Are "shower filters" worth it?

[andrew caldieraro]

I was curious if any of the shower filters make a noticeable difference? I get white build-up in my dishwasher, and the tap water tastes pretty bad, but I've never had it tested (I'm on city water). If they do anything at all, any recommendations on which shower filter to get?

 

[Terry]

I have heard from some customers that they like the shower filter better for washing their hair. I don't know what brand they had, but any filter will be better than none if you are already getting white deposits.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Cacher_Chick]

It would make a lot of sense to have your water chemistry tested, as you might be better off if you invest in proper treatment. A water softener may be the solution, but the test needs to be done to confirm it.

 

[ditttohead]

Shower filters are a great option when no other option can work ie: apartment. understand that shower filters have severe limitations. Most water treatment methods require contact time to work properly. A shower filter has a very limited contact time with the media so it tends to work marginally at best. Many interesting tricks are used in shower filters to make them more effective (this is a classroom section of about an hour...) but in general, they will not soften the water, only reduce chlorine and sediment. True softener shower filters require regular salting to continue working. If a shower filter were made to meet the flow specifications, the water temperature would be difficult to do since every time you made a temperature change, the water has to displace the filters water before it gets to the shower head. This has been an interesting challenge that we have been working on for decades. Darn laws of physics just cant seem to be broken...