The History Of The Refrigerator Water Filters

The earliest recorded method of water filtration dates back to 2000 B.C. where hieroglyphics depict methods of boiling water, placing hot metal instruments in water and filtering water through charcoal and sand. These early methods are thought to have been instituted to make water taste better, thus, cleaning it. Water filtration was further developed with the advent of the microscope, which made it possible to see foreign particles and contaminants in water that would have otherwise been considered to be pure and clean. Most notably, the microscope was responsible to identify cholera bacteria in drinking water during a disease outbreak in 19th century London. The outbreak was rampart in all areas except those areas where drinking water was filtered through sand. Chlorine was also discovered to be an effective, chemical disinfectant capable to rid the infectious water of cholera. It was further discovered that the chemical, chlorine, when used in combination with sand filtering, was effective in combating cholera as well the water borne diseases, typhoid and dysentery.

In an effort to achieve drinking water purity, chlorine disinfection and sand filtering became prominent methods of municipal water treatment throughout Europe, and then, the US. These primitive methods of disinfecting and filtering water to achieve purity have been studied and evaluated with the use of technology. Chlorine, despite its history of ridding water of contaminants, is a poison. It has since been found to exhibit side effects that aggravate and induce respiratory complications, such as asthma. The poisonous chemical vaporizes at a faster rate than water, making it dangerously harmful when inhaled, especially during showering. Fluoride has since been added as an additional chemical disinfecting agent, but also has side effects of dental damage and other health complications in young children. Lead and other chemical contaminants and by-products further compromise drinking water during the piping and delivery of treated water.

Business and industry have been instrumental in the disposal of waste materials into our fresh water supply sources. This inhabitation has directly contaminated the water supply and also upset the balance of water flow and creation established by nature. The US Clean Water Act, legislated in 1972, was intended to restore the physical, chemical and biological balance of water that had been disturbed by contamination. The Act specified that all natural water supplies would, at least, be safe for fishing and swimming by 1985. This specification led to the development of some form of water filtration and disinfection in every US city as well as advanced technological innovations in the filtering of water used in industry. Even so, the severity of past and continued damage has left more than 1/3 of all water supplies still polluted with contaminants.

In an effort to reduce the contaminants in drinking water and also to comply with national efforts to make drinking water safe, water-filtering systems have been developed to filter water within individual homes. Systems exist to filter incoming water for the entire house and also systems are designed to filter water, inline, at various points of water distribution within the house, such as at faucets and refrigerators or in water pitchers. The US based company, Omnipure Filter Company, credits its self with developing the first small, disposable, inline water filter in the world. The Omnipure CL Series of water filters, developed in 1970, were carbon-based, inline filtering systems designed for water coolers and ice machines. This benchmark water filtering system used granular activated carbon (GAC) to create cost effective methods of filtering water inline. Advances in the functionality, using the same basic design, have since led to the development of whole-house filters, faucet filters, countertop filters, pitcher filters, refrigerator filters and portable filters for camping.

In 1996, KX Industries developed and supplied the first refrigerator water filter for ice cube and cold water dispensing. KXI is credited with developing the initial end of tap filter for the Proctor and Gamble/PUR and the Clorox/Brita water filters. The new technology has been adopted and revised to suit a number of refrigerator models, creating a $200 million refrigerator water filter market.

Today, Filters Fast LLC, the leading online retailer of refrigerator water filters, carries filters for every major brand of refrigerators tht filter out anything from Chlorine to Lead and pesticides. They recommend that your filter be changed at least every 6 months to keep your water at it's best quality.

Back to School: Shopping Tips

Back to School sales seem to start almost as soon as your kids leave school for the summer. For parents, these sales are one of the best ways to save money and save big. Let's take a look at some the ways for you to realize savings as you prepare to send your children off to school.

1. Sales. Yes, Back to School sales are still real bargains for parents. The national retail chains such as, WalMart, Target, Sears, JC Penney, and KMart all run sales, as well as do the "pharmacy" chains including: CVS, Walgreens, and Eckerds. The former group of stores are great places to shop for clothing and bookbags while the latter group will feature cut rate school supplies.

2. Dollar Stores. Almost every town across America has the "one dollar" stores where everything is, you guessed it, sold for one dollar. Many of these stores are hit or miss as far as what they carry or what they have available. Some items, even at a dollar, are much more expensive than those found "on sale" at regular retailers.

3. Close Outs. Your kids may protest, but the close out stores -- Odd Lots and Big Lots to name two -- will carry items your family can use. Sure, the clothing may be way out of style, but lunchboxes, pens, stationary, bookbags, and the like generally are not.

4. Hand Me Downs. Big bro or big sis may have articles of clothing or items they no longer use. If they are gently worn/used consider passing these things on to your younger kids.

5. Garage and Yard Sales. Your child's lunchbox or calculator may be found at your neighbor's sale instead of at a retailer. Expect prices to be 50-90% less than full retail.

6. Consignment Shops. Did someone say, Salvation Army? Okay, this is a bit of a stretch. Your kids will probably scream if you take them to a consignment shop, so you can go instead. More than likely what you buy will be for your personal use. Use the money saved to purchase the Nike shoes for your sophomore.

7. Tax Free Weeks. If you live in an area of high sales taxes on clothing, wait for a special "tax free week" to come around to save on purchases. New York City, for instance, is one of the cities with a tax free week. At 8.25%, this particularly high sales tax rate often causes residents to flee the city and drive to New Jersey where there is no tax on clothing. Save on gas, tolls, and time, as well as prop up your local economy by waiting for these special weeks.

There are other ways for you to save money on school supplies including shopping online or by buying in bulk. Back to School shouldn't mean back in debt provided you shop carefully and wisely.

Water purification units - Every home needs one

If you had to take a sample of the water that we drink ever day then you would probably be absolutely horrified at the contaminants that we put into our bodies every day. This is over and above the unhealthy food and drinks that we consume at every opportunity. Water is supposed to be the way in which we flush those contaminants out of our bodies, but all the water we are drinking now is doing is adding to the pollutants in our bodies. There is a remedy for this situation though; there are a variety of water filtration devices available these days. These devices perform a variety of different functions and there is enough of a variety for all needs and budgets to be catered for. You will need to do a little research in order to determine the optimal unit for you and your home. There are certain questions that you will need to answer in order to ensure that you obtain the best water filtration unit for your needs. Some of these questions include: What type of water am I currently being supplied with? Where am I planning to use the water filtration unit? What sort of budget do I have for this unit? How much water do I and/or the household currently use? What types of contaminants are most prevalent in my water? What does the filtration unit do? These are only some queries that you may need to consider when evaluating water filtrations units. These units are investments in your health and the health of your family so you will need to determine which factors have priority for you. Filtered water will provide with the water that will do the multiple jobs that water is supposed to do. The filtered water will hydrate you and help to regulate your internal functions. The filtered water will also help to flush out impurities that accumulate within the body. Some units are designed to go outside the house, for instance Garden Water Filters that are intended to be used in the garden to help eliminate chlorine and the harmful effects that it has on your garden. The Ultraviolet sterilizer is also for use outside, in your pond. The sterilizer is intended to kill harmful bacteria that can harm the fish in your pond. The majority of units are intended for use indoors, they are utilized to provide clean, healthy water for drinking and cooking with. There are different units that provide different levels of filtration, but all of them provide you with water that is far more beneficial and healthy than the water that you would normally get from a tap. There is a countertop water filter that can be moved around from room to room depending on where you need it; it uses carbon to filter out the contaminants. The whole house filter provides filtered water throughout the house for cooking, drinking and cleaning. Water distillers eliminate biological contaminants and vastly diminish chemical contaminants from the water that you receive. Water ionization units not only filter the water through carbon, they also put the water through an ionization process to produce healthy, alkaline water. Reverse Osmosis systems filter the water through a membrane that only allows water molecules through and no large compounds. The water magnets are used on the exterior of pipes and appliances to eliminate the scale buildup on the inside of the pipe or appliance and to prolong the life of the appliance.

Jupiter Melody - Ionized water at a moment's notice

The Jupiter Melody JP104 Water Ionizer is all that is needed for you to receive energized, healthy, antioxidant, alkaline water at a moments notice. This model has been outfitted with the ground breaking Biostone filter , which enhances the water which is dispensed to you by increasing its moisture level and increasing its capability to preserve negative ion charges. The success of this process is due to the usage of the ceramic Tourmaline in the filtration process, as well as the built in coral calcium. During the progression of the ionization procedure the tourmaline releases infrared energy to make certain that the efficiency level of the water is increased. Additionally this procedure implies that all water that travels through the filter, including the water which does not go through the process of ionization, will be able to increase their rapidity of incorporation, hydration and energy transmission. The Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer has a wide range of positive attributes all of which contribute to the acknowledgement by its competition that this water ionizer is ground breaking in the area of water purification units. To add to that there is the knowledge that it is produced by Jupiter Science, which ensures that you have the safeguard of trading with Korea's longest lasting and biggest reputable water ionizer producer. An explanation of the Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer's Features: Your ionizer has a built in automatic reversed cleaning program. This makes sure that any particle that can find its way all the way through the filter is not caught inside the ionizing area. The magnetic field within the compartment is inverted to ensure that any minerals that have become actively attached to a Titanium plate are repulsed and expelled from the unit. This system helps to prolong the life of the ionizer and the Jupiter Melody only ever dispenses ionized water from the alkaline spout. There is no wait for your water even if your Jupiter Melody is in its cleaning phase. You are provided with a choice of different pH levels for your water and therefore are afforded a greater amount of choice. This array of options lets you to get the beneficial effects of using higher pH levels when cooking, since high alkaline pH water helps to make greener greens, fluffier rice and more tasty coffee and tea. The availability of acidic water makes sure that you can benefits of acidic water. It can be an aid for your skin and your plants as well as a useful help with household hygiene and much more. Ionized water can also help with the digestion of copious amounts of different supplements and can perhaps reduce the dose amount that is necessary. The filtration process utilizes the 0.01 micron 3-stage method as well as the Biostone Infrared which guarantees that the water will be filtered of all contaminants and your water is also prepared by lessening of surface pressure for the utmost negative ion manufacture during the process of ionization. Coral calcium is inserted into the water mechanically. The Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer also makes use of large 5-plate polymer ion plated, platinum coated, titanium ionizing plates . Jupiter Science and Toyo Water of Japan worked in partnership to bring into being the best arrangement of polymer bonded platinum coated Titanium plates that are available. This drastically improves the duration of the plates, which are at the core of the Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer structure. The use of incorporated computer circuitry in your water ionizer means that you have a far wider choice of what water you can have. Without that circuitry the pH of your water is limited by the pH of the water that is coming into your ionizer and you will be unable to correct the setting to get water of the optimal pH. This circuitry permits hot water and low pressure protection to be automatic utilities as well. There is a liquid crystal display that shows filter usage even though it is not a definite gauge of filter life, it is a helpful indication of what endurance your ionizer. The Jupiter Melody Water Ionizer has a ¼” inlet pipe which is visually superior, to the 3/8" pipe used by other water ionization units.