Mineralizer for reverse osmosis: why you need it, maintenance and replacement

The poor quality of tap water has led to widespread installation of filters in private apartments. Reverse osmosis systems provide the highest degree of purification. But they cost an order of magnitude higher than other filters. The question arises: does it make sense to spend extra money on installing a water mineralizer after a reverse osmosis membrane?

Why do you need a mineralizer?

The operation of the reverse osmosis system is based on forcing pretreated water through a membrane with very small holes. Their size is comparable to the size of water molecules, so 99% of the substances dissolved in it are retained and washed off into the drainage. Read more about reverse osmosis cleaning here

In addition to harmful impurities, the membrane does not let in vital elements: calcium, magnesium, potassium salts and others. There is a lot of controversy about the harm of drinking such almost distilled water.

Opponents of osmosis are sure that low-mineralized water washes salts out of the body. Their lack causes problems with bone and cartilage tissues, increases the risk of developing arrhythmia and arthrosis, and negatively affects the condition of the teeth and gums.
The other side claims that the use of such water does not adversely affect health and does not lead to a lack of salts. After all, we get minerals from food and other drinks. There is also official evidence that people who have been drinking low-mineralized water for many years have not complained of deteriorating health.

The dangers and benefits of water that has undergone reverse osmosis treatment, as well as common myths, are written in this article.

Will not find out who is right. In order not to torment yourself with questions, it is worth putting a water filter with reverse osmosis and a mineralizer: there will definitely be no harm from it, and the taste of water will become better.

What happens to water during mineralization:

the liquid is saturated with substances necessary for the body;
the acid-base balance is leveled;
the water tastes good.

What is a cartridge mineralizer

The cartridge consists of a mineral filling placed inside a ceramic or plastic body. Its task is to adjust the pH and increase the mineral content. Typically, the scheme of the purification system provides for the installation of a mineralizer directly in front of the drinking tap immediately after the carbon post-filter. Often coal and mineralizing filling are combined in one cartridge, then there is no need for an additional stage.

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In some models of osmotic filters, the mineralizer is installed before the storage tank. Water passes through it slowly, so it is more fully saturated with microelements. Another solution that improves the quality of mineralization is to run the liquid through the module in two directions.

In budget models of mineralizers, the backfill consists of calcite. In this form, calcium carbonate is common in nature. Additionally, cations of magnesium, sodium and potassium are added, as well as anions of carbonates, sulfides and chlorides.

The composition of the backfill and the technical characteristics of the mineralizer, the features of operation and connection, manufacturers indicate on its body.

Maintenance and item replacement

The maintenance process consists in replacing the element after the exhaustion of its resource. This parameter is specified by the manufacturer and is expressed in thousands of liters of water that the filter can pass without compromising quality. It ranges from 2 to 15 thousand, the standard figure is 3-4 thousand liters.

You can also focus on the time of operation: most mineralizers are recommended to be changed at least once every six months.

Consider the replacement procedure using the example of a Pentair (Pentek) GS-10CAL/RO calcite cartridge

Changing the cartridge is easy and fast:

The water supply to the filter system is blocked.
The valve on the storage tank is closed.
Tubes are disconnected from the mineralizer.It is recommended to first take a picture of their relative position, so as not to confuse them later during assembly.

The old filter is disconnected, a new one is put in its place.
Tubes are connected.
The water supply valves open in reverse order.

The best models of water filters with mineralization

The top five filters with installed mineralizer and storage tank included:

"Barrier PROFI Osmo 100 M". System with 6 stages of cleaning and storage capacity of 10 liters. Productivity - 0.2 l / min. Customer reviews are only positive, rating - 5 out of 5. Price - 8,034–9,250 rubles.

Atoll A-575m STD. Five-stage filter with a storage tank of 12 liters. Throughput - 0.2 l / min. Replacement elements are made in Mexico and the USA. The membrane needs to be changed rarely - once every 5 years. Users liked the ease and convenience of installation, the mild taste of water. Rating - 5 out of 5. Cost - 11,390–12,800 rubles.

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Angstra R-6Cm - 6 cleaning steps. The reduced volume of a storage tank (8 l.). Improves the circulation of purified water and is more convenient to place under the kitchen sink. The kit includes the latest Filmtec membrane (USA) - 100 gallons (almost 400 liters) per day. Users note the pleasant taste of the water, the good flow of purified water and the ease of maintenance. Rating 5 out of 5. Price - 18,020 rubles.

"New Water Expert Osmos MO600". Transparent storage tank holds 7.5 liters of purified water. Productivity - 0.2 l / min. Users noted the excellent taste of water, beautiful design. The disadvantage is the high cost. Rating - 5 out of 5. Price - 14,590–18,729 rubles.

"Aquaphor OSMO 50 5PN". Five-stage system with a 10-liter tank. Productivity - 1.3 l / min. The reverse osmosis membrane UltraTeck (USA) is used. The water is tasty, soft, does not leave scale. Among the shortcomings, users noted a high water consumption: a significant volume is drained into the drainage. Rating - 4 out of 5. Cost - 8,046–10,999 rubles.

"Geyser Prestige M (12 l)". System with 5 stages of purification and a 12-liter storage tank. Productivity - 0.13 l / min, purifies up to 200 liters of water per day. The filter has a long resource of cartridges, so they do not have to be changed often. It qualitatively purifies even very bad water, but for very dirty liquid it is recommended to replace the cartridge of the second stage with an Aragon ion-exchange filter. Disadvantages - expensive cartridges, high water consumption. Rating - 4 out of 5. Cost - 7,390–8,490 rubles.

Direct-flow reverse osmosis split system with mineralization

This latest achievement in the field of water purification in an apartment has many advantages:

Compactness. The very concept of "split system" implies the division of the structure into blocks that can be located at a considerable distance from each other. The filter block is placed under the sink, and the pump part is placed at the sewer riser. A separate plumbing cabinet is often made under it. This allows you to achieve noiseless operation of the filters, besides, you do not need to pull an additional outlet to such a humid place as the space under the sink.

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High performance. Helps to get rid of the expansion tank. A direct-flow split system is able to provide purification of the required volume of water without its accumulation.
Versatility. The built-in pump allows connection to a water supply system with a pressure of 0.5 atm.
Durability. There is an automatic membrane flushing function: after each switching on of the filtration system for 20 seconds, a powerful water flow passes through it in the opposite direction. So it is cleaned, retaining its properties for a long time. As a result, the membrane lasts longer, and the number of discharges into the sewer decreases.
High quality water purification and mineralization, including saturation with useful microelements.
Ease of use and control due to the diode panel with light indicators.
Reliability. All elements of the system are designed with a large margin of safety, able to withstand pressure drops and water hammer.

Models:

Praktic Osmos Stream OUD600, 6 cleaning steps.Cost - 17,890–22,698 rubles.
Expert Osmos Stream MOD600 is the senior model in the line with the maximum configuration and functionality. Price - 18,000–23,292 rubles.
Econic Osmos Stream OD360 is the most compact system. Cost - 15,900–20,592 rubles.

The main feature of Prio Novaya Voda split systems is the innovative Japanese Toray membrane made of polymer composite film, which is considered one of the best on the market. Will cope with cleaning 1800 liters of water per day. More economical than any system with a storage tank: 3 times less water goes into the drainage. There is an auto-flushing function, the systems are electronically controlled.

The only drawback of such systems is the high cost. But it pays off in terms of convenience and high quality water.

Lydia

The mineralizer has been standing for a long time. Indeed, it greatly affects the taste of water. I no longer enjoy tea and coffee at a party - the taste is not the same. And by the way, about the high cost of filters - yes, this is nonsense. It is better to pay once for quality than to suffer from kidney stones and other sores earned by the body from dirty water later. So I recommend the mineralizer!

Answer

Kseniya

We bought the American Atoll. Model without mineralizer. I'll tell you my opinion after 6 months of operation. Drinks have a completely different taste: tea and coffee cannot be compared in taste with those that were previously (previously there was a three-stage Barrier). We have an automatic coffee machine, with the same filter cleaned every 2 months, and the cleaning fluid is very expensive. Atoll has never been cleaned before. Therefore, I definitely don’t want to install a mineralizer, we drink bottled mineral water.

Gregory

We also have such a filter and the water is beautiful. And it's wonderful! However, we ourselves do not climb for a replacement, we always call the master if something needs to be done with the filter. And then, God forbid, we break something.

Anton

At first, many people were surprised when they saw that I was drinking tap water) I had to explain what a filter with a water mineralizer is. The only problem was with its replacement, but thanks to your instructions it became much easier.