subject: Different Kinds Of Home Water Filter Systems [print this page] People always have a ton of questions about home water filter systems. One of the most common one, understandably, is How do they Work? The answer is that it depends on what type of system is being used. There are a few different ways that different systems operate in order to clean the water that runs through them, so it depends what is being used that will determine how it works. Some of the systems that are most commonly used include submicron filtration, granular carbon, reverse osmosis, multi media blocks and ion exchange. Now you see where the confusion and the loads of information that is necessary to answer the question of how home water filter systems work.
Reverse osmosis water filters work by forcing the liquid through a semi permeable membrane. Only the particles that are smaller than the pores of the membrane will pass through, and larger contaminants will be blocked from passing. There are some home water filter systems that include submicron filtration, which is a process that is similar to reverse osmosis except that it is a bit less expensive. These types of systems again use a strainer type filter, allowing only particles smaller than the holes to pass through. Good quality filters will be made of high quality materials with pores that are less than one micron in diameter. Anything larger than a speck of dust will not pass through.
Granular carbon is another type of filter that works by removing chemicals using a process called absorption. There are certain chemicals that stick to certain materials. For example, chlorine will stick to granular carbon. If those granules are tightly packed, this method of filtration can reduce chlorine by 99.99%.
Have you ever heard of a multi media block? These are composed of carbon and other materials that attract to different chemicals. With this type of home water filter system, chemicals that are normally difficult to remove, like MTBE, VOCs and THMs, are successfully prevented from remaining in the drinking water. What else can be caught by using this method? Bug killer and weed killer, not to mention hundreds of other types of nasty contaminants and chemicals.Having a multi media is important because many of the chemicals that are caught using this method can cause cancer and other health problems.
Home water filter systems that include ion exchange are some of the most technologically advanced systems available. They are so advanced, in fact, that many people have a difficult time explaining how they work. Basically, microscopic metallic particles such as lead have a slight electrical charge to them. They are trapped by using a polymer bed that has the opposite charge, sort of like a magnet. This is what reduces the lead content of water by more than 99%. All of these processes together make for some excellent home water filter systems, so be sure that you find one that is the best for your home and your family.
