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Today's drinking water filters come in a variety of shapes, sizes and even colors, but what's more important is what's on the inside. Just because a drinking water filter looks good, does not necessarily mean that it is the right choice for your home.

When you are shopping for drinking water filters, your first guide is product performance data. In some states, drinking water filter companies are required to provide this information along with their sales brochures. But regulation is not nationwide, so depending on where the company is located, they may not be able or willing to disclose performance facts.

The first rule for shopping for drinking water filters: Don't buy any drinking water filter that does not provide product performance data.

Product performance data sheets will allow you to compare the effectiveness of a product (what it leaves in, what it takes out), as well as the cost of use, either in terms of gallons of water filtered or in terms of time. It may be a little difficult to figure out at first, but here's the simplest formula that we have found.

On the average, each person uses 80-100 gallons of water per day, but most of that goes for flushing toilets and so does not apply to drinking water filters. The effectiveness of a drinking water filter that attaches to the kitchen tap should be based on how many people you have in your family and how much water you expect them to drink from the tap on any given day.

According to the Mayo Clinic, it is difficult to determine how much water a person needs on any given day. Factors like weight, exercise and sex come into play, as well as overall health.

According to the company that provides the #1 rated drinking water filters in America, a healthy adult needs at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water per day. Based on that 'rule of thumb', their countertop drinking water filter will last six months before the cartridge needs to be replaced.

When evaluating drinking water filters, it is assumed that a family of four will drink about 500 gallons of water in six months. So, the cost of use for a drinking water filter takes into account the cost of replacement filters over a six month period or per 500 gallons.

Some companies are a little sneaky. They charge more for drinking water filters that are supposed to last longer, but the cost per gallon or per day is easier to compare. Let's go back to the #1 company, again. Their drinking water filter cost 9.6 cents per gallon.

In terms of cost per use, it is the least expensive drinking water filter on the market. Less effective drinking water filters cost more.

If you do some research, you will learn that cost is no indication of effectiveness or quality when it comes to a drinking water filter. We often think that you get what you pay for, but that is not the case here. The most technologically advanced drinking water filters on the market cost the least to use and are reasonably priced initially. Shop around, you'll see for yourself.