Which water filter to choose

When purchasing water filters, you need to understand that today it will not be possible to buy a universal device suitable for all types of apartments, because such units simply do not exist. Different water cleaners are designed for various types of pollution. Moreover, for each of them, a certain method of water purification is used. In addition, different filters have different performance. About how to choose the right device - further.

Choice criteria

It is more correct to choose a cleaning device according to certain criteria. One of them is a chemical analysis, thanks to which you can get a quantitative assessment of the degree of pollution of your water. There is an abbreviated analysis that is done only 10-14 indicators. There are also advanced options-they are performed according to 14-35 indicators. The choice of one or another specifics of the analysis depends on the desire and availability of funds. Be that as it may, as a result, you will be given a certificate that can be shown to filters specialists. The same applies to the purchase of the water filter "Aquaphor".

It should be said that in the market of such equipment, companies work that do not need water analysis to select the device for cleaning. They will have enough information about the region of your residence. Such manufacturers have a certain statistics, using which the manager can quickly choose the water filter for your area. But there are few such companies today. That is why for the owners of private houses located outside the city and for residents of city apartments, it is still better not to forget to conduct chemicals before buying a water filter. Which one to choose from them, you will decide for yourself.

Another important criterion is the desired amount of water that you want to receive during the work of the device. You can calculate this indicator quite simply. So, the calculation is taken that on average a person consumes from 2 to 2.7 liters of water. This number is multiplied by the number of people in the house. You will get a minimum amount of the required water per day for the whole family. But it is best if the filter can produce if necessary per day of water two or even three times more. The fact is that the needs for fluids cannot be called uniform. It may be needed more, for example, when the guests arrive.

The issue of water quality is not as simple as it might seem. If you just need to treat the liquid by removing a pair of harmful components from it, then you need one filter of simple configuration. For example, for apartments in multi -storey buildings, a “barrier” water filter is suitable. Completely different requirements are imposed on the device, which should give at the output the water of the maximum cleaning. This will require another filter or a complex for filtering water, consisting of several devices. To be confident in your choice, you should understand the treatment methods used today.

Managers engaged in the sale of water filters to identify harmful substances that enter the human body when he drinks unpeeled water, show experience with a glass of tap water. As a result of electrolysis, the liquid in a short period of time becomes dirty, a layered sediment of a greenish shade appears. After such experience, similar manipulations are done with water, supposedly cleared by a high -quality filter. Many here are captivated by the fact that as a result of such an experiment, the liquid remains almost crystal pure. After all, there are immediately thoughts about various health problems associated with low quality of water supplied in the water supply. Therefore, people blindly trusting, acquire a promoted device, although in fact it may not be of the best quality.

The specifics of water purification

To find out which water filter to choose for home, first of all, you should figure out how they work. Below we consider various methods of water purification that have found their application in household appliances:

• The easiest way is filtering, which allows you to clean the liquid from various mechanical impurities (for example, sand, large particles of dust and rust). The filter element for these devices are porous and fibrous materials. As for the productivity of such devices, it, like the degree of cleaning of the device, largely depends on the ratio of the diameter of the pore diameter of the material and the size of mechanical particles present in purified water. It should be noted that the filter material, the diameter of the pores in which less than 0.43 μm is able to delay particles of bacteria, due to which it also allows to disinfect water, and not just clean from mechanical impurities. This applies to devices from various manufacturers, for example, to the Fibos water filter, etc.

• The filters also use the ion exchange method. It implies the replacement of unwanted ions with neutral. For example: Magnesium and calcium ions, through the specifics of the exchange, can be replaced with light sodium ions, which will make the water softer. The strongly planted liquid in its composition has heavy metals and fluorides, which, if necessary, can also be removed by such devices. In addition, due to this method of purification, water is enriched with some substances, for example, iodine and fluorine. Filters using the method of ion exchange need a periodic replacement of filtering elements and, therefore, a reserve of certain reagents is required. When buying such a device, it is necessary to clarify whether it is possible to purchase these reagents as necessary. And is there a regime of independent regeneration.

• Another popular cleaning method is sorption. It is a removal of harmful chemicals from the water. This method, for example, can help eliminate an unpleasant odor and make the taste of water better. Activated carbon is used as absorbing materials (sorbents). Whatever sorbent is used, the area of \u200b\u200bits contact with water directly affects the effectiveness of cleaning. So that the filter material does not grow together with microorganisms, disinfectant reagents are applied to the particles (for example, ions of iodine and silver). It is worth saying that any sorbent is limited by the amount of pollution that it can absorb. This concept is called "capacity." Different sorbents have different capacitance indicators accordingly. When this resource wears out, then the efficiency of the device is reduced. Moreover, such a filter can, on the contrary, pollute water by harmful substances that have absorbed earlier.

• Perhaps one of the best methods of cleaning is the reverse osmosis method. In this case, the liquid is cleaned by passing through a semi -permanent membrane. The pores of such a membrane can reach from 15 to 500 nm. The design of such devices provides a pump that serves to create a high pressure necessary for the filtration process itself. Depending on the diameter of the pores, filtering with the reverse osmosis can purify the water partially or almost completely completely removed from the water of any impurities. It is with the help of such devices that it is possible to get fresh from sea water. The greater the filter performance, the higher its cost. Therefore, they are often used in large water supply systems, namely, for the final purification of water.

It is very important today not only to clean, but also to disinfect water. For this, for example, ozone and radiation with ultraviolet is used. Sometimes silver or iodine ions are used. When the water is cleaned with the indicated methods, it must also be completed through the device with a sorbent (for example, activated coal). For example, such as the ATOLL Water filter. This is necessary in order to remove decay products, rust and harmful microorganisms from the liquid.

Classification of cleaning devices

To date, there are a lot of varieties of cleaning devices. Let us consider in more detail some filters for water purification and their photo.

So, quite popular in everyday life are filters-pools. These are the most primitive devices with a small degree of filtering. Their main task is to purify water from chlorine and unpleasant odors. Partly they can make water softer. Thanks to compactness and mobility, such devices can be successfully used at home, in the office and take them with you on a business trip. One cartridge is usually enough to clean up to 280 liters of water. Therefore, it will have to be changed about once every 1.5 months. For such devices, the maximum degree of cleaning is 20 microns.

Of the advantages, it is worth noting:

• Portability.
• The device does not need to be connected to the water supply.
• It is very easy to use.
• His work does not need to be controlled.

The disadvantages include:

• A small degree of cleaning.
• Small volumes of purified water.

The amount of water received as a result of the work of the water device at a time cannot be more than the volume of the jug itself, and it is usually small - not more than 2 liters. Cooking on average requires about 4 liters of water. Therefore, such a device will need to be filled with water for filtering at least twice. This is very inconvenient. Nevertheless, this filter is perhaps the best for those who are limited by their budget, or with small size of the kitchen.

Function filters installed on the sink. They are usually placed next to the tap. To begin with cleaning, tap water should be supplied through an attached flexible hose.

"Strong" sides:

• Such devices are good in that they have good performance. So, for example, in just one minute, this water cleaner can give up to 1.5 liters of water.
• In addition, these filters do not require separate containers for purified water.

Flaws:

• Such devices occupy a lot of space near the sink.
• We must not forget that it will need to be connected and disconnected from the tap after filtration each time.

Nozzles on the crane. These are small filters, which, as of their name, are dressed directly on the crane.

Pros of such products:

• The price of water filters is small.
• It has mobility. It is possible to take the filter with you on the road.
• Good quality filtering.

Flaws:

• Sorbent has a relatively small volume. This makes such devices not always convenient to use.
• Small performance. So, one liter can be obtained only a couple of minutes after the start of the filtration.
• In addition, an additional container is required where all the water that has undergone cleaning will be collected.

Such devices include a water filter "Trio".

Propoic filters mounted under the sink. They are devices that are built into the water supply. They themselves are usually located under the sink, and an additional crane comes out on it, from which purified water will come. Cartridges for this device must be changed no more than once in six months. Let's move on to work indicators. So, the maximum degree of cleaning is from 0.05 to 1 micron. There are several disadvantages, like other types of devices, but still the main of them is considered - the high cost of such products is preferred by people who were able to understand how valuable water is purified.

Reverse osmosis systems. These are, of course, the best water filters, and that says it all. The liquid that has passed through devices with such a specificity of cleaning becomes not only softer and devoid of harmful impurities, such as iron, rust and chlorine, but it also disinfect, i.e. Harmful bacteria and viruses are removed from it. Included with such filters, there is usually a system of cartridges that allow the initial cleaning of water. In addition, in the configuration there is a special membrane and an element for the final purification of fluid.

Such devices can also be equipped with a mineralizer, which makes it possible to enrich water with useful substances, for example, iodine. She really becomes healthy. The maximum degree of cleaning for such devices is 0.0001 microns. The operation is also quite convenient. You can change the membrane, for example, only once every three years, and cartridges once a year. Buying such water treatmenting devices is a luxury, given their cost. But, nevertheless, they pay off fast enough. After all, with them you can forget about the problem of water purification.

Hot water cleaning devices

Hot water similarly needs to be cleaned, but simple filters will not cope with this task. We need special devices, for example, water filters "Expert". The main condition for their operation is high temperatures. To clean hot water, for example, the so -called main filters are used, which can be made of stainless steel and heat -resistant plastic. Water is filtered through a fine -masculine metal mesh. Polyester cartridges can also be used for filtering. Cleans for cleaning reach 80-320 microns. A similar system serves only for preliminary cleaning. Therefore, it is not effective for filtering technical water.

It is very convenient when you can quickly and easily clean the grid in the filter. For this, devices are usually equipped with an additional tap. For filtering, non -woven polyester devices can be used. The sizes of cells then should already be from 19 to 6 microns. Today, such devices are widely used for high -quality water purification from various suspended particles (rust, large dust, sand or scale).

It is worth saying that it is allowed to install cold water that exist today on hot water - they will cope with their task easily. But you cannot use ordinary units to clean hot water. The fact is that they were not designed to work at high temperature. Hot water can disrupt the tightness of such devices, which is why the device will occur.