A person consists of more than 70% water, so it is important to use a clean liquid that will maintain health. Unfortunately, tap water does not have a high degree of purification. The only way to protect yourself and your family from dirty liquid is to install flow or main filters for water purification in the apartment. They differ in filtering method, size, service life, but have a common goal - to maintain human health.
Why do we need water filters
Few cities in Russia boast a new water supply system through which clean liquid flows through its pipes. For the most part, these are old railways with a thick layer of sediment on the inner walls. Because of this, the water in the tap has a variety of shades and odors. Worst of all, colonies of pathogenic microorganisms that can enter the human body and cause disease are successfully developing in such an environment.
In some regions, a liquid is so saturated with metal ions that using it unfiltered can cause poisoning or even death. Most often this happens in places where iron ore is deposited, in wetlands, near iron ore processing enterprises.
If the liquid is saturated with copper ions, the process of intoxication manifests itself in diseases of the nervous system, liver, and also leads to damage to the nasal septum. Before going to the doctor, it is worth checking the tap fluid for chemical elements and finding out what could lead to loss of health, take measures to eliminate them. This will help to recover and recover faster, since some drugs are not enough for the full functioning of the body.
The usual way to eliminate bacteria - chlorination - is also unsafe for people. People with a sick liver are especially sensitive to it. In this case, the liquid has an unpleasant smell and taste. There is a way out - to buy clean bottled water in stores, but this is a big expense compared to what you would expect from a stationary installation of a filter system in an apartment.
The operation of household appliances and the heating system is associated with water quality, or rather, with one of its indicators - rigidity. To remove lime, additional cleaning is required. Most of these filters are installed by owners of private houses, since the fluid is supplied directly from the well into the house. In high-rise buildings, there may also be a problem, due to which washing and dishwashers will break, and plastic pipes will become clogged with lime deposits.
Types of filters
The choice of a water purification system for an apartment depends on how interested all other residents are in this. With the consent of all residents, it is possible to completely protect the apartment building from dirty city liquid that is not suitable for use. For this, there are multi-stage filters.
Flow devices
These are expensive dimensional filters that remove almost all impurities and dissolved chemical compounds. Minus installation in its price, large sizes. In addition, the system removes useful substances, which then have to be restored using mineralizers. Such systems have storage tanks where purified liquid enters. The cleaning speed is not high.
To install a multi-stage filter in a high-rise building, you need a place to cut it into the water supply.The service life of stationary filter systems is up to 30 years, but depending on the quality of the water, consumables may often need to be changed. Installation is carried out by specialists of the manufacturer or service center.
Among the flow models, there are filters that are mounted under or near the sink. They can be reverse osmosis or sorption. The disadvantage is that they take up a lot of space.
Crane nozzles
A convenient way to purify water, in which the device attaches to any faucet. Such systems are more expensive, since it is often necessary to change the filter elements. Despite the apparent cheapness of the nozzle, the cost of water will ultimately be higher.
If you decide to install such devices, you will have to buy several at once - for each crane.
Pitcher Filters
The best solution to the problem of drinking water. A device is placed in a small container into which the crude liquid is poured. After 5 - 10 minutes, the jug already receives clean water. The method is suitable for a small family of 2 to 3 people. The downside is that household appliances will use tap raw liquid and can quickly fail. You will also have to wash in ordinary process water.
The filter will have to be changed as often as the original quality of the liquid from the water supply allows.
Water Filtration Methods
Installation of filters for water purification in an apartment is possible according to the following principles of operation:
- electrochemical plants;
- sorption;
- mechanical;
- reverse osmosis plants.
Electrocoagulation is rarely used to purify water before entering the consumer. It is mainly used in large enterprises. The essence of the method is the effect of an electric field on a liquid, as a result of which the chemical elements dissolve or settle. Installation is complicated and expensive. To prepare the liquid for use in everyday life, you need to have a margin of time, since immediately after the redox reactions it can not be used because of the low pH.
Sorption filters are the most diverse and cheapest method based on the use of activated carbon and various resins. Such a filter is able to eliminate any odors and turbidity, but does not protect against bacteria. Activated carbon is poured into a container through which water passes. It can be washed periodically in order to clean from accumulated dirt, and at the same time to loosen, so the bulk filter serves much longer than cartridges.
Ion exchange resins are designed to extract calcium and magnesium ions from a liquid. Thus, the amount of scale in the kettle is reduced, and the water becomes soft. When choosing a resin, the diameter of the granules, their chemical composition, as well as the osmotic strength, are taken into account.
Mechanical filters can trap large particles - debris, sand. They are not suitable for deeper cleaning. Such devices are placed at the entrance to the house so that no debris enters the pipes and does not clog them.
Especially popular are reverse osmosis filters. The principle of operation is the passage of fluid through a synthetic membrane permeable to particles that are less than or equal to the diameter of a water molecule. In order not to clog the membrane with large impurities, 1 - 2 preliminary devices are installed in front of it. After the membrane, water passes through the finish filter and enters the consumer.
Reverse osmosis filters have a resource of 4 to 15 thousand liters. Up to 250 liters of clean drinking water can be obtained per day. Once every six months, it is necessary to change the preliminary cartridges, once a year - the finish. In general, a family of such an installation is enough for 2 years.
Doctors believe that the complete removal of mineral impurities adversely affects the work of the cardiovascular system. If this indicator is extremely important, you can use mineralizers that restore the structure of water after treatment.
Rating of the best filters
For the preparation of drinking water in offices and apartments often use flow dispensers equipped with a tap. Water is cleaned by gravity - it enters the filter from above. The most famous model is Source-Bio. This device is of medium price category, it lasts a long time, the crane is sold as a set. Filtration material is ceramic, which can often be washed and reused. The only negative is the slow flow of water.
Of the accumulative models, they often buy the “Barrier” of the pitcher type. There is a filter resource indicator that indicates the need to replace the cartridge. Of the shortcomings - a small volume, about 1.5 liters, which may not be enough for a large family.
Of the nozzles on the tap, “New Water” has proven itself best, with the use of which the pressure of the liquid does not decrease. Suitable for hot and cold liquids. Women indicate a good condition of the skin and hair after starting to use the filter nozzle. The device is expensive.
For installation under the sink, the filter from the previous New Water series is recommended. This is a 4-step cleaning system. The model is compact - suitable for the kitchen, where there is no place under the sink. The number of cartridges can be adjusted - the last of them is designed for ultrafiltration, but some residents do not put it out of cost.
The high cost of filters can be explained by the use of expensive materials that utilize the vast majority of harmful impurities. For example, when buying a reverse osmosis filter, you can expect 98% purity of the liquid at the outlet. Simple coal models are cheaper because they need to be changed more often. According to experts, flowing stationary multi-stage filters have a lower cost of drinking water than domestic storage.
Consumer Reviews
Sergei. We got rusty city pipes with pieces of garbage, so we decided to take the model under the Omoikiri sink. Surprisingly, the taste of tea and coffee has changed. Now it’s clear that elite cafes are poured into the coffee machine - good water.
Anna. We have a chemical plant outside the city. Apparently, for some time now they began to dump waste into the river. Many people complained of poor health, the number of cancer patients increased. It is understandable - our supplier of water did not have those reagents that would remove chemicals before they came to people on the table. I had to think for ourselves. We didn’t talk about washing and bathing - we would save our health, so we bought New Water right away. A week later, headaches disappeared and digestion improved. A neighbor with hypertension followed suit and was less likely to drink medicine. Let's see what happens in a couple of months.
Gennady. Our city has very old iron pipes, so the water from the tap always goes yellow, and generally brown in the mornings. It is impossible to drink this without health consequences. Six months ago, we changed the pipes in the house to plastic, but the situation did not change. I had to think about how to clean the tap fluid. After calculations, we decided to buy a common stationary filter. Each apartment did not come out expensive. For 4 months now everyone has been drinking from the tap without boiling, even the taste began to distinguish between tea and coffee, before it didn’t matter how expensive the variety was bought.
