It doesn't matter if you live in a large metropolis or in a small village - the problem of poor-quality, polluted water concerns many people. This problem cannot be underestimated, because the consequences can be permanent intestinal disorders due to the consumption of untreated water, things damaged during washing, and even plumbing. Contrary to popular belief, even spring water contains many impurities that are not always beneficial for our body. To avoid such problems, it is recommended to use various types of water filters. Let's try to figure out what water filters are and how to choose them for specific conditions.
Cleaning methods
Depending on the degree of water contamination and the purpose of use, purifiers may differ in types and methods of filtration. Any water filter serves to trap various impurities and bacteria contained in the liquid. In this case, it is of great importance how many degrees of purification the water passes through. So, stationary filters for water purification in production can have a single or triple filter, but if you need a household water filter, then it is better to choose a four-stage or even five-stage one. Such systems guarantee the safety of the water used for drinking and cooking.
In order to determine the right filter for your water, you need to know its composition. You can use the services of a specialist or look at the data of examinations conducted earlier in your area. Multi-stage filters will help to purify water from wells and wells.
First of all, consider water filters according to the cleaning method.
mechanical cleaning
This is the name of the coarse filtering method. Water passes through the porous or fibrous structure of the system filler, thereby leaving large particles of various impurities (for example, sand or rust) in it. This cleaning method captures particles ranging in size from 5 to 500 microns.
Sorption method
It consists in the absorption of impurities with the help of a certain filter media. The best filler for such systems is activated carbon. After such purification, most organic compounds are removed from the water, but its beneficial properties are preserved, which makes it possible to use such a filter for purifying drinking water and eating it. Suitable for wells, wells, and for apartment conditions.
Ion exchange method
Ions of heavy metals, such as iron, copper, nickel, etc., are removed from the water using an ion exchange resin. Instead of these impurities, water is saturated with hydrogen and sodium ions. That is why the method is called "exchange". Most often, this method is used to purify drinking water with household filters in apartments.
Ultrafine cleaning
Filters with this type of cleaning are capable of retaining harmful particles up to 0.5 microns in size. If the water in your area is very polluted or has an unpleasant taste or smell of chlorine, such a purifier will be indispensable.
Membrane filtration method
This item includes ultrafiltration, with the purification of water from particles ranging in size from 0.1 to 0.01 microns, and a reverse osmosis system that traps particles with a size of 0.0005 microns. When treated with membranes, the water becomes perfectly pure, that is, almost distilled. It is good for washing, using it for washing, but it is not recommended to drink it in the absence of an additionally installed mineralizer, since water, after triple purification, along with all harmful impurities, begins to lose useful trace elements.
Electrochemical cleaning
Most often, this method is used in enterprises where it is necessary to quickly purify large volumes of water.The operation of electrochemical purification plants consists in the destruction of impurities using an electrically powered unit.
Some types of water filters, in addition to removing harmful impurities, are able to soften water. This applies to ionic and magnetic varieties of cleaners. Softening hard water helps to avoid, for example, scale deposits in washing machines and electric kettles.
Types of water filters
Having decided on the degree of pollution and the method of cleaning, it is necessary to understand what kind of filters for water purification are according to the type of their application. There are six types of devices in total.
- Filter jug. It is an excellent option for obtaining drinking water at home. It is a plastic container into which the filter cartridge is inserted. To purify water, it is necessary to pour it into the upper tank and wait until all the water passes down and accumulates in the tank. The jug is convenient in that it does not depend on the water supply, which means that you can use it in any room. Of the pluses, one can also note a small price, and of the minuses, the cartridge must be periodically replaced with a new one.
The volume of the lower tank can be from two to four liters. When choosing a pitcher filter for a large family, you should pay attention to this parameter.
- A portable or camping filter is a hermetically sealed container in which a cleaning unit is built. Its name speaks for itself: the device is intended for use by tourists, travelers, summer residents. Moreover, there are both individual portable containers and camping ones, which are designed for five to six people.
- Another inexpensive way to improve your home's water quality is to install a faucet nozzle. The principle of operation of such a nozzle is that the cleaning element built into it delivers a filtered pressure of water either directly from the faucet spout or through a specially installed hose.
- Built-in filter under the sink. Such a device is built into the water supply system, installed under the sink, and a separate tap is displayed for it. It is enough to change the cartridges in such a system about once every six months. Also, such devices are great for a large family, for example, a three-stage water filter under the sink allows you to get drinking water even for use in baby food.
- Flow filter for sink. It differs from the previous type in that in this case the filtration unit is installed next to the sink. The advantage of such installations is that water purification occurs simultaneously with its supply from the tap.
A stationary water filter is convenient because it has high performance and a long service life, as well as a low maintenance cost.
- main filter pretreatment of water. This type of filter is called so because the installation of filtering equipment is carried out directly on the water main (separately on hot and cold), and all water entering the apartment is cleaned. It has several varieties: mesh devices that perform good pre-treatment of water, multi-stage fine cleaning systems, magnetic softeners.
What should be a quality filter?
Naturally, we all want our food and water to be clean and healthy, and not poisoned with harmful substances. Therefore, the water filter must be of high quality. What criteria should be considered when choosing a water treatment system?
- Environmentally friendly and safe materials. If the plastic parts of the filter emit pungent, unpleasant odors, it is worth considering whether the use of such equipment will harm you.
- The durability of the material from which the body is made. This applies primarily to stationary water treatment systems, the installation of which usually costs a pretty penny. Before you overpay several times, you should make sure that the selected device will last you a long time.
- Filter module resource. This parameter shows how much water the purifier is able to pass through itself before its resource is exhausted and it becomes useless.
- Ability to filter cold and hot water. If absolutely all filters are designed to purify water with temperatures up to 40 degrees Celsius, then not every one of them is capable of passing hot water. This issue should be considered in advance, before installing the device on a hot water faucet.
Which manufacturer is better?
Most often, in choosing a manufacturer, we are lost between domestic firms and foreign ones. There is a common stereotype that all foreign goods and services are a priori better than Russian ones, but this is far from always the case.
When choosing a water purifier, it is still worth paying attention to the popularity of a particular company, reviews about it, filter ratings, as well as the experience of friends or relatives. Sometimes word of mouth can be a good service and make it easier to choose.
The advantage of domestic filtration systems is that these devices are designed specifically for Russian waters, taking into account all the features and shortcomings. Also, repair and operation in this case will be much cheaper than for imported models.
