Not many people take this into consideration but poor quality water can adversely affect your wellbeing and health in several ways. While illnesses are caused by contaminated water, excessive chlorine may be responsible for increasing thirstiness as well as making the water less pleasing in terms of color, taste, and smell.
In case the aesthetics of the drinking water supply in your house is dissatisfactory, then you are in need of a good water filtration system that has the capacity of removing impurities and chlorine.
Contaminated water supply can further create a number of problems for you as well as for your family’s health. Therefore, you must immediately have a good water filtration system installed in your house. However, before you venture to install a water filtration system in your house, you must take a few things into consideration. In addition to discussing those, the benefits and uses of reverse osmosis as a water filtration system are also mentioned below.
Testing the Water Supply
The best way to find out if you are really in need of a water filtration system is to test the water supply coming out of the taps. Any water supplier will perform the test for you. Once the test establishes that the water supply indeed poses a hazard for your health, then you will be in a position to take the next step, which is of remediation.
In majority of the cases, the water test reveals that there is nothing to worry about, as there is no detection of antibiotics, viruses, bacteria, hormones and other harmful chemicals in the tap water. Moreover, chlorine that is added in the water supply as a routine process is extremely effective when it comes to bacteria removal and elimination of other disease causing pathogens. However, it gives a characteristic odor to the water that is sometimes mistaken as the taste by people as well.
Since the universal guidelines for safe water state that it should be colorless, tasteless, and odorless, this water becomes invalid according to that. In case the water coming out of your tap is safe and you are only looking for filtration for aesthetic reasons, then the best way to do so is to use a carbon filter for removing chlorine and other chemicals.
With an activated carbon filter, every trace of chemicals such as chlorine and chloramines can be removed from your drinking water. Adsorption of these chemicals by carbon is a chemical free, safe, and effective method. It is, in fact, a preferred method of water purification for several water suppliers. Usage of carbon that is of high quality can help in the removal of pesticides, volatile organic compounds, herbicides, and several of the heavy metals as well including mercury, copper, and lead.
However, if the water test does not come out as favorable or in case you depend on some other source water such as a well or rainwater, then you might need a more advanced water filtration system.
Reverse Osmosis
When the carbon filter is not enough and a more popular and effective method is required, you should look for reverse osmosis filters. Being the latest technology, reverse osmosis has the capacity to remove a lot of contaminants from the water source. In addition to being the most powerful system of filtration, it is also the safest method of water filtration.
Reverse osmosis filters work by pushing the water through a selectively permeable membrane having extremely tight-packed pore structure. This membrane has the capacity to trap most of the impurities that are commonly found in the water supply. These impurities include bacteria, solids, toxic chemicals, and even viruses. It has the capacity to trap any particle that is larger than even half a millionth of even a millimeter.
There are several impurities that can be attached to water molecules. Even if a single carbon atom attaches to a water molecule, the particle becomes too big and fails to pass through the membrane. As a result, it is washed down and passes through the line of wastewater and you only get the purest water possible.
The residual toxic waste is then washed away along with the excess water, resulting in fresh and pure water that is completely safe for drinking purposes. Reverse osmosis filters are also a blessing if you live in an area facing the issue of water scarcity as this is an extremely efficient water filtration system and minimizes water wastage to a great extent.
Impurities that are Removed via Filtration
Different types of filtration systems have the capacity to remove different types of impurities and contaminants. The choice of filtration system should always rest on your water testing reports. While you can use the home water testing kits to make your decision, they are not very efficient and reliable. The best approach, therefore, is to give the water sample to a lab for a certified and more in-depth analysis. You can also call a professional for a detailed inspection of the water quality.
If your water contains dissolved inorganic compounds such as nitrates, arsenic, and chromium in hexavalent form, then carbon block filters may not be the right choice for you. On the other hand, a reverse osmosis filter can remove all such particles and others that are bigger than 0.001 microns. This is the main reason why homeowners should choose reverse osmosis systems over other water filtration systems.
Are you looking for a reliable company providing you with the most efficient and high quality water filtration system in the Arizona area? Then hire the services offered by Mesa Plumbing.