Our water supply system is seriously overloaded with chlorine, bacteria, fluoride, pharmaceuticals and other toxic substances. It is in fact a hazard to our health. Most of us are aware of this now whether it is from advertising, word of mouth or simply by the fact that our water tastes, looks and smells bad. Water filters have become a necessity in our homes. Have you ever wondered though how a water filter works?
There are actually several ways that water filters work. Some filters will combine different technologies while others will rely solely on one key technology. The more technologies used, the cleaner the water will be and the safer it will be to drink. Below is a list and an explanation of the different types of water filtration and how they work.
Carbon Filtration
This is when water passes through an activated carbon filter cartridge. The carbon will absorb bad odors and flavors. It will also safely absorb chlorine, sulfide, radon, hydrogen, volatile organic compounds, pesticides, benzene. Unfortunately though it will not remove heavy metals. For this reason it works great when used in combination with another filtration method.
Ion Exchange
With ion exchange water passes through a layer of resin beads that have sodium exchange coating. Ions in the water are then exchanged for ions on the beads. This method is used to soften the water by removing metals and minerals. It will remove nitrate, fluoride, sulfate, iron, calcium, magnesium and manganese. It does not however effectively remove bacteria.
Micro Filtration
This type of filtration passes water through a porous filtering material. It will remove sediments and suspended materials but it does not remove fine particles or dissolved substances.
Ultra Micro Filtration
Works the same way as micro filtration which removes sediments and extremely fine particles and microorganisms.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis is a very popular type of water filtration because it is very successful in removing nearly all contaminants of some sort and is very easy to maintain. It does require a lot of water for reverse osmosis to be successful. Put very simply, most reverse osmosis water filter units will have a prefilter that the water goes through first which strains out sediment. From there the water goes through a cellophane like membrane that filters out even smaller pollutants. Before the water comes out of the special faucet mounted on your sink, the water goes through one last carbon filter that removes any chemicals picked up along the way. It will successfully remove lead, sulfate, sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese, aluminum, nitrate, fluoride, most microorganisms and organic chemicals. It works great as a whole house filtration system when combined with other filtration technologies.
Ultraviolet Radiation
This type of water filtration will remove bacteria and viruses and sanitize your water. It does not however remove suspended particles or ions and is therefore very useful when combined with another technology. It works by using a low level ultraviolet light that kills the bacterial and viral pathogens.
Hopefully these explanations will help to clear up any confusion about how water filters work. The main point to take away from here is that each water filtration technology works well on their own to clean certain pollutants out of our water. However they are best used in combination with one or more technologies to really ensure that our water is clean and safe for drinking, cooking and/or bathing.
To learn much more about how water filters work as well as to learn about the different types of visit Get-Water-Filters.com where you'll find this and much more, including great information on .
Water filters are specialized sieves used to ensure that water is clean and safe for drinking. With water being vital to the survival of humanity, the use of water filtration systems is of great importance. Unfiltered water carries with it sediment and microorganisms that may be harmful to ones health. This makes the addition of a filtration system in the home of great value.
There are different types of water filters available commercially that intend to serve the same purpose - making water safe for use. These filters use various processes such as distillation, reverse osmosis and carbon bonding.
The distillation process involves boiling the impure water until it vaporizes leaving any particles in it behind. The vapor then passes through a device that cools it back to liquid form. This process, tested in laboratories using an apparatus known as a distillation tank, has proven quite effective.
Reverse osmosis is a more complicated process. The water molecules, which are under great pressure force their way through a thin film or membrane. The membrane blocks substances in the water from seeping through. Reverse osmosis has proven effective in removing heavy metals such as lead and aluminum from water as well as microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.
Systems that use carbon in the filtration process work through adsorption. The carbon filtration process is composed of two distinct procedures, chemical bonding and mechanical straining.
In Chemical Bonding, an activated piece of black charcoal, which is hydrophorbic, is used. The black charcoal has an electro-positive charge that makes it a more attractive bonding agent to chemicals and other impurities. As water forces its way through the carbon, it passes slowly to allow sufficient contact time. This enables sediment in the water to attach to the carbon.
The second method of water purification using carbon is mechanical straining; carbon compressed into a solid block is used. Water molecules strain through the carbon blocks microscopic pores and effectively eliminate any particles. This method is more effective in removing a larger number of contaminants than chemical bonding because it has larger surface area of carbon.
The degree of effectiveness will depend on the flow rate of water and the contact time with the carbon. If the flow rate is too high, the filtration could have zero efficiency. These carbon filtration methods are more efficient in removing sediment, chlorine, and organic compounds from water. They are not as effective in removing dissolved inorganic compounds, minerals or salts.
These filtration systems have all proven to eliminate harmful organisms from water to a certain extent. Although water filter manufacturers claim that their products eliminate all impurities in water, the truth is that no filter is 100 percent effective. Human error as well as malfunction of the filtration system is possible.
When purchasing water filters, it is important to take note of the filtration process they use. Most people prefer those that incorporate distillation while others prefer a combination of several processes. Water filters are effective means of purifying water.
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