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| Description of water filter products | Price |
|---|---|
| ShowerCleen - standard - for 3 | $219.00 |
| ShowerCleen - discounted - for 3 | $218.00 for 3 |
| Replacement rechargeable cartridge - change monthly | $11.00 |
| Shower massager for use with Shower Cleen | $90.00 |
| Whole house dechlorination system - see link in left margin | $1,100.00 |
| Whole house UV light | $650.00 |
The book (and movie), A Civil Action, by Jonathan Herr, tells about a Massachusetts community poisoned by toxins in their well water supply. The point was made that their exposure was multiplied by absorption through the skin while showering. One shower was reported to be equivalent to drinking around 60 gallons of the contaminated tap water.
I wouldn't want to be showering in this water - not with this shower filter
or any other one! In a case such as A Civil Action, water testing (and
then leaving home) would be more in order.
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 | top For those who do not have the option of a whole house filter, here are the issues. |
| Why is it important to filter shower water? |
| My thoughts about the ShowerCleen unit and other options |
| Link to the whole house dechlorination unit, which also can be used with well water |
| You can purchase shower filters (not here) that give excellent removal of chlorine -- but chlorine is not on the EPA's list of carcinogens. Chlorine by-products, such as chloroform, chloramines, and
trihalomethanes, are on that list. And these filters do not remove the by-products. In other words, the less dangerous chlorine is removed, but not the more dangerous chlorine by-products. Carbon is needed to remove the by-products. The shower filters that do the best in removing chlorine do not contain carbon. If you read an ad for a shower filter and the ad doesn't mention carbon, this filter probably is not removing chlorine by-products. |
| Not all water, of course, has the same risk of chlorine by-products. If your water is from a reservoir, the risk would be higher due to the potential for increased contact with organic materials - which produces the chlorine by-products. If your water is from an
underground aquifer or a well, the risk would be lower. But, since bacteria are typically present in water, there is always
potential for some chlorine by-products to be formed. In other words, your situation might be different from mine. One of us might need the shower filter with the KDF plus carbon, while for the other, the KDF filter may be sufficient. Further, you may be more sensitive to chlorine itself than I am and may require the KDF filter. |
| Experts disagree on whether you should get a large filter that lasts a year (theoretically) or one with replaceable filters that have to be changed much more often. |
| Lab fees are involved to test for chlorine by-products. There is no simple test that you or I can do to be sure they are being removed. All we know is that carbon removes them - how much carbon and for how long is the question. |
| If your water has a high silt content, you must get a rechargeable filter or your filter will clog up in a short time. Some manufacturers believe that the rechargeable (replaceable) filter is the best model, even in low silt areas. faqs |
| Polluting gases that may be present in the water can easily volatilize in the heat of the shower. You will be breathing in those gases. |
| This, incidentally, is also a good reason not to use a vinyl shower curtain. Offgassing toxins from the vinyl shower curtain are released, and you breathe them in, too. |
| You want to get rid of the chlorine by-products, which are also dissolved gases.
As noted above, they are formed when chlorine is in contact with organic matter, such as leaves, microorganisms, and animal waste. |
| Your skin absorbs these gases. faqs |
| The ShowerCleen filter contains carbon and therefore will remove a greater or lesser amount of chlorine by-products.
Again, filters with no carbon remove no carcinogenic by-products. |
| The unit is rechargeable. Even though filters must be changed more often, the casing is a one-time purchase. |
| For those who prefer more carbon, a once-a-year replacement model is available. According to my testing, it's not effective for very long on chlorine removal (I tested it after about 50 showers), and I don't know how long the chlorine by-products will be removed. |
| I am trying to get laboratory testing confirmation for this or any other shower filter but am not hopeful of getting what I seek. I want to know how long the unit is effective, not just the initial readings of a new unit. It seems to me that the whole house filter is by far the best way to go if at all possible. It's probably less money in the long run, too. There are some shower filters out that look like they may have more carbon. It is possible that these may last longer. You'd have to hunt one down. |
| And if you decide that the ShowerCleen best meets your needs, it's
available here at a discounted price. faqs |
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© 2001 May E. Dooley -
Enviro Health Environmental Home Inspections |
