Do Ceramic Filters Remove Fluoride from Water? Answer Here!

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Water fluoridation is a cause of concern for many as overconsumption can lead to several health issues.

And unfortunately, once fluoride is mixed with your water supply, there’s no going back.

Investing in a water filter to eliminate fluoride is the only way to get rid of it.

Ceramic water filters top the category of premium filters, but do they remove fluoride? We’ll figure it out in the guide below!

So, here is our guide answering the question, does a ceramic water filter remove fluoride.

TL;DR

A lot of ceramic water filters can at least partially remove fluoride from water.
The outside ceramic shell does nothing to eliminate fluoride.
A ceramic filter’s ability to remove fluoride from water depends on the filter material inside.

Do Ceramic Water Filters Remove Fluoride from Water?

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Though the ceramic structure alone cannot do much to purify your water, ceramic filters can help eliminate fluoride from your water supply.

The filter media built inside the cartridge is what determines how well a ceramic filter removes fluoride.

Because fluoride can help prevent tooth decay^[1], and most health professionals advise using fluoride-infused toothpaste, one might wonder why it is essential to remove fluoride?

The answer to this question is relatively simple: Fluoride in your toothpaste is not the same as in your drinking water. When you drink fluoride-laden water for extended periods, it can affect your skeletal and dental health.

The American Dental Association recommends 0.7 ppm of fluoride in water as of now. Though non-fluoridated water has around 0.3 ppm fluoride, well or groundwater can have higher levels.

A ceramic water filter with an appropriate filter media type can serve the purpose. So, yes, most ceramic filters help remove fluoride from your water supply.

What Else Can a Ceramic Water Filter Remove?

Ceramic filters can eliminate fluoride or reduce its levels depending on the type of filter media incorporated inside them. But wait, fluoride isn’t the only impurity removed using a ceramic water filter.

These filters also remove several other water contaminants that are otherwise detrimental to your health.

But, their effectiveness varies depending on the model or the company you purchase them from.

Chemicals

More often than not, our water supply contains dangerous chemicals that can be harmful upon consumption.

Ceramic water filters with activated carbon cores can eliminate most chemicals from your water.

The common ones include trace pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and disinfectants and their byproducts.

Viruses

Viruses in water are a leading cause of waterborne diseases. Such water can transmit water-related health problems^[2] such as diarrhea.

Fortunately, ceramic water filters can eliminate infectious viruses, giving you clean, healthy drinking water.

Bacteria

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mention that, worldwide, unsafe drinking water led to 60% deaths^[3] from diarrheal illness.

Apart from viruses, bacteria are the main culprit. They can enter your bloodstream and make you sick pretty quickly.

Ceramic water filters eliminate up to 99% of pathogenic bacteria like E. coli and salmonella.

Radiologicals

Besides removing viruses and bacteria, ceramic water filters can also eliminate radiological elements from your home drinking water.

Though small amounts of radiological compounds are not harmful, high concentrations can reduce blood cell production and ultimately cause death.

Radiological elements that can be removed include thallium, radium, uranium and plutonium.

Metals

Black Berkey purification elements – they are ceramic water filters – can remove several metals from water.

The common metals that these filters eliminate include mercury, copper, arsenic, nickel, lead, chromium 6, cadmium, manganese, iron and aluminum.

Foul Smell and Unpleasant Taste

There’s nothing worse than bad-tasting and foul-smelling water. If you’ve been there, ceramic water filters can save your day.

These filters remove aesthetic water issues, improving your overall water quality.

As such, your water tastes and smells much better, and it encourages you to drink more.

Young woman in the kitchen drinking water

What is a Ceramic Water Filter? How Does it Work?

Knowing the endless benefits of ceramic water filters for your home water, perhaps you would have decided to purchase one earlier.

But before you hit the market to buy a ceramic filter, you need to know what they are and how they operate to make the right purchasing decision.

Ceramic water filters primarily consist of high-functioning filter media covered in a solid ceramic shell.

Generally, activated alumina, KDF, granular activated carbon and ion exchange resin are used as filter media types and determine what water pollutants will be eliminated.

So while most of the filter performance is based on the inner core, that does not indicate the outer ceramic doesn’t count. In fact, it works like a very fine sieve.

As a result, when water reaches the filter, most suspended particles are caught in the ceramic pores and do not enter inside.

That said, the pores are small enough to trap cysts, viruses, protozoa and bacteria.

Additionally, a few ceramic filters are equipped with silver to inhibit algae and mold growth.

What is the Ceramic Made of?

What ceramic filters are made of varies from brand to brand and model to model. However, most of them contain fine silica powder.

Silica powder origins can be traced back millions of years. It emerged from microscopic algae cell walls that deposited on lake beds.

Diatomaceous earth is another common name for the substance, and it serves various applications. For instance, it is utilized in insulation, as a polishing medium and above all to manufacture ceramic water filters.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ceramic Water Filters

The highly functional water filters can tackle thousands of different water contaminants. But not all that glitters is gold.

Ceramic filters, like other water treatment solutions, have a few downsides. So, before you purchase one for your home, you should know the other side of the story as well.

Pros

They are pretty affordable.
Ceramic filters are made from organic materials and do not contribute to health problems. They won’t pollute your water even after extended usage for prolonged periods.
These filters come in several sizes, and you can purchase one that best caters to your needs.
The ultra-fine technology is impeccable for eliminating parasites from your water. On top of that, a few models have a certification to remove viruses.
Because of their high filtration capacity, they are low maintenance. As such, you won’t be spending a lot of money on frequent replacements.

Cons

As stated earlier, ceramic filters have fine pores. While this is a plus for the filtration side of things, it can lead to rapid clogging. Therefore, you might need to clean them occasionally, especially if your water has high levels of hardness minerals or sediments.
The quality of ceramic filters differs from brand to brand.
These filters are pretty fragile; as such, careless handling can crack them.
A 100% ceramic filter that doesn’t contain KDF or carbon won’t work against chemicals. Simply put, trihalomethanes and chlorine will remain in your water.
The fine pores can slow down water flow considerably. For instance, a gravity-fed water filter like Berkey gives a gallon per hour flow rate.

Cost of Ceramic Water Filters

The company, model and design account for the price of ceramic water filters.

A popular water filtration system like the Big Berkey can cost you around $300. The package includes two ceramic filter elements.

The filter elements – for a set of two – alone are around $150

What is the Average Lifespan of Ceramic Water Filters?

In all honesty, maintenance plays a huge role in determining the lifespan of a water filter. A ceramic element being no different provides thousands of gallons of purified water.

If you want your filter to last even longer, maintaining the outer ceramic shell and cleaning it frequently is essential.

Other Water Filters that Eliminate Fluoride from Water

Aside from ceramic, a few other types of water filters help eliminate fluoride.

Reverse Osmosis

under sink reverse osmosis system with storage tank

RO systems consist of a semi-permeable membrane and other filter components that clean your drinking water. These systems can remove up to 99% of water pollutants, including fluoride.

Activated Alumina

Activated alumina is pretty popular among homeowners concerned about treating their fluoridated water, and rightfully so.

These filters are highly effective at fluoride removal.

Anion Exchange

Though a relatively unpopular and rare filter category, anion exchange works great against fluoride in water.

On the downside, this treatment method is not available for household use. Instead, you can find them in industrial applications.

Bone Char Filtration

Another functional way to reduce fluoride in water: Bone char.

The filter media is manufactured charring pig and cattle bones.

It’s highly absorptive. The tricalcium phosphate content is what makes it effective in reducing fluoride levels.

Water Distillation

Water distillation is perhaps the most effective method to reduce fluoride levels.

Though it serves as a solution temporarily, it is not the most practical option for everyday use.

Why? Because it removes all – the good and the bad – impurities from your water, demineralizing it.

So, your water won’t taste as good. Plus, it can cause mineral deficiency over time. One solution is to remineralize your water before drinking.

Conclusion

The right ceramic water filter removes fluoride from water.

Ceramic filters can also be used to reduce chemicals, viruses, bacteria, radiologicals and metals. What’s more, they improve water taste and odor.

A ceramic filter consists of an outer ceramic shell usually made from silica powder and a core containing filter media like activated carbon. The ceramic shell blocks suspended solids. The filter media inside does the rest of the contaminant removal.

There are pros and cons to ceramic water filters. For one, they’re long-lasting and remove even very small pollutants. But they’re also prone to clogging and relatively fragile.

One filter element will last you up to several thousand gallons of filtered water and comes at an affordable price.

AA, RO, bone char and distillation are other common home water purification methods to get rid of fluoride.

Does a Ceramic Water Filter Remove Fluoride?