Water is crucial to life itself. People can’t survive without water. In addition to being crucial for us to drink, we need water for a number of things including cooking and proper hygiene. Around the world, most people have access to water through wells or systems set up by governments. However, what kind of water are you getting? Much of the water available today tends to have some contaminants or minerals within it. While it may not seem like a big deal if you can’t see them, these can actually cause quite a few problems to your living situation. In some cases there may be health concerns. Sometimes it just discourages people from drinking enough water due to a bad taste. In other situations it can lead to challenges while cleaning. This has led to water filtration systems. These systems can be as simple as a pitcher with a filter, or a large home system that’s using multiple types of filters. In every case, it’s an improved source of water which has managed to filter out some of the contaminants that would otherwise exist. This article is going to examine the types of water filters and some of the benefits they may provide.
Benefits of Water Filters
Most people have turned to one kind of water filter or another over time. There’s a reason for that. Water filtration systems have many benefits. The first is simply the taste and smell of the water. In many cases the impurities and sediment located in water can add an unwanted taste and smell. Water filtration takes those substances out, leaving behind some crystal clean water perfect for drinking.
Another benefit is that it makes cleaning much easier. When water is full of minerals, it tends to leave limescale stains from these impurities over long time periods. This can happen in a number of locations, but containers which hold the water the longest tend to suffer the worst. Think of a tank in a humidifier which is consistently refilled. The impurities can form some serious limescale and even damage the device. With filtered water, there’s no need to worry about this and cleaning becomes a whole lot easier without having to scrape and scrape to get the limescale off.
Types of Water Filters
When it comes to water filters, there are 5 different types. Home water filtration systems will use one (or more) of these types of filters. When it comes to water filters, there are 5 different types. Home water filtration systems will use one (or more) of these types of filters.
The types are:
Absorption Filters: Most people know of these as “carbon” filters. As the water passes over the carbon, it captures the various contaminants located inside the water. Water pitcher filters often use a carbon absorption layer using some granular activated carbon. It helps take the odd taste or odor out of water.
Mechanical Filters: The name should suggest how these filters work, but they attempt to mechanically remove the various contaminants and particles that can get into water. It should be noted that there are different strengths of mechanical filters and they are rated by their “micron rating”. At 5 microns, anything visible to natural sight will get removed. At 1 micron, things invisible to the eye and only visible on a microscope are removed.
Sequestration Filters: These filters are intended to reduce the amount of limescale located within a water. Instead of getting rid of limescale, it simply uses a chemical process to keep it from attaching to surfaces.
Ion Exchange Filters: These filters help to soften hard water. Many people know about the concept of water softening, but it’s accomplished by replacing the magnesium and calcium that can be found in water with sodium. Ion exchange is an excellent option because it gets all the hard minerals out and ensures the water isn’t going to cause limescale to your dishes, sinks and containers.
Reverse Osmosis Filters: With a reverse osmosis filter, the water is forced through a membrane under a fair amount of pressure. The solids are then removed during the process. It’s rare for a reverse osmosis filter to be the only filter used in a water filtration system and will often have a carbon filter included as well or something else. This is also the most expensive form of water filtration unit, but gives you some great results.
