What is your goal exactly? Are you looking to have something cooling your tap water? Or are you looking to filter out something? If filtering, what are you looking to filter?

Different types of filters will filter out different things. Something like a reverse osmosis system will filter out just about everything, much more than an in-fridge filter will. I have a reverse osmosis filter under my sink and have it plumbed for a faucet at the sink as well as to the fridge for filtered cold water and ice. The under sink filtration system does nothing for cooling the water. This was a house warming gift, so I am not certain of the cost. It has a large water reservoir (maybe 18" diameter by 18" tall - just a guess) and a series of filters - maybe 18" tall x 6" wide x 18" deep and a few tubes running different directions.

Ours is from Multi Pure. We like it a lot. I found it on a website listing water filters that have NSF 53 certification. Most water filters, if they're certified at all, only have NSF 42 certification, which is called "aesthetic effects"--that means it removes contaminants that make the water look or taste funny, but not all the invisible ones that are actually the worst for your health. NSF 53 is for health effects, so it removes not only the things that affect look and taste, but also the other stuff.

You can look on this site to find NSF 53 filters of whatever type you want (undercounter, on counter...) and it shows you what contaminants they remove:
http://www.nsf.org/certified/dwtu/

The reason we went with this rather than with a bigger-name brand is because I just couldn't find actual information about the big-name brands. I wanted a list of specifically what they removed, and how much of it they removed. That doesn't seem like a lot to ask, but surprisingly, the big-name brands don't list that info anywhere! That made me kind of not trust them, actually, so we went with one that both (a) provided that information and (b) had been third-party certified (by the NSF) so we could be sure that info was accurate.

It was a very easy install for the plumber and my husband could probably have done it himself, but we just wanted it done professionally. The water is great--we did a blind taste test on each other after it was installed, and we could tell tap water from this water, no problem. Our model is the 1200EL, and we chose a brushed nickel faucet--you can get any of about six different finishes. We have a 23" sink at the moment and the unit fits fine in the space underneath. We didn't have to remove any of our other stuff (our cleaning products etc. are under there too).

Here is a link that might be useful: MultiPure water filters

Pricklypear, I am not actually looking to cool the water, although the sink water dispenser at my office always has cold water so I thought that was part of the deal. I am not exactly sure what I need to filter, I just don't want to drink straight tap water. I am used to drinking water from an in-door refrigerator dispenser or a Brita type pitcher. I'll take a look at reverse osmosis.

Ideagirl, thank you for the MultiPure recommendation. I'll look through their website.

Rohl has an under the sink filtration system that is very nice. I just had it installed a couple of weeks ago and really like it. It meets all NSF standards and it is pretty small so it does not take up much room.

You guys don't find the slow rate of flow irritating?

My father has a filtered water tap at his sink. Filling a pot for coffee or tea, or even a big glass to drink, is an exercise in patience for me. I could never use it to fill a pot for cooking, I'd need a tranquilizer.

We keep a Brita in the refrigerator, it holds about a gallon and flows faster than my dad's filtered water tap. I just fill it every couple days. SWMBO prefers to drink chilled filtered water. I personally drink straight tap water - in PDX we do have excellent tap water (ranked #2 nationally in one list I saw). Some friends in town actually distill all their drinking water, adding the desired minerals, quite interesting.

kaysd-We moved into the city a year and a half ago & boy is the water very different than my well water. Chloriney smell, horrible taste either straight from the tap and even when we make tea with it. So we bought a filter. We went with PUR as it offerred what we needed at an exonomical price. If I could've rationalized affording an expensive reverse osmosis system, I probably would've gone with that. Anyway, PUR makes a few different styles & categories of filter. Because we're in an apartment, we chose the style that snaps onto the faucet (it looks like a silver medicine capsule). The category was the one that not only filters the water but also remineralizes it to enhance the taste (you may remember a big bru-ha-ha about Coca-Cola remineralizing Dasani water so it tasted better then the other bottled water brands.) They also make a filter that just filters with no remineralization.
As far as water flow, yes it's a little slower than the tap, but not much. My coffee pot is filled in maybe 60 seconds vs. 30-40 without the filter. I use the filtered water for all cooking--even just boiling veggies or pasta. Again it takes a little longer to fill the pot, but not much & it's all in what you get used to and how important it is to you to have your food taste right vs. funny.

Our system has a light on it that tells you when it's time to change the filter which is about every 3 months or so. The unit cost around $35 for the faucet unit at Wal-Mart/Target/Lowe's/Home Depot. Very easy to install DIY, too! I think each filter is running me about $10-12 each so we spend $40-48 per year to have clean, tasty, unscented water. Well worth it IMO!

Here is a link that might be useful: Pur Water Filter Site

I have a super water filter system and my brother just bought the same one. It's fast and the water is super clean.

It can be ordered over the internet and their customer support is fabulous.

The units are relatively small. Here are the most popular (ultimately I went with the UV light UU250 because of where we live and old pipes in our building even though it wasn't strictly necessary.)

My brother got the FUGAC 200. If you're not in a hurry register with them and wait for a sale/coupon. He got a good discount.

Here is a link that might be useful: Water on the Web

I've been looking at cold/hot/filtered water systems as well.ÃÂ Haven't decied on one yet, but as someone else said Rohl as a "tri-flow" system and I just saw Franke has one as well. Personally I've never been a fan of the in-door refrigerator water dispenser, but definitely want filtered water - at least for drinking. I figure if I'm using it for cooking whatever impurities that are in the water will just cook away. Or at least that's what I'm hoping.

We are interested in getting something to filter our water as well. A couple of years ago our local water company decided to change-over (without any local input!) to using chloramine instead of chlorine to treat the water. Drinking tea made from tap water gives me indegestion, and the water tastes/smells terrible. Unlike with chlorine, which can be filtered out with a britta or a pur type filer, what we'd been using, we'd need a reverse osmosis unit to get out the chloramine.

One thing for you to consider: if you are not filtering to remove anything that strictly needs reverse osmotic filtration to remove, i.e. chloramine, you might want to go with the Britta/Pur type option, especially if you have children.

Reverse osmotic filtration will remove the fluoride from the water and it will have a negative impact on their teeth, especially young children under twelve. I am a dental hygienist, and believe me there is a HUGE difference in the teeth of a person who had fluoridated water available when growing up and their permanent teeth were forming. In terms of decay rates, crowns etc, (as in many fewer fillings, crowns, cracked teeth, etc.). In the poorer sections of the city where the kids only see a dentist when their parents can afford it (almost never) and the kids generally are not taught to care for their teeth on a daily basis, sometimes I think the only thing keeping any teeth in their mouths is the fluoride they had when they were younger. It is that important.

So, just a thought. I'd hate for you to go the osmotic route if you don't need to and not know about the fluoride angle.

I'll be reading with interest!

Len

lenvt -- not that this is a health forum, but I wholeheartedly disagree with you on fluoridated water. It's an outrage, first because I don't think it should be the city/county/state telling me I have no choice on whether or not I want fluoride in my water (welcome to our new form of government). And second, and most importantly, it's a health hazard and toxin (they use it to break down fecal waste in sewer plants!)! They teach you in dental school that fluoride is the answer to stopping decay. This is so false and you've been taught an absolute lie. There is NOTHING natural about it! If you are so inclined to watch an informative video about fluoride from an educated professor, please see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjT7PcUsM_k It's quite lengthy, but quite eye-opening, including the ill-effects fluoride has on our bones (which happens to include teeth)! Sorry for the soap box, but I had to interject here!