In response to Stacie Tolen's post about filter your whole house...

Whole house systems do not filter down to the same small particle size as
point-of-use water filters placed at or below the sink (for cooking,
drinking, ice and beverages).  Whole house systems generally filter down to
about 10 or 15 microns, removing chlorine and large particles.  In contrast,
effective filter fordrinking water will filter down to 1/2 micron.  If you
filtered water for your whole house to such a small particle size it would
take hours to fill your dishwasher (if you have one), washing machine, bath
tub, toilet, etc. and you'd have to have a huge filter or very frequent
replacements.  If you have a whole house system, you still need a filter at
the sink to make the water safe for cooking and drinking.

If you cannot afford a whole house system  (or don't own a house) in
addition to a filter for drinking water, you would be wise to buy an
effective filter for drinking water (not a taste an odor filter, but a
filter NSF Certified to reduce the widest range of contaminants, and filter
down to .5 microns) in addition to a shower filter, to remove chlorine and
VOCs to protect, skin, hair, lungs, etc., when bathing

Trish said that everyone she knows has RO water.
Although ROs remove all the trace minerals, some people get them because
they want to remove fluoride and currently the technology is not there for
removing fluoride in isolation of other naturally dissolved minerals.
Fluoride in drinking water has been linked (in many research studies) to
hypothyroidims and other disorders.

Wally Day said:
> Nope. The RO unit is attached to the incoming water
> line BEFORE it enters the plumbing system. As is the
> associated water softener. Everything is being
> filtered.

That sounds unusual.  I wonder if you have some other technology.  ROs do
not use electricity.  Distillation units use electricity.  Perhaps your
system has several technologies.

If you have a water filter (for drinking water) and a water softener, a
by-pass should be installed on the water line so that water at the kitchen
sink, by-passes the water softener.  This extends the life of a solid carbon
block water filter, if you have one of these, rather than a RO system.

Rachel