Water is an essential nutrient that humans need to survive. We need water to digest food, cool our bodies, lubricate our eyes, transport nutrients, eliminate toxins and perform many other essential tasks. Unfortunately, Australian tap water is often polluted with contaminants including chlorine, chloramines, trihalomethanes, agricultural chemicals, sediment, rust, and heavy metals. 

To remedy this and avoid our bodies having to become a filter, it is highly recommended to filter your tap water before consumption. Ceramic water filters are one of the oldest and most efficient methods of water filtration. The key to their effectiveness lies in their porous structure, which acts as a barrier between impurities and the water we consume. But, how do they actually work? We’ll let’s dive in! 

Gravity-Fed Benchtop Water Filters

A benchtop water filter is a compact filtration system designed to sit seamlessly on a countertop or bench. Benchtop water filters provide a cost-effective, convenient and eco-friendly solution for filtering tap water, allowing you to enjoy clean and refreshing drinking water. 

These systems rely on the force of gravity to move water through the filtration process, eliminating the need for electricity or plumbing. As water is poured into the top container, it slowly trickles down through the filter, removing impurities, contaminants, and sediments along the way.

Benchtop water filters are portable, easy to use, and require minimal maintenance. Those made out of ceramic stoneware will also keep water cool throughout all seasons of the year. However, when it comes to the heart of a water filter, it all comes down to the efficiency of the water filter cartridge being used.

Water Filter Candles 

Through this process, the amount of sediment, protozoa, microbial cysts and bacteria that can pass through is greatly reduced. Once the water has reached the centre of the filter candle, it flows out through a hole in the base, passing into a separate compartment that stores the clean, filtered water. 

Most commonly, ceramic filter candles will be made with an internal activated carbon core. The carbon core increases the adsorption capabilities of the filter. Some ceramic filters are also combined with ion exchange media, which targets an additional set of contaminants: heavy metals.

The best ceramic filters are also laced with silver ions, giving the filter strong bacteriostatic and self-sterilising properties. These silver ions repel bacterial growth, preventing mould and algae from developing on the surface of the filter. 

With their activated carbon and silver-laced ceramic surface, water filter candles are one of the most efficient filtration options for removing a wide range of commonly found water contaminants. 

• Pathogenic Bacteria: ceramic filters can remove 99% of pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, cholera, and salmonella as well as microbial cysts.
• Chemicals: some of the chemicals that are removed by ceramic filters include chloroform, pesticides, PFAS, and disinfectants.
• Sediments: Ceramic filters are effective in removing dirt, debris, and other small sediments found in untreated water.
• Heavy Metals: Ceramic filters with ion exchange resin greatly reduce the amount of heavy metals like lead, copper, zinc, and mercury found in the water.
• Unpleasant Tastes and Odours: filtering water removes many of the odour and taste-altering bacteria and sediments from the water. Once they are removed, it makes the water look cleaner and taste better.
• Chlorine: chlorine is present in most city water as it is used in the municipal purification process. The activated carbon reduces both chlorine and chloramines in water. 
• VOCs: volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, include a wide array of chemical contaminants that make their way into water by way of everything from agricultural runoff to consumer products like paints and pesticides. These compounds are all carbon-based, and ceramic filters with carbon cores will greatly reduce the levels of VOCs in your water.

What’s The Best Ceramic Water Filter System?

We scoured the world to find the most effective ceramic water filter cartridges. Depending on your water source and requirements, we have selected the Doulton Super Sterasyl Ceramic Water Filter Candle and the Ultraceram Fluoride Removal Candle as our filters of choice. These water filter candles are studied and proven to provide the highest quality performance in water filtration.