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Buying Guide: Smart Water Filter
Drinking contaminated water can be detrimental to your health. Whether you’re just filling up a glass at home or you’re drinking from a public source, there are many potential threats that can make your water unsafe. Some contaminants are obvious, like dirt and parasites, but others can lead to serious health problems over time, even if they don’t have an immediate impact on your body.If you want to improve the taste of your drinks and enjoy pure, fresh water, then a smart water filter is just what you need. These filters allow you to keep your drinking water fresh and clear while ensuring that it doesn’t get contaminated by outside sources such as bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals like lead or mercury, which may be present in your local water supply. But buying a smart filter is not as easy as it sounds. To help, we’ve reviewed some of the most efficient smart water filters of 2023. Let’s take a look!
GE Smart Water Filter
Best Overall
Waterdrop Smart Water Filter
Most Space-Saving
Filterlogic Smart Water Filter
Best Value
Pureline Smart Water Filter
Lifetime Warranty
Who Needs a Smart Water Filter?
People who are sensitive to pharmaceuticals
If you or anyone in your family is hypersensitive to contaminants present in the tap water you should quickly switch to a smart water filter. Even if they are present in trace amounts, these contaminants can drastically affect your overall well-being.Young children and pregnant women
Toddlers and pregnant women have sensitive organs and need extra care to keep them functioning well. You can ensure that your child or soon-to-be-born baby gets the healthiest possible start in life by installing a smart water filter to provide access to clean drinking water at all times.People who want to improve their water’s taste
If you feel like even the normal filtered water doesn’t taste as good as it should be or you’re tired of having stale-tasting ice cubes ruining the taste of your drinks, you need a smart water filter. This filter will remove contaminants from the drinking water to make it taste cleaner and better.What Are the Benefits of a Smart Water Filter?
Fast filtration process
Smart reverse osmosis (RO) systems operate on multiple filtration options to make the tap water cleaner and better tasting. You should look for a smart water filter that’s equipped with top-quality RO, which is third-party certified to filter out contaminants, including mercury, bacteria, nitration, and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). Some units include a water quality indicator so that you can know how clean and safe the water is after filtration.Track savings and environmental impact
Smart water filters take water right from your kitchen sink to give you better-tasting water than even single-use plastic bottles. While the RO system costs only pennies per glass, it allows you to connect to the app to know how much you’re saving each day by not buying single-use water bottles. Plus, using RO is more eco-friendly than lugging plastic water bottles from grocery stores because it minimizes your carbon footprint. While many bottles end up in landfills and might take up to 450 years to decompose, smart water filters eliminate the need for plastic consumption and actually tell you the number of bottles you would have used had you not used the RO system.Stay hydrated all-day
Staying hydrated is essential for staying healthy, but people find it hard to drink enough water. If you have a continuous supply of refreshing and clean water all the time, it eventually boosts your fluid intake.Worry-free maintenance
A smart water filter can alert you in case it needs replacement. Some filters come with an integrated light on the faucet that blinks or shines when it’s time to replace the filter or they send a notification to your connected device about replacement and other maintenance needs. It also alerts you about an issue in the system, including leaks.How to Choose a Smart Water Filter
Compatibility
You should choose the smart filter that’s compatible with your fridge’s brand. This is not to say that you need to purchase the smart water filter made by your fridge’s brand, but the filter should be compatible with your refrigerator. Some people may find branded filters a little too expensive, so you can opt for another filter cartridge that’s compatible with your fridge from another brand. Always make sure it has a quality filtration process.Filter media and performance
Smart water filters either come with activated carbon or have ceramic filter media to trap contaminants, giving you cleaner, better-tasting water. Usually, a smart water filter that’s a combination of these two filter media is more effective in filtering more substances. If chlorine and water odor are your major concerns, you can go for an activated carbon filter. But if the water in your area contains other types of harmful substances, you need a combination of both activated carbon and activated ceramic to remove them.Service life
Replacing a smart water filter is an easy process. You just need to twist the cartridge or push the filter into the designated place to take it out. A good filter will last for up to six months, but others might need frequent replacement.How to Replace a Smart Water Filter
Find the water filter in the refrigerator
Most refrigerators have a smart water filter behind the trim plate, at the bottom of the fridge door, or on one side of the top fridge area.Remove the cover from the filter
This is an intuitive step. Some filters have tabs that you squeeze, some twist off, and some have a push button.Take out the old filter
Depending on the model and make of the refrigerator, you might need to swing the old filter out of its location. Then just spin it counterclockwise to take the filter out.Place the new filter in
After carefully removing the old filter, you need to put the new filter into the frame and lock it in place.Flush out the filter
After installing the new filter, you need to flush out about two gallons of water to remove any trapped air bubbles and contaminants from the waterline. If you want to use this water, you can water your plants with it.GE Smart Water Filter
Best Overall
The GE Smart Water Filter is a great way to take your drinking water to the next level. With third-party certification, this smart water filter efficiently removes lead, rust, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other contaminants, resulting in a cleaner, healthier drinking experience for you and your family.This option features a modular design that fits holistically in different complex systems, ultimately improving the water quality. It’s easy to install and comes with a filter life indicator so you know when it’s time to change it out. You can swap the filter out with a simple twist and push, reducing replacement costs and extending the life of your system. With all these amazing features, this smart water filter is our best overall pick.
Pros
- Tested and approved by third-party labs
- Comes with a filter change indicator
- Easy to install and maintain
Cons
- Takes up space under the sink
Waterdrop Smart Water Filter
Most Space-Saving
The Waterdrop Smart Water Filter is an innovative and intelligent alternative to your standard refrigerator filter. Certified by NSF, this smart water filter combines cutting-edge technology with microfiber and carbon black to remove 97% of all chlorine and 10 other impurities, leaving your water tasting better than ever before. Unlike flimsy filters, this smart water filter is manufactured with an advanced industrial automation system and precision measurement technology so it will fit comfortably into most refrigerators without taking up much space. Plus, the compact build and lightweight design make installation a breeze! All you have to do is remove one screw on the back of your refrigerator and slide this unit in — no tools required. Depending on use, this unit will last up to six months before needing replacement.
Pros
- Compatible with different refrigerators
- Produces 300 gallons of fresh water
- Features BPA-free plastic construction
Cons
- Doesn’t improve the taste
Filterlogic Smart Water Filter
Best Value
The Filterlogic Smart Water Filter is an easy way to protect your family from harmful contaminants present in the water. This filtration system is certified by NSF 42 and 372 standards and uses a 100% natural coconut shell carbon block that removes up to 97% of contaminants. Plus, it filters out chemicals, such as nitrates and lead as well as bacteria, viruses, and cysts to provide you with sparkling clean water.The filter is constructed with precise measurement technology for hassle-free installation. As a versatile choice to ensure your family’s safety, this option boasts BPA-free and food-grade filter materials that won’t leach harmful chemicals into your drinking water. For maximum convenience, this smart water filter functions for six months or 300 gallons, so you can be sure that your water is always safe to drink. Best of all, it comes in a pack of three, offering you great value for the investment.
Pros
- Efficient filtration and fast water flow rate
- Leak-proof design minimizes mess
- Comes in a pack of three filters
Cons
- Water backflow might be an issue for some
Pureline Smart Water Filter
Lifetime Warranty
The Pureline Smart Water Filter is an innovative, high-quality refrigerator filter to replace or supplement your current water filter. This smart water filter is designed with state-of-the-art coconut shell carbon blocks and uses a three-stage filtration method to remove contaminants from your drinking water, giving you a healthier and more enjoyable experience with every sip.This filter offers exceptional compatibility with different refrigerator models, so you can easily install it within seconds. Plus, there’s no leakage or clogging with this filter — it’s made to last. On top of that, this smart water filter is also certified by NSF, WQA, and IAPMO for quality assurance, safety, and performance.
Pros
- Triple action filtration for optimal results
- Backed by a lifetime warranty
- Instantly removes contaminants
Cons
- Might reduce the water pressure
People Also Asked
How do I know if my smart water filter is bad?
If the water or ice tastes a bit odd, the filtered water is a little cloudy, or the indicator light is on, you should replace the water filter immediately.
How effective is my smart water filter?
A smart water filter from a reliable brand can efficiently remove up to 97% of chlorine, odor, sediments, and turbidity. Some filters can even clean up to 99% of contaminants without filtering out the good minerals that your body needs.
Can I recycle my old smart water filter?
Absolutely! But you need to check with the manufacturer to see if the filter is recyclable or not. If it is, you can simply put the filter in the recycling bin to minimize the environmental impact.
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