other harmful chemicals such as dichloramine and trichloramine, which are respiratory and skin irritants that have also been linked to digestive and kidney problems. A carbon shower filter is the best way to remove chloramines.
VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, include herbicides, pesticides, and other synthetic chemicals. Carbon filters (also called charcoal filters) will remove VOCs.
Iron oxide, or rust, is removed by both carbon and KDF filters.
Hydrogen sulfide, or that "rotten egg" odor is also removed by both activated carbon filters and KDF filters.
Shower Filter Technology - Types of Shower Filters
Carbon Shower Filter / Charcoal Shower Filter: Because carbon shower filters remove VOCs, chloramines, and other synthetic chemicals in addition to chlorine, they are the most comprehensive shower filters. Activated carbon adsorbs these chemicals; that is, the chemicals stick to the activated carbon. However, in order to be effective, carbon shower filters need a lot of surface area, so the filters are typically larger than other types of shower filters. (See the Aquasana shower filter as an example.)
KDF Shower Filter: KDF shower filters contain a KDF redox (oxidation-reduction) media made from copper and zinc. KDF shower water filters work electrochemically. They convert chlorine into harmless, soluble calcium chloride. However, KDF alone will not remove chloramine or VOCs.
Chlorgon Shower Filter: Chlorgon is another type of redox media that was invented and patented by Sprite Industries and is exclusive to Sprite shower filters. Chlorgon is made to work more efficiently with very hot water temperatures.
Crystalline Quartz is added to some shower filters, such as the Rainshow'r Filter with Crystalline Quartz, to reduce water cluster size and enhance sudsing and lathering.
Vitamin C Shower Filer: Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, lowers the pH of the water, which allows more gases to be released. Due to their limited effectiveness, we do not offer vitamin C shower filters at this time.
Other Factors to Consider When Shopping for Shower Filter
Shower Filter Cartridge Life: Because of the relatively small filter size, most shower filter cartridges need to be replaced at least once a year to maintain effectiveness. Also, some filter cartridges should be reversed periodically to prevent channeling within the filtration media. (Channeling may allow some contaminants to slip through.)
The following shower filters have cartridges which should be replaced every 3 months:
Sprite Original Hand-held Shower Filter
Sprite Royale Hand-held Shower Filter
Sprite Shower Hose Filter
Sprite Baby Shower Filter
Sprite Shower-Up Single Extension Shower Filter
Sprite Shower-Up Double Extension Shower Filter
Sprite Shower Falls Shower Filter
The following shower filters have cartridges which should be replaced every 6 months:
Aquasana AQ4100 Pure Shower Filter
Aquasana AQ4105 Pure Shower Filter with Handheld Massager
Sprite Slimline Shower Filter
Sprite Solid Brass Slimline Shower Filter
Sprite Prestige Filtered Shower Head
The following shower filters have cartridges which should be replaced once a year:
Rainshower Crystalline Quartz Shower Filter
Sprite High Output Shower Filter (reverse cartridge every 6 months)
Sprite Solid Brass High Output Shower Filter (reverse cartridge every 6 months)
Crystal Quest Shower Filter (reverse cartridge every 2 months)
Crystal Quest Handheld Shower Filter (reverse the cartridge every 2 months)
And if you never want to have to replace a shower filter cartridge, then consider the Rainshow'r Disposable Shower Filter or Sprite Permaseal Shower Filter. Simply throw away the filter after a year. Or get the eco-friendly Rainshow'r New Century Shower Filter, which you can recycle through the manufacturer after 18 months of use.
Shower Filter Warranty: All of our shower filters come with manufacturer's warranty. Make sure the shower filter has a warranty before you make a purchase.
Top Brand Shower Filters - Best Shower Filters
Aquasana Shower Filter: As the Consumer Reports shower filter winner for Best Buy two years in a row, the Aquasana Pure Shower Filter combines KDF and activated carbon to remove not only chlorine but also chlormines and VOCs. This is our top pick and best seller. We also offer the Aquasana Hand-held Massage Shower Filter.
Crystal Quest Shower Filter: Like Aquasana shower filters, Crystal Quest filters also combine activated carbon and KDF. However, Crystal Quest shower filters do not contain nearly as much activated carbon as Aquasana shower filters. Therefore, if your main concern is chloramines or synthetic chemicals, then we recommend an Aquasana shower filter. But if your primary concern is chlorine, then Crystal Quest shower filters represent a great deal. We offer the standard Crystal Quest Shower Filter as well as the Crystal Quest Hand-held Shower Filter.
Rainshow'r Shower Filter: Rainshow'r has been manufacturing shower filters for over 15 years. Customers report that the Rainshow'r Crystal Quartz Shower Filter makes the water feel lighter and cleaner. If you're someone who doesn't like the idea of replacing filter cartridges, consider the Rainshow'r Disposable shower Filter or the Rainshow'r New Century Shower Filter. Simply replace the entire unit after 12 months or 18 months, respectively. And you can recycle the eco-friendly New Century shower filter through the manufacturer!
Sprite Shower Filter: Sprite Industries has been making water filters for 34 years and is a leader in the shower filter industry. No other company offers as many choices to compliment your individual style.
Slimline Shower Filter: The Slimline shower filter and brass slimline shower filter from Sprite are popular because the low-profile filter design takes up very little space in the shower.
Shower Head Filter - Filtered Shower Heads: If space in the shower is an issue for you, also see the Sprite Prestige Filtered Shower Head. With this model, the filter is built into the shower head itself to save space.
Baby Shower Filter: Babies may be especially sensitive to the irritating properties of chlorine. The Sprite baby shower filter allows you to safely, gently bathe your little one. The pint-size shower filter may be connected to the shower or the kitchen sink faucet.
High Output Shower Filter: The high out-put shower filter and brass high out-put filter from Sprite last twice as long as most shower filters. The filter cartridge needs to be replaced only once a year.
Hand Held Shower Filter: We offer several different types of handheld shower filters at Ambrosia Water Filters, including the following:
Aquasana Hand-held Shower Filter
Crystal Quest Hand-held Shower Filter
Sprite Original Hand-held Shower Filter
Sprite Royale Hand-held Shower Filter
Sprite Shower Falls Shower Filter
Or, if you already have a hand-held shower massager with a hose, you can add a shower hose filter to it.
Premium Shower Filter: For bathrooms with modern, high-end decor, we offer premium shower filters, including the following:
Sprite Solid Brass Slim-line Shower Filter
Sprite Solid Brass High Output Shower Filter
Sprite Shower-Up Single Extension Shower Filter
Sprite Shower-Up Double Extension Shower Filter
Sprite Shower Falls Shower Filter
If you already have your own shower head and want to keep it...
The following shower filters will work with any existing shower head (and most are also available with an optional matching shower head):
Rainshow'r Crystal Quartz Shower Filter
Rainshow'r Disposable shower Filter
Rainshow'r New Century Shower Filter
Crystal Quest Shower Filter
Sprite Slimline Shower Filter
Sprite Solid Brass Slimline Shower Filter
Sprite High Output Shower Filter
Sprite Solid Brass High Output Shower Filter
Sprite Perma-Seal Shower Filter
Shower Filter Installation
Shower water filter installation is typically very easy and doesn't require any tools. You may want to tighten the filter with a pair of pliers. We recommend that you use white PTFE tape (also known as teflon tape or plumber's tape) to seal the threads. This will make a tighter connection and help prevent leaks.
If you still have questions...
Contact us using our customer service contact form or call us toll-free at 1-866-271-1403.
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