Certification and test reports: two complementary readings
To choose a water filter, it is useful to look at its design, its intended use, and the available documentation. A standard number or the number of rows in a table is not enough to summarize its performance.
What does a certification indicate?
A certification applies to specific products and requirements. Depending on the program, it may cover materials, a precise reduction performance, or a system. You must consult the certifying body’s official directory to find out which references are covered and to access up-to-date information.
Key reading references
- NSF/ANSI 42: concerns, in particular, the aesthetic effects of water, such as taste, odor, chlorine, and particles, according to the certified characteristics. A material-related certification does not constitute a certification of all these reductions.
- NSF/ANSI 53: concerns specific reductions of contaminants that pose a health risk. The covered claims vary according to the product.
- NSF/ANSI 401: concerns certain substances and emerging parameters. The presence of a pharmaceutical section in a report does not, in itself, allow one to claim that this protocol was followed.
- NSF/ANSI/CAN 372: concerns the lead content of components; it does not establish their ability to remove lead from water.
What does a test report indicate?
A report describes the results obtained for the sample and under the conditions examined. To interpret it, look at its date, the identification of the item tested, the substances analyzed, the concentrations before and after filtration, the units, and the laboratory’s caveats.
Values should be read substance by substance. A result for one compound does not automatically apply to its entire family. The number of lines may include repetitions and therefore does not necessarily correspond to the number of distinct substances.
Furthermore, a measured performance does not demonstrate that it is maintained throughout the entire duration or volume of announced use without corresponding data.
Monderma Impérial range: the GF and AMB design
Manufactured in the United States, the Impérial GF and AMB filters combine a microporous ceramic shell with internal media including activated carbon and zeolite. GF uses granular activated carbon; AMB uses a compressed activated carbon block. The ceramic surface can be cleaned according to the instructions.
This description allows for comparing their construction. It does not, in itself, constitute a contaminant reduction ranking. For dimensions, installation, and maintenance, consult the leaflets and instructions specific to each version.
Distinguishing between dates and scopes
Our documentation includes an Envirotek report no. 16-112 dated 2016, which specifies that its results concern only the tested sample, and a manufacturer’s NSF/ANSI 42 document dated October 1, 2020. The public copy of the latter does not detail the Monderma GF and AMB commercial references or their certified claims.
These documents are presented with their limitations on our Tests, certificates, and technical documentation page. They are not used to indiscriminately assign the same reduction rate to both versions or to claim their nominative certification under Monderma.
The commercial launch of the range in 2026 is distinct from the date of the tests and the date of the manufacturer’s documents.
Choosing for your actual use
The Impérial configurations presented on the site are intended for cold, potable municipal water, for gravity-fed, non-pressurized use. Check your system’s dimensions and follow the maintenance instructions. To target a particular substance, look for a justification applicable to that substance and the exact model, rather than a general promise.
Compare the GF and AMB construction · Ask our team a question
Official references: NSF — Water treatment systems standards and NSF — Contaminant reduction claims guide. The manufacturer’s documents are accessible via our documentation page.
