With the advancement of technology, many water filtration systems are finding their way into the market. More contaminants keep infiltrating into our drinking water due to increased industrial activities that emit dangerous waste. This being the case, you must know the various water filtration systems in the market so that you can make the right choice when need be. Having a water filtration system at home will remove contaminants and impurities from your water, giving you safe and healthy hydration solutions. This article looks at the seven common types of water filtration systems that you can use at home. Keep reading to know which ones are these.
- Sediment filtration
This filtration system is used widely for domestic and industrial water filtration. The system involves using a sediment filter with a micron rating that ranges between one to a hundred microns. The sediment filter traps sand, heavy metals, silt, and rust alongside other large particles present in the water. The sediment filtration system can be used alongside other filtration. It can serve as a good pre-filter that removes large particles from the water and prevents the filter from clogging.
- Reverse osmosis filtration
In the reverse osmosis filtration system, the semi-permeable membrane uses the water pressure to force water through the reverse osmosis membrane. As the high water pressure pushes water through the membrane, the impurities like lead, arsenic, sand, residues, mud, and particulate are trapped behind. This happens as clean water is forced through the surface. Reverse osmosis filters provide the cleanest without using electric power. However, this system wastes water as it only recovers a third of what it receives.
- Activated carbon block filtration
Another filtration system used in many homes is the activated carbon block filtration that uses a binding agent to hold carbon powder together. The carbon powder has a high affinity for contaminants. It clears volatile organic compounds, microscopic cysts, arsenic, and lead from water. The system also removes chlorine from water, clearing the water of the weird smell and taste.
- Granular activated carbon filtration
Like the previously discussed activated carbon filtration system, the granular activated carbon filtration systems remove chlorine and fluoride from water, enhancing the taste and making water odorless. The only difference between activated carbon filtration and the granular activated carbon filtration system is the size of carbon blocks. The granular activated carbon filtration system uses loose carbon granules larger than the blocks used in activated carbon block filtration. The larger granules have a low contaminant adsorption rate and high water infiltration rate. The granular activated carbon filters can serve as a pre-filter for the activated carbon filtration systems and prevent them from sediment clogging. When used as pre-filters, they remove chlorine and other contaminants, making the activated carbon block filtration more effective.
- Ultrafiltration (UF)
The UF system uses water pressure to push water through a submicron semi-permeable UF membrane. Typical membranes have a size of 0.01 to 0.5microns and are made from hollow fibers, and can remove most impurities from the water. The microscopic size of the membrane is efficient at removing microscopic microorganisms like bacteria, protozoa, and fungi from water, making water free of any disease-causing pathogens. UF systems do not need pre-filters to remove chlorine from water, and eliminate the unpleasant odor and taste from water. Although it is efficient, the system has its setbacks that can be countered by combining the UF system with other filtration systems like sediment, activated carbon, and reverse osmosis filtration.
- Activated alumina filtration
This is another water filtration system used in many homes. In this filtration system, activated alumina, commonly known as bauxite, is used to remove thallium, selenium, and arsenic from water. If your tap water is fluoridated, then the activated alumina filtration system would be one of the ideal water purification methods. The activated alumina should be subjected to backwashing and chemical treatment as a part of the initialization process before you can use it.
- Faucet water filtration
Faucet water filtration systems is a water filtration system that would be applicable for families that require continued water supply of filtered water. It has a compact size that facilitates easy attachment in the kitchen without consuming any extra countertop space. Besides, this water filtration system is easy to use. All it takes is to install it, and then you can turn on the faucet to get clean and safe filtered water.
Conclusion
It’s now an open secret that using bottled water adds environmental hazards to the ecological system, yet the tap water is also contaminated. A cheaper alternative to approaching this problem involves using home water filtration systems that produce pure and safe filtered water. This article has discussed seven common water filtration systems, from which you can choose the system that suits you.
