Information on the Filter Media used in Kitchen Canister, Whole House, Shower, Bath & Garden Filters
All the media used in these filters has been certified to release nothing harmful into the water.
How much filtration you get is a result of contact time between the water and the filter materials. The solution is to get a water filter with the best and the right filter materials.Below are the filter media most commonly used in our filters. There are other media we use for specific purposes. All the media in our kitchen canister and whole house filters have been proven effective and are certified by NSF.
Granulated Activated Carbon
Included in kitchen canister, whole house, and some shower, bath and garden filters.
This carbon is made from coconut shell that has undergone a steam activation process to create its activated carbon form with micro-pores. During activation, it creates millions of pores at the surface of the carbon, thus increasing the total surface area.This acid-washed carbon is especially effective for adsorbing or reducing chlorine, disinfection by-products, TCE, PCE, MTBE and other trace level organics.
For chloramine removal, powdered catalytic carbon is used for its superior chloramine removal. See below.
KDF 55
This is designed specifically for filtering chlorine and water-soluble lead, mercury, nickel, chromium, and other dissolved metals. It controls scale, bacteria and algae, even in hot water. Removes chlorine and up to 98% of inorganic soluble heavy metals. It controls microorganisms and reduces lime scale. It extends the life of carbon.
This process medium recently received NSF International Certification and is certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 – Drinking Water Treatment Units – Aesthetic Effects. This medium is also in compliance with California’s Health and Safety Code Section 166875 (commonly known as AB1953) and Vermont Act 193.
For chloramine removal, kdf-85 is used for its superior chloramine reduction capability. See below.
Please note that to get accurate results of the effectiveness of kdf filters to remove chlorine, you must use DPD1 tests. Using OTO tests, as are commonly used for pools, will not show results.
In the shower, bath, garden and some whole house filters we sell, disks or cubes made through our manufacturing partner’s patented process combines kdf media and carbon into a reticulated foam matrix. This foam has an advantage over normal media because it’s lightweight, doesn’t channel and doesn’t pack. The result is increased contact time between water and filter media and therefore more and longer-lasting filtration. An equal amount of foam media will function better and last longer than media not treated this way.
Activated Catalytic Carbon Used when chloramine removal is required.
This carbon is made from coconut shell that has undergone a steam activation process to create its activated carbon form with micro-pores. During activation, it creates millions of pores at the surface of the carbon, thus increasing the total surface area. After the activation process the carbon is coated with a catalyst which continues to break the bond between the chlorine and ammonia (how chloramine is formed) allowing any remaining chloramines to be treated. This acid-washed catalytic carbon is also especially effective for adsorbing chlorine, ammonia, disinfection by-products, TCE, PCE, MTBE and other trace level organics.
KDF 85 Used when chloramine removal is required.
This medium is designed for removing or reducing chloramines, chlorine and water-soluble lead, mercury, nickel, chromium, and other dissolved metals. Kdf 85 is specially formulated to break the bond between the ammonia and the chlorine in chloramines to allow both contaminates to be treated. It controls scale, bacteria and algae, even in hot water.
This process medium recently received NSF International Certification and is certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 42 – Drinking Water Treatment Units – Aesthetic Effects. This medium is also in compliance with California’s Health and Safety Code Section 166875 (commonly known as AB1953) and Vermont Act 193.
Please note that there are no portable tests, that is tests you can use at home, that will show the results of chloramine removal by kdf-85. You must send your water to a qualified test lab (one that has a color spectrometer – and tell them that the water filter uses kdf.
PLEASE NOTE THAT TO GET ACCURATE TEST RESULTS for the WELL WATER, WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU SEND YOUR WATER TO A PROFESSIONAL TEST LAB. Kdf, as an example, has specific testing requirements that can’t be met by home tests. Just do a web search for ‘water test labs’.
Please note that even at professional “retail” labs, one contaminant – fluoride – frequently shows a false positive result.
Fluoride Filter Materials
There are two best filter materials to take out fluoride. In kitchen filters, you can take your choice.
Activated Alumina: This is of course not the highly-processed product called aluminum. No aluminum is included. No aluminum goes into your water – because it’s not aluminum. It is a natural porous inert resin that attracts the fluoride magnetically to it’s vast surface area. This is possible because fluoride in our water supply travels as part of a metallic compound, although it is not itself a metal.
Calcium-based carbon: Also known as bone char. This has been purified at temperatures close to 1000 degrees. It is an animal product. If you are vegetarian or vegan, you will probably prefer Activated Alumina.
For more general information, please click on Water Filter FAQ. You can also Check Water Filter Certificates and Lab Test Results