Water from summer cottages and wells is not always suitable for drinking. It contains a lot of salts, suspensions, sometimes unhealthy. If you do not want to stock up with bottled water, you should think about cleaning filters. There are many options for such devices, and among them there is surely something that will help bring water in the country to order.
Classification of filters for a summer residence
Pure water is extracted from artesian wells with a depth of more than 100 meters. Ordinary wells and wells rarely reach even half this value. The liquid comes from a clay, limestone or sand layer and absorbs various suspensions. If there are many inclusions, the use of such water threatens the appearance of stones in the internal organs and damage to the teeth. In addition, the equipment will quickly fail.
Sometimes water has to be taken from natural reservoirs - ponds and rivers. It especially requires cleaning. The owners of country houses, whose garden plots are close to industrial facilities or fields of agricultural enterprises due to fertilizers and herbicides, are especially at risk of health. Even watering the garden with river water in such a situation is unsafe.
There are different types of filtering devices that can restore water purity.
Principle of operation
Mechanical devices built into the lead system are divided into coarse and fine filters. The first include barriers that screen out large water-insoluble particles of dirt, silt, sand.
Filters for rough water treatment for a country house are divided into three types:
- Mesh. Relate to flowing trunk devices. Their cells are very different in size - from 50 to 500 microns. The smaller the parameter, the more the device will catch dirt. There are washed and non-washed. The latter require regular cleaning. The first are cleared automatically.
- Cartridge A periodically replaced device in a plastic case is capable of retaining harmful impurities as small as 0.5 microns in size, including viscous elements like mud and clay suspension.
- Pressure They operate at high speed and retain harmful microparticles of different consistencies from 30 microns. They are filled with filter material, have a regulator and a drainage compartment. Such devices are distinguished by large dimensions. They can only be installed in warm rooms. If the site has a vast territory, such filters are suitable for cleaning water from a well in a country house, since pumping equipment does not inhibit it.
Fine filtration devices are able to hold microparticles from 5 microns. The most sensitive are membrane devices, but they are expensive, and in summer conditions few people use them. Sorption devices are preferred where the carbon filler absorbs harmful substances.
Such filters are capable of absorbing both dirt and iron particles, compounds containing chlorine, and salts of heavy metals. Need to replace the cartridge and have a fairly slow throughput. But they can easily cope with unpleasant odors, such as hydrogen sulfide, which are often present in contaminated wells. The absorber will capture colonies of sulfur bacteria, the sulfuric odor will disappear, as well as trouble with the stomach due to their activity.
Fine ion-exchange plants are used to reduce water hardness and get rid of lime. The metal or polymer case of the device is filled with ion-exchange resins. It needs to be changed periodically. It is recommended to use an ion-exchange filter first, and then a sorption filter. The latter will purify the liquid from the resins remaining in the water.
Degree of purification
Membrane-type devices are leading. Their principle of action is a deep degree of purification at the molecular level. It is possible to purify sewage water, desalinate a liquid with a salt content, remove scale and suspension. The water passed through the filter can be drunk immediately; it is not boiled or defended. This is the best filter option for cleaning water from iron.
In second place is a flow-through main filter of cartridge type for water purification in the country. Has the ability to trap tiny impurities and suspensions, purifies chlorine compounds, removes iron. The main thing is not to neglect timely replacement of the cartridge.
Next in quality is an integrated system of ion-exchange and sorption filters. Together, they make it possible to disinfect dirty water particularly effectively.
There are less universal models that may be suitable for purifying water from certain impurities in a particular area, so before choosing a device, you should check the water in the laboratory.
Installation method
There is not much space on a summer cottage of six hundred parts, so lovers of suburban recreation prefer small devices. The most famous models:
- The filter jug is an inexpensive cleaning dish made of plastic. Inside, a smaller container is installed - where water is collected - and a place for a cartridge. The degree of purification is medium, suitable for low water consumption. Cost effective. The filter will not protect against all impurities, but it will delay chloride compounds, rust and fragments of suspension. It is necessary to choose a cartridge device taking into account the composition of water. The packaging indicates which impurities it retains.
- Nozzle on the crane - for country houses with a water supply system. This small plastic device with a cleaning agent saves space and is very cheap. It is put on the spout of the crane with the help of clamps or screwed onto the thread. Such a filter removes lime, chloride compounds and rust, reduces stiffness. At the same time, it slows down the flow of water, which can ruin the pump.
- Filter "under the sink" based on activated carbon. Also a suitable solution for a country house with running water. It cleans well of various types of contaminants, but requires a systematic cartridge change.
And in the presence of a well and when powered from a central water supply network, an additional strainer should be installed.
Characteristics of popular devices for country houses
For summer cottages rarely get expensive devices. If we talk about the principle of "price-quality", it is better to pay attention to the models of domestic manufacturers:
- "Barrier". The product line includes jug devices and nozzles. Inexpensive and practical solution for owners of six acres.
- Aquaphor. It has an extensive assortment: jug type filters, “under the sink” device, and cleaning complexes. At an average price category, the quality is quite high.
- "Geyser". The devices of this brand have a three-stage cleaning system. There is the possibility of combining interchangeable cartridges to get rid of characteristic suspensions.
From foreign models Ecowaters System filters have proved themselves. But their cost is as high as quality.
Recommendations for choosing a country filter
First, determine the device parameters that you need to focus on when buying. Analyze:
- Water quality. You will need to take a sample to conduct research in the laboratory. If the water contains a significant amount of large particles (rust, sand), a strainer with large cells of 400 microns will be required. Otherwise, thinner devices will immediately become unusable.
- The amount of water consumed. A person needs 2.5 liters of fluid within 24 hours. This figure needs to be multiplied by the number of family members.An increase in consumption leads to a more frequent washing of the filter from contamination or the replacement of cartridges. Sometimes it is cost-effective to install two different types of devices at once.
- The cost of the system itself, consumables and its maintenance.
When choosing a filter, summer residents who appear on the site exclusively in the warm season should also consider the possibility of leaving the installation for the winter at the cottage without dismantling the entire system.
It is believed that after filtration, water loses not only harmful, but also valuable qualities. To return them, devices were created to saturate the liquid with hydrogen.
If you find yourself in a situation where you want to drink, the water is doubtful, but there is no filter nearby, you can disinfect it with a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. The medication is often used to improve water in pools and other artificial ponds.
