Refrigerator Water Filters vs. Reverse Osmosis System | Difference
Proudly Serving Martin, St. Lucie & Indian River FL Counties
Mon - Fri: 7:30 am - 4:30 pm
Free Water Test

Refrigerator Water Filters vs. Reverse Osmosis Filtering Systems

People often wonder if there’s a major difference between the water filtering systems included in many refrigerators and reverse osmosis systems, which can filter all the water entering a home.
Atlantic Coast Water Clinic of South Florida would like to explain a few of the differences between these two types of systems.

refrigerator filter in stuart FL

What Are Refrigerator Water Filters?

Refrigerator water filters clean the water that you dispense directly from the appliance for drinking and cooking. Water coming from a refrigerator usually originates with your municipal water provider and is the same water that exits from your sink faucets.

Most refrigerator filters use activated carbon to remove some of the physical impurities often found in tap water, such as chlorine, lead, nitrates, nitrites and volatile organic compounds.

They offer a few additional benefits:

Easy to use: Just dispense water into a glass or other container, and you’re good to go.

Water tastes good: Carbon filters produce clean, good-tasting water for drinking and cooking.

Easy to maintain: You’ll replace the filter every six months. Cleaning is minimal.

Little space used: There’s nothing to put on faucets, counters or anywhere else. The filtering unit is completely self-contained.

Filters ice: Most refrigerator water filters work for ice.

Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration Systems

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems also filter the water entering your home from a municipal source. Installed and maintained by water treatment technicians, RO systems can treat all the water you use for drinking, cooking, showering and bathing.

The biggest difference between reverse osmosis water filters and carbon refrigerator systems is the volume of contaminants removed.

A properly installed RO water treatment system will filter out:

  • Calcium and magnesium (see below)
  • Lead and copper
  • Metalloids
  • Chlorine and fluoride
  • Radionuclides
  • Amoeba and various parasites
  • Nitrate
  • Viruses
  • Cyanotoxins
  • Pesticides and herbicides
  • Sulfate
  • Trihalomethanes
  • Total dissolved solids and sediment

How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?

Reverse osmosis works by pushing incoming water through a semi-permeable membrane that traps the majority of contaminants that can compromise the taste of water and its safety.

By removing so many impurities (all of which are regularly found in tested tap water), reverse osmosis makes water more healthy and great-tasting. This process also solves the “hard” water problem by removing calcium and magnesium. “Softer” water not only tastes better, but it also prevents the skin irritations and dryness that hard water often causes. Additionally, it won’t leave ugly buildups around faucets and harm the plumbing.

Deciding On The Best Water Filtering System For Your Home

The Environmental Protection Agency sets standards for public water providers to ensure that contaminants in the water that’s delivered to customers remain within acceptable levels. The EPA considers water safe if it meets these standards.

Charcoal refrigerator water filters go a step further than public water sources by filtering out more contaminants and leaving the water cleaner and safer.

Reverse osmosis systems filter out almost everything, leaving you with the cleanest, healthiest water you get anywhere.

Water test in Jensen Beach, FL.Schedule A Water Test

Atlantic Coast Water Clinic sells and installs top-line RO water purification systems for homeowners who want the absolute best water and filtering performance. We also conduct water tests to identify exactly what kind of contaminants are in your tap water or refrigerator-filtered water.

Call us to learn more or schedule a water test. You can also reach out with our handy contact form.
We proudly serve Port St. Lucie, Fort Pierce, Hobe Sound, and other South Florida communities.