Am i wasting money on Water Filters?

Spender£

I used a brand name water filter for years however, i watched a documentary the other day claiming that most water filter cartridges still leave fluoride in the water apart from the high end zero-water or osmosis versions, it was also claimed that most cartridges only remove chlorine and very little of anything else but according to the experts this chlorine would dissipate on it's own if left for a couple of days making the water taste better.
I had never given this much thought before but wondering if to try without!

Grumpy_chap

What is your reason for having the water filter in the first place?

If it is because you believe the water to be healthier, then the healthiest water is fresh tap water and the filter won't be adding value.

If it is because you prefer the taste of the filtered water, well that is a personal preference and you have to make your own choice.

Spoonie_Turtle

Our water standards on the UK are high, so the only real thing these kinds of water filters remove here (assuming you're talking about one through which water drains fairly quickly) is indeed chlorine or chloramine.  We don't bother for drinking; the only filter we have used is an inline shower filter because my skin felt the difference, but with a decent and happily cheap moisturiser applied soon enough out of the shower the filter is no longer necessary.

In other countries, filters for drinking water may make more of a difference by removing excess dissolved metals and perhaps 'organic impurities' (quite what those are, I'm not entirely sure) - an acquaintance in California describes her tap water as tasting like drinking coins.  We don't usually have that problem over here!

Toothsmith

What is it you're wanting to remove?

You're right, it doesn't remove fluoride, but if you're wanting to do that, you've probably been on a few too many tin-foil hat web pages.

They remove chlorine, and I find I notice if I'm drinking unfiltered tap water now - but 'taste' is the only real benefit of the filter jug type of water filters.

Katiehound

It's pretty much all to do with taste.
Sometimes when you turn the bathroom taps on you get a very strong smell of chlorine and veggies cooked in highly chlorinated water don't taste good. 
I have a plumbed in water filter.

jon81uk

If you like the taste without the filter then stop using them.

or if you prefer the taste of the filtered water keep using it.