This section will help you find answers to many questions about air, water, air cleaners and air filtration, water filters and purifiers and if you need further information, check out our list of Useful and Informative Links, or contact us at info@A1Waterfilters.com.

Update: All of our air cleaner and water filter products will help combat the effects of biological weapons. Both Honeywell and Austin Air cleaners will remove Anthrax and other similar pathogens from the air that passes through the true HEPA filter. Peter Beering, one of the 20 leading U.S. experts on counter-terrorism and a consultant to the Department of Defense, states that Crytosporidium is a highly probable water contaminating agent that could be weaponized and introduced into water supplies. Fortunately, our Multi-Pure, Doulton and Aquasana water filters remove Cryptosporidium, Giardia and other similar cysts and pathogenic agents.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT WATER FILTERS

Why do I need to filter my water?
The human body is 60 - 80% water.  Every five to 10 days we need to replace all of our body's water to keep functioning smoothly, efficiently and to maintain good health. It is important to replenish our bodies water with clean, pure, filtered water. Our filters are long-lasting, reliable, and provide water filtered down to 1 micron (a human hair is about 100 microns) to prevent long-term health risks due to gradual buildup of toxins, heavy metals, chemicals and chlorine.

Most municipal water systems are chlorinated to kill bacteria and viruses.  However, the chlorine can form carcinogenic compounds, such as trihalomethanes and chloroform.  Also, this water still has to travel through miles of pipes before it enters your home.  The pipes are usually not clean and contain heavy metals from solder joints, fixtures, etc. The only way to ensure that your drinking water is free of contaminants is to filter it yourself in your home or office.

What can I do to improve the safety of the water in my home?
You can install a home water filter.  One of the easiest and most effective filtration devices is a system that treats water at a single point of use for drinking, cooking and watering plants. This can easily be installed as a countertop unit, or an undercounter unit with a separate faucet.  It is also important to use a shower filter to remove chlorine while you shower.

Why should I buy a water filter from A1Waterfilters.com?
We know you could go to your neighborhood super center or home center and buy a water filter, perhaps for a little less money than from A1Waterfilters, but most of these are only good for taste and odor reduction and Chlorine removal. Our specialized filters don't stop there, we also remove dangerous chemicals, Lead, Giardia and Cryptosporidium, pesticides, herbicides and our Ultimate series even removes E.Coli. and Salmonella. We also will never sell a filter with only GAC, (Granular Activated Carbon) like many of our competitors, because there is a high probability of the water "channeling", and the filter will lose its effectiveness. We always follow any filter containing GAC with a solid carbon block filter that will never channel.

Isn't bottled water easier, cheaper and just as safe?
It is perfectly legal to bottle water from wells, springs and even public tap water.  You could actually be carrying home water bottles containing the same low quality water that comes out of your faucet.  Bottled water is not always free of contaminants either, in 1990 a test by the Suffolk County, New York Health Dept. found that 9 of 88 brands tested did not meet state and Federal drinking water standards, even Perrier had that recall due to Benzene contamination. Sometimes you can even taste and smell the plastic water bottle.  Also if water is bottled and sold within the same state, it is not subject to EPA regulations.  Finally, bottled water is much more expensive than a home filter system, averaging about a dollar a gallon in comparison to less than 10 cents a gallon.

What about water pitcher filters or faucet-mount filters?
In our business, we refer to these as "feel good" filters. You get to "feel good" that you're doing something about your water quality, however, these small filter elements tend to be ineffective against everything but Chlorine, taste and odor. Also, they are very expensive to use and need frequent filter replacement.


Why should I be concerned with filtering my shower water?
You can absorb more chlorine through your skin and lungs in one shower then you can in all the tap water you could drink in a day.  Chlorine not only dries your skin and hair, studies show that long-term exposure to chlorine has been linked to various cancers, and, recently, to increased risk of miscarriage.

At A1Waterfilters...all of our water filters and shower filters help protect your family from the dangers of chlorine, bad tastes and odors, while you enjoy safe, fresh great-tasting water for less than 9 cents per gallon!

Here's a few facts about the necessity of water in your life:

FACT: Your body is about 70% water and it needs constant replenishment. Doesn't it make sense to feed your body only great tasting filtered water with all the healthy minerals intact?

FACT: Water is THE most crucial element for your body; you can survive much longer without food than without water!

FACT: An article in USA Today reveals that 88 percent of all violations of the Safe Water Drinking Act go unreported to the government or the public! 

FACT: A National Resources Defense Council study shows many brands of bottled water fail to meet industry guidelines or state water-quality standards!

Unfortunately, assuring your family a safe water supply at the point of use (i.e. your home) is becoming a necessity in this era of industrial and agricultural pollution, high concentrations of chemical usage and our aging water infrastructure.

The three main methods of providing safe drinking water for your household are:

We've researched all of these technologies, and could sell any and all of these products, but we have found that solid carbon block filtration offers the best, most cost effective and safest drinking water solution.

Purchasing a quality water filter can be tricky, the "big box" stores offer what initially appear to be a less expensive water filter, but, once you include all the replacement filter costs, our water filter systems actually cost a lot less. For example, the PUR Plus Counter top initially only costs about $56.00, but each filter only lasts about 200 gallons. To equal our comparable WC001 Countertop Superior water filter you would have to buy 11 more Pur replacement filters at $24.00 each, that would cost another $264.00. Total cost for 2400 gallons of filtered water with PUR more than $320.00, versus our 2400 gallons of filtered water with our WC001 Countertop Superior for only $78.88 and you have yet to change the filter!

Following are just a few of the contaminants that may be in your water and are certified to be filtered by both the Aquasana and Multi-Pure Water Filters:

Chlorine, Bad Taste and Foul Odors - Some contaminants can make water smell or taste musty, nasty or like chlorine. Chlorine, interacting with organic material, can also create cancer-causing compounds, called THM's. Chlorination has also come under scrutiny lately with studies linking chlorine to health problems like asthma, allergies, heart disease, and high cholesterol.

Rust or Sediment - Sand, sediment or rust particles can make water cloudy, off-color, unappealing and taste bad.

Cysts and Parasites - Cryptosporidium and Giardia can infiltrate even chlorinated municipal water systems, causing severe illness or even death! Cryptosporidium sickened over 400,000 people and killed between 50 and 100 people in an outbreak in Milwaukee in 1993. These microscopic parasitic cysts can only be removed by ultra-fine filtration down to 1 micron or less.

Lead - Exposure to lead can cause serious health effects, especially in children.  Documented health effects include: (1) Impaired brain and nervous system development in young children; (2) hypertension, nerve disorders and kidney dysfunction in adults; and (3) possible fetal damage in the womb if a pregnant woman is exposed to high lead levels. 

Pesticides, Herbicides, Fertilizers and chemical contamination - Many of these compounds are seeping into our groundwater and almost all are known carcinogens and dangerous to your health. No one should be ingesting these dangerous compounds. Many of these, like DDT, which was banned over 40 years ago are just now showing up in our groundwater and drinking water!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT AIR CLEANERS AND AIR PURIFIERS

What is a HEPA Air Cleaner?
HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters were developed during the early days of atomic research, in conjunction with the Atomic Energy Commission, to clean the air of hazardous radioactive particles. A true HEPA filter, like the Austin Air and Honeywell air cleaners capture more than 99.97% of all particles larger than .3 microns passing through the air filter. How big is that? A particle of tobacco smoke is 1 micron, household dust is 10 microns and a human hair is 70 to 100 microns thick. This type of indoor air purifier, a HEPA quality air filter, can help alleviate symptoms of allergies, asthma, sinus congestion and breathing difficulties. Today, HEPA air filters are the most advanced, environmentally friendly, and cost effective air purification systems available.

How Polluted is Indoor Air? 
The U.S. EPA considers indoor air pollution a high priority health risk and estimates it to be 4 to 100 times more polluted than outdoor air. We usually spend about 90% of our time indoors, more than half of this time in our homes. It makes sense to breathe fresh, clean HEPA-filtered air to reduce indoor air pollution and minimize allergies, asthma and other diseases. Everyday we typically breathe in two heaping tablespoons of airborne particles that our bodies must process and discharge. Medical experts agree that the smallest of these particles cause the greatest problems.

What are the Sources of Indoor Air Pollution?
Some of these sources are: fiberglass insulation, pressed wood furniture and flooring, dry cleaning, dust mites, lead, aerosols, pesticides, tobacco smoke, carpets, paints, pet dander, pollen, Radon gas, solvents, cleaning products, mold spores, animal hair, bacteria, drapes and plastics just to name a few. A true HEPA filter removes all of these contaminants.

What about Electrostatic Air Cleaners?
These products use a process of "charging" particles and attracting them to a collector plate. Electrostatic air cleaners are economical and energy efficient. However, they have limited air circulation, thus creating a small area of effectiveness and they do not remove gases or odors. They also produce Ozone, which can be a harmful irritant to people with respiratory problems.

What about Ozone Generators and Ionizers?
Ozone (O3) is an unstable form of oxygen (O2) that oxidizes pollutants. However, this aggressive form of oxygen also can attack lung tissue in asthmatics and others with sensitive lungs. The oxidizing effect of ozone generators and ionizers is suspected to be a cause of accelerated aging and cancer. Many people are highly sensitive to the ozone generated by these devices.