The scoop on charcoal water filters

Charcoal water filters take advantage of the natural filtering properties of carbon, the eighth element on the periodic table, because they are a form of carbon -- probably the most common form of pure carbon on earth. These water filter systems use active charcoal -- yes, burned wood -- as a filtering and deodorizing agent for drinking water. Home charcoal water filters have always been a favorite for cleansing drinking water in millions of homes, since they do an excellent job for a moderate investment.

Groves of charcoal filters

Burn wood in a hot flame in the absence of oxygen, and you get charcoal. This reduces the wood to almost pure carbon. Then treat it with oxygen, and millions of tiny pores open up in the fragments, forming active charcoal. Carbon's already an excellent material for water filters, but the active pores make it better by exposing more surface area to the water that's pumped through it. It doesn't just trap impurities, it chemically bonds with (adsorbs) contaminants and locks them in place. Of course, once the adsorption sites fill up, you'll have to change the filter. And while active charcoal has a passion for snapping up the chlorine in our home drinking water, keep in mind that it completely ignores other contaminants like nitrates and sodium.

Ready to filter with charcoal?

Active charcoal filters come in a variety of types and prices. They're especially popular in small-scale home water filter systems, like those for coffee pots and filter pitchers, but you can find them in just about any water filter system. Fear not -- the merchants we've gathered here would be happy to introduce you to any number of high-quality charcoal filters at prices you'll absolutely love.