What makes the Vitashower rather unique is this shower filter uses a combination of ascorbic acid & sodium ascorbate (also known as Vitamin C) crystals as the main filtering agent. Most other water filters on the market use a combination of KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) and GAC (Granulated Activated Charcoal) as their filtering media. Vitamin has been shown in numerous research studies to be the safest, least toxic of dechlorination media. The US EPA has research results which support that using vitamin is completely safe for dechlorination.

In professional and individual performance tests, this vitamin shower has been shown to remove close to 100% of all chlorine in the water. You don’t have to worry about the temperature, pressure, or quality of the water, either. The Vitashower vitamin shower filter works with any kind of water. An added benefit is this water filter may actually provide nutrients to your skin and hair, too.

Although the Vitashower needs replaced at the end of its lifespan and is rather plain in appearance, it is extremely effective in removing all types of chlorine and chlorine odors from your water. The true beauty of this shower filter is what lies inside. After all, the best looking shower filter in the world is useless if it cannot effectively neutralize chlorine. This water filter makes no claims in regards to other compounds which you might have in your water, as should be the case for all shower filters on the market today.

Vitashower is easy to install and can be used with your existing shower head. As long as your shower head is working effectively, so will this water filter.

Other water filters on the market have been described as “average” at the removal of chlorine. When it comes to the Vitashower, the comments are “excellent for removal of all types of chlorine” and “this shower filter produced near perfect results”! With such high praise, it isn’t hard to decide which one is the best chlorine filter out there.

There are a few rumors indicating the possible introduction of an updated version of this shower filter sometime during late 2006 or early 2007. Visit an authorized Vitashower dealer for details.

Vitashower http://www.the-best-shower-water-filter.com

Furniture is what defines a room, just like good furniture is essential for any home; bathroom furniture, is essential to any well planned bathroom. Traditionally bathroom furniture is supposed to be restricted to the usual mirror, or towel storage cupboard, this is a common misconception, bathroom furniture encompasses everything from a wall mounted mirror, to the most stylish shower racks. No longer does one have to restricted himself to buying bathroom furniture for just utility purpose. Besides the utility they serve, bathroom furniture is now an essential bathroom accessory. Just like matching the furniture with the décor in any drawing room is important similarly, it is essential that your bathroom furniture is carefully chosen and matches the décor of your bathroom.

Before you go ahead and consider buying furniture for your bathroom, there are a few essential facts that must be kept in mind, the first being that mixing and matching furniture is not everyone’s cup of tea, unless you are confident that you have an eye for detail, you should considering buying a vanity set (a vanity set is a complete set of bathroom furniture like cupboards, mirrors, and all the components are usually matched). If you are confident that you can match your bathroom furniture, then you should have a very good idea of the kind of bathroom furniture you need, this means you should have a very good estimate of the space constraints in you bathroom. Depending on the décor, the space and other parameters you should decide to go for either, wall hung furniture or free-standing furniture.

Wall hung furniture as is evident, is furniture that can be hung or fixed to the wall of a bathroom, this type of furniture has its advantage over free-standing furniture in that it occupies lesser space and is less prone to wear and tear (a fact that is a topic of much debate), however free-standing furniture is more elegant looking and if space is not a constraint one should consider free-standing furniture. Therefore on the basis of how furniture is integrated into your bathroom, there are two major types of furniture:

Wall Hung Furniture Wall hung furniture is a hot favourite with people who like roomy bathrooms, and those who have limited space to work with. Of course space is not the only criteria that should influence your decision to go for wall hung furniture, depending on the look and feel of your bathroom you can choose between wall hung furniture and free-standing furniture (or both). However if you are cramped for room, by default your choice will be wall hung furniture. Almost all types of bathroom furniture comes as wall hung furniture. The most simplest of mirrors to the most elegantly designed cabinets are available as wall hung furniture.

Free-standing furniture Compared to wall hung furniture, free-standing furniture has a more elegant and classical look and feel, there are more contemporary forms of free-standing furniture available, and once again like all stylish furniture there are some very impressive sets of Italian free-standing furniture available. The simplest example of free-standing furniture is perhaps a chest of drawers that can be bought and installed in a bathroom, there are also some more impressive forms of free-standing furniture available like full length adjustable mirrors, and elegantly designed stools.

The truth of the matter is, your body has the potential to absorb more water borne contaminates, such as chlorine and chloramines, during an average 10 minute shower than you would by drinking unfiltered tap water throughout the entire day.

During a warm shower, the pores in our skin begin to open up and become highly absorbent, much like a sponge. Many contaminates, such as chlorine, become extremely unstable in hot water and immediately evaporate out of the water allowing chlorine vapors to also be inhaled directly into our lungs. Although the chlorine levels in our showers can vary greatly throughout the day, one thing is certain. There is always chlorine present in shower water that is maintained by a municipal water supply.

The unnecessary exposure to chlorine as been linked by some scientific studies to cases of miscarriage and certain types of cancer in most countries that disinfect their water supplies with chlorine. In the US, the EPA has recently recommended that all municipal water supplies change their disinfectant from free chlorine to chloramine; a combination of free chlorine and ammonia.

The reason for this change is based on recent studies that claim the use of free chlorine generate what are known as THMs or Trihalomethanes. THMs are created when free chlorine comes in contact with organic material present in the water supply. It is believed that higher levels of THMs are what actually increase the risks of cancer and miscarriages in humans. The use of chlormaine may indeed reduce the overall level of THMs in our water, but it must be used in much higher concentrations to be as effective a pure chlorine. Whether chloramine is any safer than free chlorine is the subject of much debate that will require many years of research. Unfortunately, no one knows the long term effects of chloramine on the human body. After all, they’ve been telling us free chlorine was completely safe for the last 100 years.

Dechlorinating Your Shower Water – Fact Or Fiction?

There are dozens of different types and brands of shower filters available on the market today. The vast majority of these shower filters rely on what is known as KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion) as a means of reducing free chlorine. There are others that combinde KDF with some type of activated charcoal (AC) or similar type of supplementary medium.

An alternative method of removing both free and combined chlorine involves the use of Vitamin C (l-ascorbic acid/sodium ascorbate) in a shower filtration device. This form of dechlorination has been used for many years by the EPA to dechlorinate waste water prior to reintroduction into the environment. Although more expensive, Vitamin C dechlorination produces nearly perfect results without a negative impact on the environment or wildlife. Vitamin C dechlorination has also been used for some time to dechlorinate lab samples and has even been used to dechlorinate water for kidney dialysis patients. Vitamin C dechlorination is all natural, instantaneous and provides near perfect results.

KDF and/or AC are less than perfect choices for a shower filter for the following reasons. Arguments for the use of Vitamin C as a dechlorinator in shower filters are listed in bold.

Vitamin C completely neutralizes both free chlorine & chloramines instantly upon contact

Vitamin C shower filters are designed to neutralize chlorine and most chlorinated byproducts though simple chemistry. We invite you to perform your own independent tests in your home

Vitamin C does not promote the growth of bacteria, algae or fungi. The slightly acidic environment within a Vitamin C shower filter discourages the growth of bacteria. This is why cranberry juice or Vitamin C supplements are often prescribed to help speed recovery from bladder & kidney infections by creating an inhospitable environment for the invading organisms

Vitamin C shower filters are effective with all water temperatures; hot or cold and provide complete protection from chlorine & chloramines from the moment it is turned on until the water is turned off

Vitamin C shower filters perform equally well with any water pressure, low or high and remains constant over the lifetime of the filter

Vitamin C is an all natural medium that’s safe for the entire family. There are no known adverse side effects associated with Vitamin C dechlorination

Vitamin C is one of the most powerful antioxidants known to man with numerous proven health benefits. It is known for its ability to protect the body from invading free radicals

Vitamin C shower filters requires no complicated backwashing procedure. It will perform at optimum levels right up until it needs to be replaced

It only takes one shower to know a Vitamin C shower filter is working

Vitamin C shower filters rely on proven Vitamin C dechlorinating technologies to achieve near perfect results every time

The Vitashower Vitamin C shower filter is the clear choice for the 21st century

Please visit our website to contact us with any questions of comments regarding this article. Thank you for your time.

http://www.The-Best-Shower-Water-Filter.com

So you’ve done your research and believe you have finally found the perfect shower filter. You’ve managed to wade through intense marketing hype and various sales pitches put out by dozens of shower filter companies. Your shower filter installation goes smoothly with nary a hitch and you pat yourself on the back for taking the first step towards healthier living. Congratulations! But there’s one problem. You don’t really know if that brand new, expensive shower filtration device hanging from your shower arm is actually doing anything useful. This article will reveal a very simple and inexpensive method of quickly checking how effective your shower filter is for neutralizing total residual chlorine.

Purchasing and installing a shower filter is one of the quickest and easiest ways to protect yourself and your family from the potentially harmful effects of chlorine on the human body. It’s no longer a question of whether you need a shower filter, but rather, which shower filter will produce the best results when it comes to reducing or eliminating your exposure to chlorine and chloramine.

Background

Complications and diseases, such as bladder cancer and birth defects, resulting from chlorine exposure in residential tap water have been documented by several environmental, medical and scientific studies over the years. Government regulated public water municipalities have been adding chlorine to our water for nearly 100 years while telling us the benefits of doing so far outweigh any risks associated with daily exposure to chlorine. While the benefits of using this powerful disinfectant in our tap water are indeed necessary for overall public health, there is no reason we should be forced to bathe in chlorinated water.

There are literally dozens of shower filters available on the market today available in every conceivable style, color and configuration. Prices for these devices generally run anywhere from $20 for basic models, up to $250 for more exotic brands. The cost of a shower filter has very little to do with its level performance with regard to how well it will neutralize the chlorine or chloramine found in your shower water. Also, paying more for a shower filter does not necessarily guarantee better performance either. The type of shower filter that will work best for you will depend on several factors.

Factors That Can Effect Performance

• The type of disinfectant used in your water supply; either free chlorine or chloramine: free chlorine is relatively simple to neutralize with most standard types of shower filters, but chloramine neutralization requires the use of reagents or oxidizers specifically designed with this purpose in mind. Contact your local water company to find out which they are using. If your water is still being disinfected with free chlorine, be sure to ask when the change to chloramine will occur. It’s only a matter of time before this happens.
• The flow rate and pressure of your water: most shower filters will reduce water pressure while showering. Shower filters that are sold bundled with their own shower heads are generally designed to be used together to help offset this phenomenon.
• The sediment level found in your water: high levels of sediment can quickly nullify a shower filter’s ability to reduce chlorine or chloramine and decrease its overall effectiveness.
• The media used within the shower filter to neutralize chlorine or chloramine:

• • KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion)
  • AC (Activated Charcoal)
  • Vitamin C (ascorbic acid and sodium ascorbate)
  • Calcium Sulfite (Chlorgon)
  • Ceramics (Far Infrared)
  • Negative Ions (Ionizers)

Many shower filters feature a combination of two or more of the items shown above. The vast majority of standard shower filters feature a combination of KDF and AC. Others will feature only one type of media, as with Vitamin C type shower filters. A few will go so far as to add other items not directly related to chlorine or chloramine removal. This supplementary media usually consists of magnets, quartz, sand, mineral stone and a few others generally found in shower filters with a higher price tag.

Testing Your New Shower Filter

Testing a shower filter in your own home, under your own specific circumstances is the only way to truly know if it can live up to your requirements. The following list outlines one very simple method to test a shower filter for its ability to reduce or eliminate total residual chlorine. The reduction of chlorine or chloramine with any shower filtration device is the most you should expect. Contrary to many marketing claims, shower filters have never been proven to remove any other contaminants from your shower water.

1. Purchase a vial of total residual chlorine test strips. Test strips specifically designed for the testing of aquarium water are usually best in this case. Fish and most other aquatic organisms are extremely sensitive to both free chlorine and chloramine, which can actually kill them once exposed. Each test strip should have at least two chlorine reagent test pads. The first will check for the presence of free chlorine while the second will check for chloramine concentrations. You can find these test strips at most pet stores and many discount stores these days. Expect to pay around $10 for 25 test strips.
2. Next, closely following the directions that came with the test strips, check the chlorine and chloramine levels in your unfiltered shower water. It’s best to quickly run the strip through a stream of unfiltered shower water as soon as it leaves the shower arm or shower head. Chlorine is very unstable by nature and can quickly transform into a toxic mist, possibly skewing your readings.
3. Install your shower filter and repeat the test with the filtered water. Again, be sure to run the test strip through the water stream as close as possible to the source.
4. Put the test strips on a clean flat surface and compare any color changes of the reagent pads to the chart included with the strips. Darker colors generally indicate higher levels or chlorine or chloramine. Simply subtract the readings between the filtered test and the unfiltered test to find the overall reduction in total residual chlorine. Make note of the presence of free chlorine, chloramine or both.

Use the simple formula below to calculate the reduction in percentage assuming your unfiltered reading is 2.5 ppm and your filtered reading is 0.5 ppm. Just grab a calculator and plug in the actual numbers from your own readings. Here’s a simple equation you can use to find the percentage. (Unfiltered – Filtered) ÷ Unfiltered x 100 = % Reduction

Plug in your own readings as shown in this example.

(2.5 ppm – 0.5 ppm) ÷ 2.5 ppm x 100 = 80% Reduction Total Residual Chlorine

If you calculate a total residual chlorine reduction less than 80%, this shower filter may not be your best choice. Before sending it back, you may want to retest your filter over the next few days. Chlorine and chloramine levels will vary from day to day but usually fall within the range of 1 ppm to 4 ppm, depending on which disinfectant is used. Write down your test results and save them. At the end of a few days of testing, take an average of all tests to get a better indication of how the shower filter is performing. If the shower filter is not providing you with at least 80% neutralization of total residual chlorine, send it back and try another brand.

A Final Word

With so many different brands of shower filters available, it’s never been more important to find one that works well in your home. Customer testimonials, third party celebrity endorsements and best buy awards are great, but they don’t really mean very much if that shower filter can’t perform to a minimum standard for you. When it comes to choosing the right shower filter, a little extra effort in the beginning will end up paying huge dividends in terms of overall health and well being for you and your family.

Many shower filter sellers offer some sort of money back guarantee for the products they sell that you should always take advantage of. The only way to know for sure if a shower filter is really working is to test it yourself. Don’t fall victim to extravagant marketing campaigns designed to distract you from what is most important in the long run. It may seem like a lot of work, but think of it this way. Why would you purchase and use a shower filter that doesn’t provide your family with the best level of protection from chlorine or chloramine? It’s your money after all. Spend it wisely.

The Vitashower Vitamin C shower filter provides total protection from all types of chlorine with all natural Vitamin C. For more information about the best alternative to standard KDF free chlorine shower filters, please visit The-Best-Shower-Water-Filter..