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Drinking water purification: how to choose a filter for a sink

The ability to access to safe and healthy drinking water is of vital importance, and having a purification filter is an effective way to ensure the water you drink is free of impurities. When considering a filter for your sink, there are several factors that must be taken into consideration, such as filtration capacity, levels of filtration, and price. This article provides information on the features of different filters and explains how to choose an ideal filter for your sink based on your needs. Not only are these filters reliable in terms of removing harmful contaminants, they can also provide better tasting and odor-free drinking water.

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What to do if water from a well or well does not meet drinking standards? In this article we will tell you about the types of filtering and disinfecting installations, we will tell you how and what kind of water purification devices should be used in the household..

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Poor quality water does not have to come from a well or well. Old plumbing systems and failures in urban wastewater treatment plants also lead to increased rigidity, excessive iron content and bacterial contamination..

Water intake for sample, analysis of results

The rationality of the installation of treatment devices is determined exclusively by a comprehensive analysis of water. The sample must be taken directly from the source, having run through about 50 liters of settled water that has accumulated in the pipeline. The analysis will require about 1.5 liters of water in a clean PET bottle (only from mineral water).

You can do the analysis at the test center or in the SES. The services of independent laboratories will cost more, but the result will be issued on time.

The expert opinion includes more than thirty points, each of which describes the content of certain substances in the studied sample.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

By the nature of impurities, pollution can be divided into several categories:

  1. Increased content of radionuclides (considered the most dangerous).
  2. Increased or decreased pH value (PH).
  3. High salt content.
  4. High total hardness and solids content.
  5. High content of dissolved iron.
  6. Nitrates, nitrites and similar compounds.
  7. Organoleptic indicators โ€“ color, transparency, smell, taste.
  8. Organic pollution (by the presence of pathogenic bacteria and viruses).

The permissible values โ€‹โ€‹of the indicators are regulated by SanPiN 2.1.4.559โ€“96. Depending on the nature of water pollution, the most adequate method of its purification is chosen..

Combating increased hardness: filtering with cartridge filters

Mechanical water purification is the simplest and most effective way. Thanks to the series-connected filters with different flow cell sizes, coarse and medium fractions of dry residue, most types of bacteria and coagulated particles are separated from the water.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Thanks to the use of filters with replaceable cartridges, you can make the water extremely soft, but it is important to choose the right flow rate for the appropriate type of dirt. Since the content of impurities in water can change over time, an assembly of three filters connected in series is considered a universal option:

  1. A coarse filter of 20 microns retains only large fractions and protects other filters from premature wear.
  2. Fine filter 1-5 microns traps fine impurities and most large bacteria.
  3. Ion exchange filter, which binds the smallest ions of metals and salts, finally softens the water.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Optionally add one additional fine filter to the assembly to slow down wear. The disadvantages of the cartridges are obvious: they have a limited resource (5-100 thousand liters) and cannot cope with chemical contamination of water at the molecular and atomic levels..

Ultraviolet water disinfection

Small bacteria, and especially their reproductive elements, are not removed by mechanical cleaning. UV disinfectants are used to disinfect water at home. They come in a range of capacities and capacities and are considered one of the most affordable disinfection methods in the household..

The efficiency of the installations depends on the radiation power and the time of its exposure. SanPiN considers a sufficient dose of 16 kJ / cm2, although most devices have a higher radiation intensity.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Since the efficiency also depends on the presence of impurities in the water, it is customary to use ultraviolet disinfection at the final stage of water treatment, that is, the device is mounted last in the cleaning cycle..

The main disadvantage of water purification with ultraviolet light is the limited service life of the lamps, usually 8-10 thousand hours, after which it is necessary to replace them. For economy and ease of control, it is recommended to purchase devices with a built-in flow switch and a unit operating hours counter.

Carbon filters for chemical cleaning

Filters with a carbon sorbent are used to bind and retain colloidal particles, dissolved iron, chlorine and other metals, and most active chemical elements. Carbon filters also normalize the pH value and partially soften the water.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Filtration with activated carbon is carried out by means of replaceable cartridges, similar to mechanical water purification. Since carbon filters are the most expensive and have the shortest service life, they are installed behind mechanical cleaning devices..

The installation of a charcoal filter is highly recommended in the municipal sector where there is a constantly high content of chlorine and fluorine in drinking water In stand-alone sources, carbon filters are desirable for wells and limestone wells.

Reverse osmosis plants. Versatile and comprehensive dirt removal

There are certain types of contamination that cannot be removed by mechanical cleaning. This includes particles smaller than 100 nm that represent molecular contamination (from 1 nm). These can be radionuclides, inactive, but toxic metal compounds, viruses and other.

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

Reverse osmosis units are used to filter water from such inclusions. The essence of their work is approximately as follows: water under pressure is passed through a semi-permeable membrane, through which particles of substances dissolved in it cannot pass. Thus, ultra-high purity water is obtained at the outlet, and the initial liquid can be water of absolutely any quality and even sewage.

Reverse osmosis plants cannot be considered a panacea. They are versatile, but expensive enough for widespread use. Due to their low productivity, they are used exclusively for the purification of drinking water..

Drinking water purification. How to choose a filter for a sink

The most budgetary options have a membrane that is subject to wear, so the unit has 3-4 filters for preliminary mechanical cleaning. Since the membrane is not capable of retaining particles of an atomic level, carbon filters are also included in the purification chain to adsorb active elements..

The cost of cleaning devices

The cost of installations is determined by the quality of workmanship, productivity and labor resources. Devices of acceptable quality with an hourly throughput of 1 m3 have the following estimated cost:

  1. Housings for mechanical cleaning filters: 800-2500 rubles.
  2. Replacement cartridges:
    • mechanical cleaning โ€“ 250โ€“800 rubles;
    • coal โ€“ 400-1200 rubles;
    • on ion-exchange resins โ€“ 400-1500 rubles.
  3. UV treatment units: 10,000-16,000 rubles.
  4. Reverse osmosis units (300-400 l / day): 12,000-16,000 rubles.
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Comments: 2
  1. Isla

    Iโ€™m interested in drinking water purification systems and would like to know how to choose the right filter for my sink. What factors should I consider before making a decision?

    Reply
  2. Ella Campbell

    What factors should be considered while selecting a filter for a sink and how can one determine the best drinking water purification system for their needs?

    Reply
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