The quality of tap water is far from standard. In fact, it is a technical fluid that is suitable for washing cars. Even washing things in it is not recommended, since they quickly acquire a gray tint due to the presence of dissolved salts and rust. Such water is absolutely unsuitable for drinking, as the body is forced to spend its own reserves to neutralize harmful substances. This is primarily reflected in the condition of the teeth and bones. In large cities, the situation is even worse, so residents need to provide themselves with drinking water. This will help reverse osmosis filters, which can be installed in the apartment.
What is reverse osmosis?
The principle of osmosis is borrowed from nature. All living things and plants are composed of cells, the membrane of which passes through a liquid with dissolved nutrients. Thanks to this, vital processes are supported. Pressure in this case tends to equilibrium between the inner and outer shells of the cell. If it is increased, water will pass through the membrane, and the substances dissolved in it will remain on the surface. This phenomenon is called reverse osmosis. Filters designed according to this principle work with a semipermeable membrane, the pore size of which can be varied depending on the material of manufacture.
There are several varieties of polymers, ceramics, which trap even viruses and radionuclides, which penetrate into the body in large quantities through water and food. The installation of reverse osmosis in an apartment for daily use reduces the flow of hazardous compounds into human organs.
Scope of the cleaning method
The water purified by reverse osmosis is used in everyday life for drinking, cooking, pouring iron into a steam generator, humidifiers and other small household appliances, as well as in heating systems to extend the life of pipes. This liquid does not contain salts, therefore, it does not leave scale in the kettle.
On an industrial scale, distilled liquid is used in pharmacology in the manufacture of drugs. Pour in car batteries can only be purified from salts of water so that it does not damage the plate. For the dilution of concentrated antifreeze - coolant - it is also required to use a distillate.
After use, various measuring devices are washed with distilled liquid so that later they show the correct values. Residues of dissolved salts can affect the measurement results.
At dairies, reverse osmosis is used to clean the feedstock. Using filters, they clean wine and vodka products before bottling.
In large quantities, filters are installed in factories for the purification and bottling of bottled water. High-performance models are used there.
The principle of operation and device
For normal operation of the reverse osmosis system for water treatment, it is necessary to maintain a certain pressure. This is important for long membrane life. Otherwise, it quickly becomes silted and deteriorates. Since this is the most expensive part in reverse osmosis filters, it is recommended to buy and install a pump that supports the pressure in the system.
Liquid from the water supply enters the membrane and passes through it under pressure. As a result, all substances that are larger than the pore size remain on one side and are washed off into the sewer.Pure liquid enters the storage tank and is used for family needs.
The industry produces multi-stage systems for apartments and private houses with three pre-filters to maximize the preparation of liquid before passing through the membrane. Thus, less dirt remains on it and lasts longer. Especially relevant for cottages where water comes from wells or wells.
The first filter is a coarse filter, designed to separate large particles - sand, rust, organics. You have to change the cartridge once every three months. The second is a carbon filter. It softens the fluid, releasing calcium, magnesium, and sodium salts from it. The cartridge lasts longer - replacement is required once every 6 months. The third removes chemicals and purifies the water from the remains of fertilizers, paints and other dangerous poisons dissolved in the liquid. It is essentially mechanical, but works with smaller particles whose size does not exceed 1 micron. Next, the water enters the membrane and is completely cleaned of bacteria and viruses.
Some systems have a mineralizer that restores electrolytes, returning potassium, calcium, sodium, and other useful substances to the liquid. Doctors do not recommend drinking distilled water, because due to the lack of dissolved salts a person has impaired heart and kidney function, although this is a moot point: minerals are found in excess in vegetables and fruits.
There are systems with a hydraulic tank in which the filtrate is contained and consumed as the internal pressure changes. There is a rubber bulb made of food rubber inside the tank, so the filtered water does not come into contact with the walls. A pear occupies half the volume, the rest of the space is occupied by air. As it fills, air pressure increases and the filtering process stops. When the drinking water tap opens, the pressure gradually decreases and the system starts up again.
Ionizers and soften cartridges may also be included. In companies that install filters, you can order the entire system or its individual components. The cost of the kit depends on their quantity.
Technical characteristics of reverse osmosis filters
The technical characteristics of reverse osmosis filters include:
- Productivity - how many liters of filtrate can be obtained per day. For home use, it makes no sense to buy an expensive filter.
- The pore size in the fine membrane. The efficiency of the distillation process depends on their diameter.
- The number of additional functions that make water not only clean, but also healthy.
Technical indicators are the main criterion for choosing a filter for an apartment, private house or high-rise building. Industrial models are designed for long-term operation and are much more expensive, so they are installed in enterprises with large throughput capacities.
System Selection Criteria
The main selection criterion for most people is the cost of the products. In order not to overpay, you need to decide how much drinking water is spent per family per day, as well as what functions would be useful. Consider the cost of new cartridges. Their cost per year is approximately equal to half the cost of a set of equipment.
From a medical point of view, a reverse osmosis filter gives defective water. But if you think about how much resources the body spends on adapting the tap water before assimilation, it is better to drink distillate, and get all the necessary minerals from food. To do this, you need to reconsider your diet in favor of fresh vegetables, fruits, natural dairy products. In any case, the amount of salts dissolved in water will not satisfy the daily requirement for minerals; the body gives them more to neutralize harmful substances from dirty tap water.
Features of installation and connection
You can install and start the reverse osmosis filter yourself by following the instructions that came with the product. Some companies offer free installation.
Not all systems are suitable for hot water. Those that filter the liquid, regardless of its temperature, are more expensive. If the purpose of buying a kit is to obtain drinking water, such systems are installed on an incoming cold water supply pipe.
Installing a filter will do more harm or benefit depending on how tenants comply with the manufacturer's instructions for caring for the main component - the membrane.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The benefits of reverse osmosis include:
- the ability to filter liquid from any sources, not just water supply;
- chemicals are not used in the process, so the filtrate is completely safe;
- installing a filter is cheaper than constantly buying bottled water, the quality of which must be checked in the laboratory;
- some time after installation, positive changes in well-being begin, if at the same time water is used regularly - headaches, inflammation in the joints disappear, kidney function is established, metabolism is normalized;
- with proper care and timely replacement of cartridges, the filter system can last up to 5 years.
The disadvantage of the installation is its high cost, therefore, it is mainly bought by people who are aware of the benefits of pure water and its effects on the body. The good news for them may be the fact that the cost of drinking water will decrease by 60% when using a filter.
The cheapest reverse osmosis filters cost at least 7 thousand rubles. This price is offered by Chinese manufacturers. The downside is that the fine membrane quickly fails and needs to be replaced. In this case, the quality of the filtrate is reduced. It is recommended to buy sets of well-known brands, better than Russian, as they are more adapted to the peculiarities of the domestic water supply system.
Consumer Reviews
Eugene. For about 15 years I suffered from migraines - sometimes I had to lie still for 2 to 3 days, it was painful to open my eyes. It all started after the family moved to another city. There are many enterprises - chemical, metallurgical. At that moment, we did not associate the quality of water with a deterioration in our health, but after we installed a reverse osmosis filter, attacks became less likely to bother, and after 4 months of drinking clean water, they completely stopped. Wife stopped worrying about cystitis, also seemingly not related to water. It turned out still as connected.
Maria. I am a lover of expensive coffees, sometimes I pamper myself in the morning. Until the filter was installed, I did not even suspect that coffee could be so delicious. Probably, bleach prevented from feeling the whole aroma and taste.
Alexei. We decided to install a reverse osmosis filter due to the constant high blood pressure in my mother. After some time, it became easier for her to suffer attacks of hypertension, digestion returned to normal. We do not use the mineralizer; we dispense with distilled water. Since they did not save on the system, we rarely change cartridges and there are no operational problems.
