I
want to Own a
Water
Filter System
Are
There Any Hidden Costs?
Other factors to consider when
purchasing a drinking water system that can be almost as important as the unit
performance itself:
FILTER
REPLACEMENT COSTS: What is
it going to take to maintain the filter over a lifetime of use? Some filter
replacement cartridges run as high as $80 to $150 per year!! If possible, it is
best to buy equipment and cartridges directly from the manufacturer because that
insures the lowest possible price.
SYSTEM
WARRANTY: How long
is the unit guaranteed to last? Some cheaper units have only one year limited
warranty, or have a three year warranty and are designed to be thrown away in
three years. Most of the units are prorated, meaning that only a partial refund
will be given in the case of failure. There are only a few units that give a
warranty over five years long. In general, the longer the available warranty,
the better because this is a direct indication of the manufacturer's commitment to the product and to customer service.
COMPANY
LONGEVITY: How long
has the company been in business and what are their prospects for staying in
business? In other words, will the company still be around in 5, 10, 25 years or
longer? The importance of longevity is availability of filter replacement
cartridges and replacement parts as needed. Most filter cartridges are not
interchangeable and many consumers have been burned after buying a filter that
three years later was out of business! The best advice is to stick with
recognized industry leaders that have been in the water filtration business for
at least 15 years or longer.
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