The dangers of refrigerator water filters

April 17, 2018
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Access to filtered, purified water in the home and at work is essential and holds many benefits. Refrigerators filters and mains fed water coolers have built-in water technology, however, their level of effectiveness varies.

Why choose a plumbed-in water cooler? You are guaranteed the lowest levels of impurities. The risks associated to drinking water filtered by a fridge, include exposure to microorganisms such as coliform and salmonella, which affect your health and quality of water. The unfortunate truth is fridges are not as clean as they could be. Fridge filters commonly use carbon filters, which remove compounds that affect taste and smell. The effectiveness of a refrigerator filter relies on the water being in contact with the carbon for extended periods of time. In a high-traffic environment such as a busy office or family home, this is likely not the case, opposed to a water cooler. The refrigerator water filter is often out of sight. If we forget to replace or clean the water filters, they become clogged with bacteria that pose unseen risks.

Be aware of substandard carbon filters

Carbon filters are effective because the permeability of the material allows water to flow through while the carbon takes hold of impurities; including pesticides or petrochemicals. The risk is, lower-quality filters will not catch as many contaminants, while the manufacturing process can also introduce impurities directly into the filters.

Your refrigerator could be contaminated

Waterborne bacteria needs fungus and moisture to survive – two elements that are present in your fridge. Contaminated foods and inadequate refrigeration is a cause of foodborne illnesses, such as the recent listeriosis outbreak in Australia and South Africa. Symptoms include a high fever of 38°C, vomiting and diarrhoea. Additionally, should any items in the fridge become mouldy or harbour E. coli, there is a risk the bacteria will contaminate the water supply itself.

Drink contaminant free water

Culligan Firewall ® protection removes virtually all known impurities through the application of UV light. How does it work? The ultraviolet lamp shines where the water is dispensed, eradicating 99.9999% bacteria moments before consumption. Additionally, the purification process is chemical-free.

Where Firewall protects the water quality, BioCote® sanitation mitigates against external colonization of bacteria. By leveraging the bacteria-killing properties of silver, the office water dispenser remains a risk-free means of providing a drinkable water source, ideal for high risk settings such as schools, hospitals and hotels.