Water & Air – Filter Systems News

For $100, you can provide clean water to one family in need, for a lifetime, through Give Clean Water (GCW) – a California-based, non-profit organization that partners with local community organizations in Fiji to install water filters for families in need of clean water.

The filter – called the “Point One Filter” – attaches to a 5-gallon bucket and removes more than 99.99 percent of bacteria and protozoa, such as giardia and cryptosporidium. It comes with a lifetime, “one-million gallon” guarantee. Prior to each installation, GCW team members gather biographical and demographic information from the families, take photos, and mark each home with a GPS address. They also educate each family on basic hygiene and the importance of drinking and cooking with clean water. Once the filter is installed, GCW sends a follow up team to the homes to answer questions about the proper use and maintenance of the filter. Each home is also given contact information for the local community organization partnered with GCW, in case there are any problems.

Give Clean Water currently works in Fiji, but hopes to expand it’s reach in the coming years. Contrary to popular belief, not all ares of the Fiji Islands are vacation spots. Though the bottled water industry continues to make a profit on Fiji Water, sadly, there are many local residents who die from lack of access to clean water, every day.

Anyone can get involved by spreading the word through social media, sponsoring or participating in upcoming trips, hosting a unique fundraiser, or donating directly through the website.

Help us celebrate #charitytuesday by spreading the word about this unique water charity!

Perhaps you hadn’t thought about Filters Fast as the place to buy your mom that special gift that says “I love you.” But, we do carry a few items that are practical and will manage to make mom feel extra-special too. Even if you don’t buy one of these in time for Mother’s Day this year, there’s always her birthday, Christmas, next Mother’s Day, or even “just because.”

1. PUR 3-Stage Horizontal Silver Faucet Water Filter

This faucet filter removes or reduces lead, mercury, sediment, dirt, microbial cysts, and the bad taste and odor of chlorine. A stainless steel finish makes it the perfect addition to mom’s kitchen, and best of all, installation is easy. Simply snap the PUR 3-Stage faucet-mount filter onto your faucet with just one click. No messy, under sink installation for dad this Mother’s Day.

2. Mavea Elemaris Filtered Water Pitcher

Recently dubbed “the sexiest water filtration pitcher in town,” the Mavea Elemaris filtered water pitcher has a soft, rubber grip handle and a sleek look that is perfect for entertaining guests, while providing fresh filtered water, free from contaminants like chlorine, mercury, copper, benzine, atrazine, limescale, rust and more. This is one gift that mom will use over and over again.

3. Reusable Water Bottle

As we stated in a recent post, reusable water bottles are the perfect active wear fashion accessory. Besides that, they will help mom save money that she’d otherwise spend on single-use, plastic bottled water. A Klean Kanteen filled with already-filtered tap water, or a Brita bottle that comes with a built-in filter are the perfect gifts for moms who are constantly on-the-go.

4. Sprite Shower Falls Multi-Position Filtered Shower Head

Sprite is known for manufacturing some of the highest-quality water filters, and this particular filtered shower head not only reduces harmful chlorine; it features a beautiful chrome finish along with a 5-way massaging spray. Here is a gift that encourages relaxation and good health, all in one system.

5. Rainshow’r Gard’n Gro Garden Filter System

Help mom out with her garden this summer with a Rainshow’r Gard’n Gro Water Filter System. This non-toxic dechlorinator promotes healthy plant growth and nutrition by removing harsh, toxic chlorine from your water, before it reaches your plants. Those garden-fresh tomatoes, squash and zucchini will be better than ever, this year.

6. A Year’s Supply of Filters Fast Air Filters

Has mom been suffering from allergies this spring? A 6-pack of Filters Fast 1″ MERV 13 air filters will efficiently improve indoor air quality for at least an entire year. Give mom a gift that will last through next Mother’s Day.

7. A New Microwave Filter

This is one set of products that many people don’t know we carry. In fact, it’s one of the most neglected items in the home, as most people do not even turn on their microwave & hood range vents while cooking. Even if they do, the filter likely hasn’t been cleaned or replaced in quite some time. To learn more about the necessity for range hood filters, check out this post we did last year. In the meantime, mom’s microwave filter probably needs replacing, so buy her a new one from Filters Fast.

All the moms out there: which one of these items says I love you, best?

Fans of Vitamin Water may be disappointed to learn that vitamins may lose potency if stored in water for extended periods of time.

Enter Activate – the only brand of bottled water on the market that has vitamins, antioxidants and other supplements in powder form hidden in the cap, which are released with just one twist, just before drinking. How did this concept come to be?

“Friends Anders Eisner and Burke Eiteljorg were sitting in the Denver airport four years ago. Anders was trying to pour Airborne, a supposed cold-fighting dietary supplement, into a bottle of water. Burke was doing the same with Emergen-C, another vitamin drink mix. Both were making a mess. There had to be a tidier way, they decided.”

Activate comes in eight flavors. Some emphasize health and immunity boosters, while others are workout drinks with electrolytes. The drinks contain Stevia, a much healthier alternative to the sugar used in Vitamin Water and other similar beverages. While we applaud the company’s innovation and drive to be healthier than most, we still have the problem of plastic bottle waste on our hands. Perhaps Eisner and Eiteljorg wouldn’t have made such a mess if they had a wide-mouthed reusable bottle like this Klean Kanteen instead. Moreover, the beverage sells for $1.79 to $2.29 per bottle:

“Some balk at the price, but Holland [the company's president] says, ‘If you bought a bottle of water and Emergen-C it would cost you $2.’”

Precisely why we shouldn’t be buying bottles of water in the first place! We’ve said it many times and we’ll say it again. Save money with your own supplement packets and/or pills, and fill up your reusable water bottle with filtered tap water instead.

EcoloBlue 30s Atmospheric Water Generator

As farfetched as it may sound, the possibility of turning humidity from the air into sparkling water is a reality. EcoloBlue Life & Energy, the global leader in home and office Atmospheric Water Generators, was recently awarded a United States patent for their invention of The EcoloBlue 30s. The EcoloBlue 30s is a sleek, state-of-the-art atmospheric water generator that allows sparkling water to be generated from humidity in the air and customized to consumers’ tastes.

Air is the only water source required for the EcoloBlue 30s. It eliminates reliance on municipal water systems, well water or any other standard water source. Once it pulls humidity out of the air, it filters and purifies the water. The EcoloBlue 30s delivers a continuous supply of delicious, 99.9% pure water quietly, energy efficiently and without plastic bottles. Now how cool is that? Talk about eco-friendly.

The EcoloBlue 30s appeals to a wide range of demographics due to its simplicity of design, easy installation and operation. This appliance can connect directly to any water source to provide an endless supply of water. Some of the benefits of the EcoloBlue 30s include:

• Hot, cold and sparkling water creation
• 12 Stage air filtration process
• Off-the-grid sustainability
• Solar and biodegradable plastics
• Energy efficient and economical
• Eliminate bottled water purchasing
• Offers 99.9% peace of mind regarding water safety and sustainability

Design features of the EcoloBlue 30s water generator offers wood, stone and marble styles to match your décor. This system comes complete with one CO₂ Canister. Additional canisters are available. One canister will provide up to 60L/16gallons of pure sparkling water. To make your own mineralized sparkling water, simply add a mineral filter to this atmospheric water generator. This system is easy to set up and maintain.

To learn more about the EcoloBlue 30s water generator by EcoloBlue Life & Energy, visit their website EcoloBlue.com.

You may recall a series we did last year on “eco-friendly” bottled water. It appears that PepsiCo and Evian have both jumped on that bandwagon. Evian has introduced a lighter-weight bottle, made with 50 percent recycled PET, and containing 11 percent plastic, that is still 100 percent recyclable. We know that’s a lot of percentages, so let us break it down for you this way: Evian is trying to be more evnironmentally sustainable with their bottled water packaging. The bottle is even easier to crush, as demonstrated by their TV commercial, which means it takes up less space in your recycle bin or trash can  (leaving room for more bottles – amounting to just as much plastic as you’d get with their former bottle design.)

Evian’s bottle came out a week after PepsiCo announced plans to release the first-ever PET bottle made from 100 percent plant materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. The bottle is also fully recyclable.

While we commend the bottled water industry for their efforts to appeal to a broader audience of people, we stand by our original claim, which is also the claim of most environmentalists who just aren’t “buying it” (pun intended.) Whether the bottle is recyclable or not, the fact remains that most bottles are not actually recycled. And whether it’s packaged in plastic or corn husks, many bottled waters are nothing more than filtered tap water, which you can get at home for a fraction of the price. Pepsi has even admitted that their Aquafina water is municipally sourced. In short, as a recent guest star in our youtube film, “Bottled Water Dummy,” demonstrates, bottled water is a waste of money.  We all know what EVIAN spells backwards…

We suggest you invest in water filters, which are a much more sustainable and cost-effective solution.

What if the air we breathe could be purified by pollution-eating concrete? According to a real-world study conducted by researchers at Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, it can. The researchers tested this concrete on 1,000 square meters of roads and discovered a 25 to 40 percent decrease in oxides of nitrogen over the roads.

The concrete contains titanium dioxide, which acts as an air purifier by removing nitrogen oxides from the air and, with the aid of sunlight, converting them into “harmless nitrates” (according to an article in Treehugger.) The nitrates are then “rinsed away” by the rain. The concrete also breaks down algae and dirt, so it always stays clean.

This bandaid solution seems like a good (albeit, temporary) way to clean up the outdoor air polluted by toxic vehicle emissions; however, a solution for one problem seems to be the cause of another, in this case. Nitrates in water are not entirely harmless. Too much nitrate can be dangerous, especially for babies and pregnant women or nursing mothers. Nitrates are one of the contaminants filtered out by advanced water filters. If the nitrates are collected and “rinsed away” by the rain, there’s a good chance they could end up in our drinking water, in larger doses than are deemed safe.

So, is there a way to get clean air without risking water contamination in the process?

The 2-gallon Cuisinart CleanWater countertop filter dispenses both hot and cold water.

Today marks the launch of our weekly blog post on a featured product, and this week, we have decided to highlight the Cuisinart CleanWater countertop filter. Filters Fast carries this water filter in both 1.5 and 2 gallon capacities. Like most countertop water filters, the unit sits directly on your counter, providing you with fresh, filtered water for drinking and cooking. However, unlike most countertop filters, these require no manual sink installation. The 1.5 gallon size dispenses both chilled and room temperature water, and the 2 gallon size dispenses hot water, as well. These filters also feature a curved design in the front, to facilitate the process of filling up coffee pots, pans, and reusable stainless water bottles, as well as LED lights to signal when the water has been heated or chilled to an optimal temperature. The lid of the water tank is a flip top for easy refilling, and the 12-week filter timer conveniently reminds you when it’s time for the filter to be changed.

Filters Fast also makes it convenient for you to replace the filter; with our auto-delivery feature, you can set up your customer account to automatically deliver a Cuisinart CleanWater countertop replacement filter every four months. The purchase of the unit includes one replacement water filter, which reduces many contaminants such as chlorine, mercury, benzene, cadmium, lead, copper, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, dirt, sediment and rust. The prices of the water filter units and replacement filters are unbeatable, when you consider the contaminants removed, along with all of the other unique features we’ve listed above.

Visit FiltersFast.com to get the best deal on a Cuisinart CleanWater countertop water filter, today. And if you’re interested in learning more about the other options we provide in this category, see our Buyer’s Guide on Countertop Filters.

Many celebrities have participated in charitable movements to bring clean water to those in developing nations. Perhaps the most well-known is Matt Damon, who along with Gary White, co-founded water.org. We are proud to say that Pamela Anderson has joined the ranks by posing nude for the January 2011 edition of Playboy magazine and earning $25,000 to be donated to the clean water cause.

As we all know, the posing nude part was nothing new for this former Baywatch star and Playboy girl.  The donations were sent by check to Waves 4 Water, one of several water charities that distributes water filter equipment, ranging from small ceramic water filters to entire filtration systems, to people in countries like Indonesia, Haiti and Pakistan, who don’t have access to clean water. Though Anderson also contributed personally, she said she wished she could do a lot more.

(Don’t we all?)

Rest assured. That next purchase of Playboy will enable you to say that you did your part to help those less fortunate…

If you’ve been to the Filters Fast website, you probably know by now that we carry a HUGE selection of air and water filtration products. Scroll down the side of the home page and you’ll see over 40 brands of water filters in over 30 different type categories. Different filters serve different purposes and trying to figure out what type of filtration will best suit your needs can be a daunting task with over so many to choose from.

We’d like to make it easier on you so we are going to publish a separate buyer’s guide for each of our most extensive brand and type categories. But first, we’ll start with the basics. This simple guide to various types of water filtration should get you started in understanding the process behind the scenes – the first step in determining which products will best suit your specific needs. And each time we publish a new article or buyer’s guide, we’ll announce it here on our blog, so stay tuned for more!

There are certain things in life that we need to survive. Bottled water is not one of them. It’s costly to both the environment and to your wallet. Besides, why would you want to waste your money on that, when there are so many other more important needs that are way cheaper? For example:

Alcohol

Several recent news reports have revealed that booze is cheaper than bottled water in New Zealand, which is bad news for this binge drinking population… (or is it?) Regardless, it could be really bad news for bottled water companies. I know we say it all the time, but when it just makes more sense to spend the money on beer or wine, why would anyone pay for a plastic bottle of something they can get for free from a tap? Think about it…

Gasoline

As expensive as a gallon of gasoline is these days, believe it or not, it can be cheaper than a bottle of water, depending on what kind of water you drink. If you’re the kind who prefers Fiji over Evian (which we think is still pretty naive), you’re looking at spending more than $3 for a liter bottle. A gallon of gas is only $2-something in some parts of the U.S. You do the math…

Iced Tea

Water tastes even better with tea flavor in it, right? (I’m sure @toddx can back me up here.) Why would you want to buy bottled water when you can drink iced tea instead? A box of 100 Lipton tea bags is about the same price as 2-3 bottles of water from a vending machine, and you can choose to drink it sweetened, unsweetened, caffeinated, or decaffeinated, flavored with peach or lemon, or just plain – the possibilities are endless! Not only that; the production process for bottled water depletes so many of our earth’s resources – including water! And, as @toddx so kindly pointed out to us on Blog Action Day, “Without water, there can be no iced tea.” You don’t want that, do you?

Ramen Noodles

If you or your kids have ever attended college, you know what I mean when I say Ramen Noodles is an essential good. It’s practically how all of us survived through those regrettable years, right? (That, and alcohol, which, as you know now, is also cheaper than bottled water.) Depending on where you shop, you can get as many as 5 or 10 packs of Ramen Noodles for only $1. That’s over a week’s worth of food! Compare that to the price of a bottle of water… I think you see where I’m going with this.

Filtered Water

You may think we sound like a broken record, but we can’t emphasize it enough. Not only does drinking filtered water save our planet from the detrimental effects of plastic bottled water waste… it saves you money! And, these days, I can’t think of one person who’s not looking to save a buck or two. Okay, so maybe the previous four goods are not really that “essential” when it comes down to it, but, in our humble opinion, filtered tap water is. With regular tap water you run the risk of ingesting cancer-causing contaminants, and with bottled water… well, I don’t need to repeat myself do I? Drinking filtered water will help ensure the health of you and your loved ones.

Please do yourself and the rest of the world a favor by visiting Filters Fast online to purchase your water filter today. We have a huge selection of refrigerator water filters, faucet water filters, undersink filters, pitcher filters and countertop filters to suit your needs.