When comparing the benefits of different home water treatment systems, first keep in mind that there are no bad filters... any filter is better than no filter. The choice to be made is simply which product produces the healthiest water and represents the best value.

The performance of a particular water treatment product can easily be verified by reviewing the product's Performance Data Sheet which lists all the contaminants the system has been certified to remove and to what degree. The law in California and several other states requires that this information be included as part of the company's literature as well as the ongoing replacement cartridge cost, and that a copy be enclosed with each product. By comparing each product's contaminant reduction capabilities, system cost and ongoing cost per gallon, it is easy to determine which product is best for you.

The information provided in the product comparison section of this site clearly illustrates the superior performance of the Aquasana Water Enhancement System over the leading brands.

It is also important to look at the advantages or disadvantages of other products or technologies even though they are not leading brands; such is the case with reverse osmosis and distillation systems. Although none of the leading brands employ either of these de-mineralizing techniques, as their popularity has declined in recent years, there is an ongoing debate over the healthfulness of de-mineralized water vs. filtered water, with minerals. While there are studies that argue both sides of this debate, after 15 years of specialized study in water quality and health, we feel that the benefits of drinking naturally balanced water with minerals vs. de-mineralized water just makes more sense.

From a non-scientific perspective, the fact that nowhere on this planet do we find naturally occurring de-mineralized water, should tell us that we were not meant to have it. In nature all fresh water contains traces of natural minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium, which is what our body is designed to run on and what the Aquasana system produces.

On a more scientific level, there are several very credible research reports and books that stress the more recent opinion that long term consumption of de-mineralized water can in fact be dangerous. Dr. Zolton Rona, author of The Joy of Health, states that "the longer one consumes distilled water, the more likely the development of mineral deficiencies and an acid state." Dr. Paavo Airola, cancer expert and author of "How to Get Well" and "Cancer... Causes, Prevention and Healing" also reports that "long term consumption of distilled water eventually results in multiple mineral deficiencies."

Two very negative things happen when we consume water that has been stripped of its natural minerals. First, because de-mineralized water contains more hydrogen it is an acid with a pH below seven. Any time we consume an acid substance our body will pull minerals from our teeth and bones to produce bicarbonate in order to neutralize the acid. Second, it has been proven that when our body fluids become more acid than alkaline the production of free radicals increases, causing increased cancer risks. Many studies suggest that cancer cells can only grow in an acid environment. This theory seems to be supported by the fact that around the world the areas where people live the longest most disease free lives are the areas that have the most alkaline water, water with the highest mineral content.

Reverse Osmosis and Distillation were first developed over 40 years ago for the printing and photo processing industries, which require mineral free water. Because of the popularity and demand for home water treatment products many companies have marketed these products as "state-of-the-art" drinking water systems, which they simply are not. Often these products are marketed by using a demonstration that measures the TDS (total dissolved solids) and implies that this measurement shows the systems effectiveness at removing contaminants. TDS meters measure the dissolved minerals in water, primarily calcium and magnesium, and have little or nothing to do with contaminant levels.

The following paragraphs give a basic description of how each of these systems work and it's relative comparison to the patented Aquasana multi-stage filtration process.

Point-Of-Use Distillation;
This process passes water over a heated coil, causing the water to vaporize and become gaseous. The steam then rises and transfers to a cooling chamber, where it condenses back into a liquid. This process separates water from inorganic compounds like lead, calcium, magnesium, etc. Distillation also destroys bacteria. This process is not very effective at removing organic chemicals since they typically vaporize at a lower temperature than water and are transferred in the steam. A distiller should always be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. Distillers produce water at a very slow rate and at a per-gallon cost of 20 to 26 cents a gal.

Reverse Osmosis, R.O.
This is a process that exposes water under pressure to a semi-permeable membrane with a very fine pore structure. Because most inorganic contaminants are of a larger molecular size than water, the membrane rejects certain contaminants, minerals and a large part of the water. The portion of water that passes through the membrane is stripped of inorganic compounds and trace minerals. Because many synthetic chemicals like herbicides and pesticides are smaller, molecularly, than water... an R.O. system must also be used in conjunction with a carbon filter. R.O. systems require adequate water pressure and extensive maintenance. Because most point-of-use R.O. systems produce less than 1 gal. per hour, they require a diaphragmed storage tank. Reverse osmosis typically wastes 2 to 3 gallons of water for every gallon it produces and has an 18 to 24 cents per gallon usage cost.

Pitchers and Carafe Style Filters
In recent years these types of filters have emerged as low cost alternatives to tap water and bottled water. Keeping in mind that any filter is better than no filter, these products are by far the least effective and the most costly to use. Pitchers and carafe filters are sold on the "Polaroid principal"... sell the camera cheap and make it up on the film sales. The result is the same with these pour through pitcher filters, lower quality at a higher price. The average pitcher filter sells for around $25 and includes one 30 gallon filter cartridge. Because of the small size of these cartridges they have a very limited level of effectiveness and a low capacity. While pour-through filters do offer a slightly improved alternative to tap water, they by no means can offer the quality, convenience and economy of the Aquasana System.

Carbon Block And Granular Carbon Filters
These are the most common style of countertop and under the sink systems (POU, point of use). Granular carbon filters and carbon block systems basically perform using the same process of contaminant removal, adsorption, which is the chemical or physical bond of a contaminant to the surface of the filter media. GAC, granular activated carbon, is recognized by the U.S. EPA as the best available technology for the removal of organic chemicals like herbicides, pesticides and industrial chemicals.

Multi-media block filters, like the Aquasana System, utilize the benefits of activated carbon with several added advantages. A blended media is extruded or compressed so that the carbon and other media is in a solid form and can also filter out sediment and cyst type organisms... like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. This configuration also prevents water from channeling around the filter media.