subject: Water Filters Rule [print this page] Water filters will dramatically improve the quality of hot and cold beverages and make them look better too.
Water direct from the mains tap should be of good enough quality for human consumption. Most of the time this is the case, but is that good enough? Water from your mains supply may be very inconsistent in quality. Not just from location to location but at different times of the day too.
Very large volumes of water are processed in treatment plants. The water treatment plants are obligated to process the water and return into the water system as soon as they can. Additives such as chloride compounds are used to quickly sanitise the water.
Flowing water will gather and transport contaminants on its journey. Water can become hard by flowing over chalk and limestone. As the rainwater comes into contact with the rocks it will pick up calcium content. It may also pick up other contaminants such as heavy metals like lead and copper from pipes used to direct the water over huge distances and eventually into the home. Although most lead piping has been replaced over the years, water can still pick up traces of lead from the solder used to join copper pipes.
The best way to remove most of the impurities is to use a water filter. These are usually plastic tube containers filled with active carbon compounds. Activated carbon is normal carbon that has been processed to make it extremely porous to water so that most of the contaminants are stripped out by the carbon, in a process known as absorption. Most cartridge water filters will also dramatically reduce water hardness so the equipment used is protected from the effects of hard water and limescale damage.
A water filter should be fitted inline between the mains supply and the point if use. Thay should be installed with an espresso or coffee machine to improve the taste of the hot drink. These cartridges are available in many sizes to match the equipment being protected. In simple terms a larger capacity filter is used where the volume of water used is high. The cartridges should be thrown away when they become exhausted. The unit will need to be discarded and replaced every six to nine months depending on how much water has passed through it. Normally they can be replaced by a non-technical person so a trained engineer is not required.
A properly fitted water filter is really a must for all coffee, espresso and vending machines. Everyone that uses your coffee machine will notice how much better their drink looks, tastes and smells..
