Contaminants can change the taste and color of water, create unpleasant odors, and increase the risk of health hazards. The main filter contributes to the solution of the problem. The equipment is mounted on a water pipe and performs water purification, trapping impurities in it. The filter element captures both large mechanical impurities and harmful bacteria, toxic elements. Along with cleaning, the taste indicators are improved.
Varieties of filtration devices
Trunk filtering devices purify water in several ways:
- mechanical, using mesh barriers made of stainless steel or wear-resistant plastic;
- chemical, using reagents, for example, chlorine or fluorine;
- absorption, with cleaning due to porous fillers, for example, carbon or silica gel;
- ion exchange for water softening and demineralization.
Multi-stage devices allow to carry out the maximum purification of the liquid.
Coarse cleaning models in country cottages or in summer cottages, where water is taken from a well or a well, must be installed. It is effective to install protective nets at the entry point of the water supply system after the bypass, if this element is provided. They will retain coarse contamination - sand, silt particles. Without such protection, the installation of fine filtering devices in houses with autonomous water supply is irrational - they will quickly fail. But in high-rise apartments, this is possible if the water supply system is not too old.
Modern installations require a filtration softener. The presence of hardness salts has a negative impact on human health and the operation of household appliances. Due to this liquid, the skin becomes dry, wrinkles and deposits appear in the gastrointestinal tract.
When the liquid is heated, compounds settle on surfaces, which make the water hard, resulting in scale. Because of her, household appliances break down. The use of a device that allows you to neutralize hardness salts due to ion exchange, allows you to save washing machines and kettles from lime build-up and quick failure, and a person from possible health problems.
It is recommended to install a flow-through main filter for home and summer cottages to purify water from iron. Iron removers can operate using reagent-type loads or by the principle of aeration - air or electrochemical. They will preserve people's health by preventing harmful iron compounds from entering the body, and will also protect plumbing fixtures from rust stains.
Criterias of choice
Units with one stage operate on the backwash principle. Installation of a charcoal filter is allowed on two-stage devices. Devices with three stages are considered to be more efficient. For maximum water purification, reverse osmosis filters are installed. Due to a special membrane that allows only water molecules to pass through, more than 99 percent of impurities are retained.
When choosing, you also need to consider:
- the degree and nature of contamination;
- dimensions of the device;
- performance;
- inlet size in inches;
- frequency of cartridge replacement.
The material from which the cases are made is important. Any options are suitable for filtering cold liquid, but for hot water it is better to choose installations made of metal - steel or titanium. They withstand high temperatures well and do not pose a risk of cracking or melting.
Advantages and disadvantages
The disadvantages of cleaning devices are:
- the need for manual cleaning of the filter element and system, if backwashing is not provided;
- rapid contamination of cartridges and the cost of purchasing replacement elements;
- large dimensions of some models.
All these flaws are easily leveled. For example, if the pollution and water consumption are not too high, you can purchase an inexpensive household appliance that does not take up as much space as an industrial appliance. To avoid manual cleaning, choose an automatic washing unit. The flow-through devices can be hidden when installed on the water main. In high-quality ion-exchange filters, instead of replacing the cartridge, you can reanimate the filler by adding special salt.
The advantages of the devices include a variety of filtration methods. You can choose the right one by identifying the type of contamination in the laboratory.
When installing three or more cleaning stages, most of the inclusions contained in it are removed from the liquid.
The main device allows you to provide filtration of all water entering the house or apartment. This is exactly what makes such an installation different from filter elements, which purify only the amount that is necessary for drinking and cooking.
Features of installation and maintenance
During installation, the following nuances must be taken into account:
- Before installation, shut off the water supply and relieve the pressure in the water supply. To do this, just open the valve on any mixer.
- When tapping into the main line, coupling joints are used, and for external valves, a thorough seal is performed with a sealant tape.
- When connecting, take into account in which direction the water is moving. Entry is indicated by IN.
- The filter unit must be fixed to the wall.
- Leave a dry cloth at the connection points for several weeks to protect the floor from moisture in the event of a leak.
From the moment the main filter is connected, the operating life of the carbon cleaning cartridge for the flow main filter begins. Replacement is carried out at the time interval specified in the accompanying documentation. This is usually six months. If the cartridge element operates on ion exchange resins, its service life can be increased by regenerating the filler.
The pressure inside the water supply system is taken into account. When installing additional equipment, the head of the water flow will decrease. If it is insufficient, the network will need to be equipped with a booster pump.
Rating of the best main filters
There are many offers from manufacturers on the filtration device market. Based on the reviews, you can make a rating of the most popular, taking into account the price / quality ratio. The top five include:
- Geyser. Offers filtration equipment that is installed on hot water and cold water pipes. These are modular systems and a variety of filters for water purification with replaceable cartridges. Their price starts at 2400 rubles.
- Aquaphor. It produces main filters of small dimensions, but at the same time the devices allow for high-quality purification from inclusions of a mechanical type, chlorine, iron and salts of heavy metals. The price starts from 2000 rubles.
- Atoll. Produces devices for maximum cleaning.They catch coarse sand and fine suspended matter, protect the mainline from water hammer. They cost from 9,000 rubles.
- Fibos. Offers innovative automatic flushing devices. They do not "absorb" impurities, but dump them into the flask, from where they are removed by simply opening the valve from the bottom. The manufacturer promises that the cartridges can be left unchanged for 10 years. The cost of the devices is from 8000 rubles.
- Gilex. Produces filtration devices with a different number of cleaning stages at a budget price. It starts at 1200 rubles.
Price tags for filtering devices are determined depending on what material was used for the production of the installation, as well as on the number of degrees of purification, productivity.
Installation of a filter element for water purification is a smart decision when the question of the duration of operation of devices that consume and heat water is raised, and more importantly, human health. When choosing a main filter, proceed from the quality, performance indicators and the ability to perform functions according to the allowable pressure values in the pipeline.
