Importance to Own the NSF Certified

There are many low-end manufacturers lying that their refrigerator water filters have been certified by the NSF.

More consumers are turning to refrigerator water filters nowadays in the light of the increasingly polluted water, creating a new industry worth of billions of dollars.

However, to make money, some refrigerator water filter manufactures lie that their fake products have been certified by the NSF. It has been proved that low-quality refrigerator water filters are not only unable to remove contaminants from water, but also potentially further pollute water thanks to the device’s unsafe raw materials.

Why are refrigerator water filters with (NSF) certification sought-after?

Although the federal government hasn’t required refrigerator water filter manufacturers to obtain NSF certification for their products, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and health departments in the US have suggested consumers to purchase refrigerator water filters certified by the NSF.

As a neutral third-party, the NSF’s certification has been recognized by 13 authoritative national-level or industrial organizations such as American National Standards Institutes (ANSI), Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Standards Council of Canada.

The NSF is the designated cooperative partner of the World Health Organization (WHO) on promoting food and drinking water safety. Refrigerator water filters that are tested by the NSF and proved to reach the NSF standard will be authorized to use the NSF logo, which represents that:

1. As indicated in the manuals, the products have the ability to remove impurities from water;
2. Materials making up the products will not add any contaminants to water during the absorption process;
3. The products meet the design and production requirements;
4. The products have no structural and functional defects;
5. Advertisements, sample information and NSF certification shown on the products are true and accurate.

Meanwhile, the NSF requires refrigerator water filter manufactures to comply with its certification regulations if they want to use its certification logo on their products. These include accepting initial and periodic tests and evaluations, and even surprise inspections.

Once confirming its certification logo is misused or manufactures break rules, the NSF will take harsh punitive measures such as seizing, sealing, recalling, or even destroying unqualified refrigerator water filters, blacklisting the makers, informing consumers of the incidents, and canceling certification. The NSF safeguards the interests of all parties, regulating the behaviors of market players, consumers and makers, and supervise the implementation of policies and the authority of certification.

Water pollution

It’s estimated that roughly 80% of global sewage - mostly untreated - ends up being directly dumped to the environment, polluting rivers, lakes and sea.

This type of water pollution is very common in the world and is harming our health. Estimates show that the number of people dying from drinking unsafe water has surpassed those killed in wars or violences.

Our drinking water is very limited, especially since we can only get less than 1% of fresh water on this planet. If we don’t take action to protect it now, we will face grim water crisis by 2050, when the world’s demand for fresh water increases by a third.

You may not think water pollution is a serious problem when you still lead a comfortable life. But the worrying thing is that while most Americans are accessible to safe drinking water, various potentially harmful contaminants such as arsenic, copper and lead were found in many states in the US.

Fake refrigerator water filters are very common

In recent years, many cases of misusing NSF certification logo in the lucrative refrigerator water filter industry were reported. Illegal manufacturers made a tremendous number of fake refrigerator water filters to earn lots of money. In a move to address this problem, the NSF is taking legal action.

NSF certification involves several steps, including auditing manufacturers, testing products in the laboratory and conducting follow-up monitoring.

Using fake NSF-certified refrigerator water filters can further pollute your water and cause damages to your refrigerator.

Besides, fake refrigerator water filters might cause leakage and be less efficient at removing contaminants due to its low-quality raw materials.

If you can’t tell if a refrigerator water filter has NSF certification or not, you can check it out on the official website of the NSF.