What Are The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water?

16 Mar 2009 @ 7:53 AM

What Are The Benefits of Reverse Osmosis Water?

Harmful substances in your drinking water may be a serious health and safety concern for you and your family. If you suspect your water supply is contaminated, there are things you can do to make sure it doesn’t flow from your own faucet. There are several water filtration systems for the home that can remove most of these impurities in the water you use for drinking and cooking. Reverse osmosis systems are one of these popular methods for cleaning up the water that comes out of your kitchen faucet.

At the heart of the reverse osmosis system is the membrane. The size of the pores in the membrane is .001 microns. Many of the impurities found in water such as bacteria, pyrogens, viruses, pesticides, hydrocarbons, radioactive contaminants, turbidity, colloidal matter, chlorine, detergents, industrial wastes, asbestos, dissolved solids, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfates and cadmium will not pass this barrier. Instead, they are drained out. What passes through is pure water.

Pre-filters and post filters are also part of the reverse osmosis system. Pre-filters are placed before the membrane. They prevent the heavier or larger impurities such as sand, silt and dirt from passing through. In some systems, an additional carbon pre-filter is also set up before the membrane if the membrane is constructed out of TFC (thin film composite) or TFM (thin film material). This additional pre-filter removes chlorine which may harm the effectiveness of membranes using these types of film. A post filter place after the membrane removes any remaining odor or tastes from the purified water.

Many of the reverse osmosis systems available consists of the same basic components and function in the same way. The critical difference is in the quality of the filters and membrane used. When making a decision on which system to install in your own home, the quality of these parts should be considered. A RO system does require some maintenance and eventually replacement of parts, so finding the right one should not be based solely on the initial cost. If you are a handy person, you can install it yourself. However, if you don’t consider yourself mechanically inclined, then a plumber familiar with reverse osmosis systems can install it for you at a reasonable hourly or flat fee.

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