The quality of tap water is far from meeting the standards. In fact, it is a technical liquid that is suitable for washing cars. Even washing things in it is not recommended, as they quickly acquire a gray tint due to the presence of dissolved salts and rust. Such water is absolutely not suitable for drinking, since the body is forced to spend its own reserves to neutralize harmful substances. This is reflected primarily in the condition of the teeth and bones. In big cities, the situation is even worse, so residents need to provide themselves with drinking water. This will help the 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 itself liquid with dissolved nutrients. Thanks to this, vital processes are supported. The pressure in this case tends to equilibrium between the inner and outer membranes of the cell. If you increase it, 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 semi-permeable membrane, the pore size of which can be varied depending on the material of manufacture.
There are several types of polymers, ceramics, which trap even viruses and radionuclides, which penetrate into the body in large quantities through water and food. Installing reverse osmosis in an apartment for daily use can reduce the intake of hazardous compounds into human organs.
Scope of the cleaning method
Water purified by reverse osmosis is used in everyday life for drinking, cooking, pouring an 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 production of drugs. Only water purified from salts can be poured into car batteries so that it does not damage the plates. To dilute the concentrated antifreeze - coolant - a distillate is also required.
The various measuring instruments are rinsed with distilled liquid after use to ensure that they show the correct values later. Residues of dissolved salts can influence the measurement results.
At dairies, the raw materials are purified by reverse osmosis. With the help of filters, wine and vodka products are cleaned before bottling.
Large quantities of filters are installed in factories for the purification and bottling of bottled water. High-performance models are used there.
Principle of operation and device
For normal operation of the reverse osmosis system for water purification, it is necessary to maintain a certain pressure. This is important for the long life of the membrane. Otherwise, it quickly silts up and becomes unusable. Since this is the most expensive part in reverse osmosis filters, it is recommended to buy and install a pump that maintains the pressure in the system.
Liquid from the water supply system 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 flushed down the drain. Clean liquid enters the storage tank and is used for the needs of the family.
The industry produces multistage systems for apartments and private houses with three pre-filters to maximize the preparation of the liquid before passing through the membrane. This way, less dirt remains on it and it lasts longer. Especially relevant for cottages where water comes from wells or wells.
The first filter is coarse filter, designed to separate large particles - sand, rust, organic matter. You have to change the cartridge once every three months. The second is a charcoal filter. It softens the liquid, releasing calcium, magnesium, sodium salts from it. The cartridge lasts longer - replacement is required every 6 months. The third removes chemicals and purifies the water from residues of fertilizers, paints and other dangerous poisons dissolved in the liquid. It is inherently mechanical, but works with smaller particles that are less than 1 micron in size. Then the water enters the membrane and is completely purified from bacteria and viruses.
Some systems have a mineralizer that recovers electrolytes by returning potassium, calcium, sodium, and other nutrients to the liquid. Doctors do not recommend drinking distilled water, since due to a lack of dissolved salts in humans, the function of the heart and kidneys is disturbed, although this is a controversial issue: minerals are found in excess in vegetables and fruits.
There are systems with a hydraulic tank, which contains the filtrate and is consumed as the internal pressure changes. There is a food-grade rubber bulb inside the tank, so the filtered water does not come into contact with the walls. The pear occupies half of the volume, the rest of the space is occupied by air. As it fills, the air pressure increases and the filtration process stops. When the drinking water tap is opened, the pressure gradually decreases and the system starts up again.
The kit may also include ionizers and softening cartridges. Companies that install filters can order the entire system or its individual components. The cost of the kit depends on their number.
Reverse Osmosis Filter Specifications
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.
- Pore size in the fine membrane. The efficiency of the distillation process depends on their diameter.
- A number of additional functions that make the 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, therefore they are installed in enterprises with high throughput capacities.
System selection criteria
The main selection criterion for most people is the cost of products. In order not to overpay, you need to decide how much drinking water is consumed per family per day, as well as what functions would be useful. Consider the consumption 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 produces defective water. But if you think about how many resources the body spends on adapting tap liquid before assimilation, it is better to drink distillate, and get all the necessary minerals from food. To do this, you need to revise your diet in favor of fresh vegetables, fruits, natural fermented milk 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.
Installation and connection features
You can install and start up the reverse osmosis filter yourself, following the instructions attached to the product. Some firms 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 the incoming cold water supply pipe.
More harm or benefit will be caused by installing a filter, depending on how the residents follow the manufacturer's instructions for caring for the main component - the membrane.
Advantages and disadvantages of the method
The advantages of the reverse osmosis method include:
- the ability to filter liquid from any source, not just a water supply;
- no chemicals are 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 shifts in health begin, if at the same time water is used regularly - headaches, inflammation in the joints disappear, kidney function is getting better, 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 bought mainly by people who are aware of the benefits of clean water and its effects on the body. The good news for them may be the fact that the cost of drinking water will be reduced by 60% when using a filter.
The cheapest reverse osmosis filters cost at least 7 thousand rubles. This is the price offered by Chinese manufacturers. The downside is that the fine membrane quickly breaks down and needs to be replaced. At the same time, the quality of the filtrate decreases. It is recommended to buy sets of well-known brands, better than Russian ones, since they are more adapted to the peculiarities of the domestic water supply system.
Consumer reviews
Evgeny. For about 15 years I suffered from migraines - sometimes I had to lie still for 2 - 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 time, we did not associate the quality of water with a deterioration in health, but after the reverse osmosis filter was installed, the attacks began to bother less often, and after 4 months of drinking pure water, they completely stopped. The wife ceased to be bothered by cystitis, which also seemed not to be associated with water. It turned out to be still both related.
Maria. I am a lover of expensive sorts of coffee, sometimes I indulge myself in the morning. Until the installation of the filter, I did not even suspect that coffee could be so tasty. Probably, bleach prevented you from feeling the whole aroma and taste.
Alexei. We decided to install a reverse osmosis filter because of the constant high blood pressure in my mother. After a while, it became easier for her to endure bouts of hypertension, digestion returned to normal. We do not use a mineralizer, we use distilled water. Since they did not save on the system, we rarely change cartridges and there are no problems with operation.