I need some help with water filters

[Toolip]

I am becoming more and more concerned with chlorine and heavy metals in our water.  I want to get a shower filter.  A friend also gave me the housing for a counter top 10" filter unit but the filters they sell at our health food store are $75 -- eeps! 

I know nothing about water filters and I'm sure you probably get what you pay for.  I would like some advice on an inexpensive water filter option that still works for what I need!

Thank you!
 

[aisforamy]

Can't help much but I've heard the Big Berkey is the absolute best. We're in the process of researching this right now and I think we're going to settle one of those.

Good luck!

[sbgrace]

I can't remember the initial cost but we did a whole house filter at the intake valve that filters chlorine. Then we have a filter at the kitchen sink for drinking/cooking water for the other stuff. Most filters won't handle a form of chlorine (is it chloramines? I can't remember the name!). The ones that do don't handle other things or something. It's been so long since I thought about this that I can't remember all I learned honestly! But at the time it seemed to me it made more sense financially to remove chlorine at intake than do the shower ones (which I felt were iffy when I researched if I recall) and then try to do something that can handle it at the tap too.

[Toolip]

yeah, I know that this is not an ideal solution.  However, I'm not going to live here much longer so I don't want to invest in a whole house system.  That is something that I would love for the future though!

Right now I'm just looking for a good replacement for my 10" filter and something that I can attach in the shower...

I suppose I should find out exactly what kind of chlorine they add to our water.