Is a cheap faucet water filter really a good investment? There are a variety of faucet water filters on the market and while the initial low price may be appealing, you will find that the cost of use for products like PUR and Brita is twice that of some of the other brands.

Of course, you don't need to pay a fortune for a faucet water filter, either. The under the counter brands that cost the most include a reverse osmosis step, which is totally unnecessary. With submicron filtration, you can accomplish the same thing for a fraction of the cost.

Experts ranging from the US Environmental Protection Agency to the Environmental Working Group are suggesting faucet water filters. Although the EPA limits their recommendation to at-risk individuals concerned about cyst contamination. Let me tell you something about cysts.

When we first moved in to our new home and for several years thereafter, we drank tap-water and gave it to our dog. That was before I learned about cysts.

I started having recurring stomach problems, highlighted by bouts of diarrhea. Our dog had the same kind of stomach problems and neither of us had been sick before moving in. I started trying to figure out the cause and that is when I learned through a report from the University of Cincinnati that there are cysts in the public supply around here.

We installed faucet water filters around the house and our stomach ailments have cleared up. You see, cysts are parasites in an early stage of development and they are resistant to chlorine and other chemical disinfectants.

The EPA recommends a faucet water filter, for at-risk individuals, because any supply and even bottle brands can be contaminated with cysts. Personally, I recommend faucet water filters for everyone that doesn't want chronic stomach problems, but children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems can die from an infection. One of the most famous outbreaks occurred in Milwaukee and nearly a hundred people died.

You need to look for a product that is a certified sub-micron filtration device. In addition, there are a couple of other certifications to look for.

Chlorination releases byproducts known as THMs or trihalomethanes. They cause cancer. There is a growing mountain of research indicating that the levels we are commonly exposed to in the home double the lifetime risk of bladder cancer.

A cheap faucet water filter will not remove THMs. Granular carbon removes chlorine, but other filtering media are needed to remove THMs. I have only found two under the counter units on the market that remove everything that we know is in our water. One costs nearly $800, because it includes a reverse osmosis step.

The other costs less than $150, as it relies on submicron particle filtration for cysts removal. Compare performance data on faucet water filters before you buy. People have been dissatisfied when they bought a faucet water filter and found out later that it was not a purifier. For your satisfaction, it is best to think ahead.