What is KDF-55 and How Does It Work in a Shower Filter?

We haven't written an article recently to continue on with our exposition of the various types of shower filter mediums that are used in our shower filters for a little bit now. So we thought it would be a good idea to look into one of the primary shower filter mediums that you will find in any high quality shower filter, KDF-55.

So if you've been onto our website, you've probably seen the term KDF-55 a lot. That's because as a shower filter medium, KDF-55 is probably the number 1 water filter medium that you want in your shower filter. It is an extremely high quality and highly efficient water filter medium that acts really quickly and also acts to reduce a heck of a lot of contaminants in your water supply. In a shower filter, you want the filter medium to act as quickly as possible, because to get the best shower experience we need good pressure and fast flowing water. So that's a tick for KDF-55. As there is not much room inside a shower filter cartridge because everything either has to fit into the shower filter head itself or into a small in line shower filter body, you also want the filter medium that filters out as many things as possible in the smallest possible quantities, again, that' where KDF-55 excels.

But what EXACTLY is KDF-55? Let's get into the nitty gritty below and see if we provide you with a good understanding of how this ingenious shower filter medium is working to remove contaminants from your shower water and keeping you safe and healthy.

What is KDF-55?

KDF is an abbreviation for Kinetic Degradation Fluxion and has been developed by the KDF Fluid Treatment company in the United States since the 1980s. The filter material itself is made from very high purity formations of copper and zinc alloys. These copper-zinc alloys are treated in a special way and then produce the KDF-55 filter material that we use in our shower filters. The product itself is patented and manufactured in the United States and is used extensively throughout all different industries which need water filtration, from manufacturing to food production. One of the key features of KDF-55 is that it is recognised and certified by a large number of international scientific bodies to produce the benefits that it claims. For example the USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) actually lists KDF filter medium as a "pesticidal device" that will kill bacteria in water. The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) have tested and certified KDF-55 to it's international standards the filtration of drinking water and also it's rigorous standards for treatment units. Sometimes we get customers who ask about our shower filters, "Does it really work?". To these customers we always point them to the science and show them that the shower filter mediums inside our shower filters actually have been independently tested and certified by the biggest and best health experts in the world.

How Does It Work?

One of the key benefits of KDF-55 is that it filters water by a natural chemical reaction. It basically uses science and chemistry to filter water, rather than any type of chemical additive or cleaning products being put into the water (like salts being put into water to soften water for example). As tap water passes through the KDF-55 shower filter cartridge a chemical process which is called Redox occurs, in scientific terms this process creates an electrochemical reaction between the particles inside the water and the KDF-55 filter medium. That process can change chemicals such as Chlorine from a harmful substance to a benign salt that is water soluble and can't be breathed in or cause skin irritation. It is that electrochemical reaction that is the at the heart of how KDF-55 works.

What Does It Filter Out?

KDF-55 can produce a really large reduction in a lot of different water bourne contaminants and in some contaminants it can totally eliminate them altogether. For example with Chlorine, lab testing has shown that KDF-55 can remove 99% of Chlorine from tap water, virtually eliminating it altogether. Also many dangerous heavy metals that can be found in water that come from water supplies but also come from old pipes in your home can be removed with a KDF-55 shower filter as well. Heavy metals such as copper, lead, mercury and others react to the filter medium and stick to the KDF-55 and thus are removed from the water supply. As mentioned earlier, it also has the ability to kill microorganisms such as bacteria and algae by impairing their ability to function.

We've been providing shower filters to our happy customers for over 10 years, when started the first types of shower filters we sold were KDF-55 shower filters.
Sure, they are more expensive than other types of shower filters. But because they are backed by science, they are a patented, long lasting and high quality product - we have always found that our customers appreciate this peace of mind when it comes to filtering their shower water and also when it comes to their health.

Below are the shower filters we currently have on our website and they are listed by the quantity of KDF-55 they have in them; from highest to lowest:

#1 Paragon Luxury Hand-Held Shower Filter Head

#2 8 Stage Luxury Shower Filter

#3 Clear Tinted Dechlorinating 4 Stage Shower Filter

As always, if you have any questions or comments about a KDF-55 shower filter or how KDF-55 works, please do not hesitate to email us on info@pureshowers.com or you can contact us from the contact us link on the bottom of this page.

We hope you keep having Pure Showers!