We did some research on the prices of drinking water filters for you. At first glance, you might think that the really high priced units are the best quality or that a really low priced drinking water filter is the best value. We thought that too, until we got a little education.

Reverse osmosis is the most expensive choice in drinking water filters for home use. They use them in large industries and public treatment facilities. In certain situations, they are the right choice for the home, but most of us can do without them.

There best application is desalination, but without additional steps, the water is still not safe to drink.

The more reasonably priced drinking water filter systems reach a top price of around $420.00. They are typically some form of carbon filtration, combined with a micron filter and some sort of stage to balance mineral content and pH levels.

Practically the same drinking water filters can be purchased for less than $150. The difference is mark-up. Buying directly from the factory that manufactures the drinking water filter will save you hundreds of dollars.

For less than $150 and a dime a day, you can get one of the top ten rated drinking water filters, in the world. These units are designed to sit on your counter, next to your sink. They are more effective and less likely to leak than the units that screw directly onto the faucet.

There is typically an option to switch from filtered to unfiltered, in case you want to extend the filter life by doing dishes or washing vegetables in unfiltered water. For cooking though, you will enjoy better tasting healthier foods, if you turn the drinking water filter to the "on" position.

You may be tempted by the really low priced drinking water filters that retail around $40. We thought they might be a good reasonably priced alternative for a family on a budget. We found that there were several problems.

Most are really chlorine filters, not purifiers. Many harmful contaminants, such as THMs and VOCs, which have been linked to cancer, will not be blocked by the cheap models. In some, the toxic metal lead is not removed. Lead contamination is a big problem in many cities. Not because the treatment facility isn't doing their job, but because the pipes that run into the house are old.

Bacterial cysts are another type of contaminant that a cheaper drinking water filter cannot remove. They can cause parasitic infections in the gastrointestinal tract and have been know to cause death in children, the elderly and people with a compromised immune system.

If that's not enough, cheap drinking water filters cost more to use. On average more than 20 cents per day, as opposed to the 10 cents per day that is available. You see, they get you by charging a lower price initially, but then charging more for replacement filtration cartridges. Or, the cartridge has a very short lifespan. Either way, you end up spending more in the long run.