Humans need clean water to stay healthy and active. A water purification system gets rid of harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, chemicals, and heavy metals in your water. Here are five home water purification methods:
1. Activated Carbon Filtration
Carbon treatments use tiny holes in carbon materials to capture different pollutants as water passes through. The tiny openings on the carbon’s surface lock in pollutants by attaching them firmly through a process known as adsorption. This filter stops chlorine, dirt, pesticides, and chemicals that make water taste and smell bad from getting through. Most home carbon filters are available as filters you place in pitchers or put beneath sinks. These filters work well to eliminate some pollutants but may not remove bacteria and minerals that are dissolved in water. You must regularly switch out carbon cartridges to keep your water filtered properly and stop bacteria from multiplying.
2. Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Reverse osmosis cleans water through special membranes that only let water molecules through. Water flows through the system while pollutants too big to fit are trapped and removed as waste. Before water reaches the main reverse osmosis filter, the system uses two special filters, one for sand and sediment and another for cleaning carbon. The water purification system works by separating dissolved particles from water, including dangerous minerals like lead, arsenic, and fluoride. RO systems can get rid of almost all dissolved substances, ranking them top among purification options. Membrane separation needs water pressure for operation, which causes extra water to be discarded. Some updated RO water purifiers make sure to put healthy minerals back into the water after it’s gone through purification.
3. UV Purification
UV purification systems use particular UV light bands to break down the genetic material of germs, stopping them from multiplying in the water. The UV system needs clear water since floating particles cover microorganisms and block the UV light from reaching them. UV purification machines automatically adjust water flow to make sure water stays in the system long enough to kill all the microorganisms effectively. The purification happens without chemicals, which maintains the water’s taste, smell, and chemical composition. Keep the UV lamp’s protective quartz sleeve clean and replace the lamp once each year.
4. Ceramic Filtration
Ceramic filters use tiny holes in specially made ceramic parts to catch and remove water pollutants by physical filtering. The ceramic material has tiny spaces that catch all unwanted foreign particles as water flows through it. New ceramic filters have colloidal silver in them to keep bacteria from taking over inside the filter. Because they work with gravity, these systems are good for places lacking electricity and water pressure. You can clean the ceramic parts several times before you need to change them, helping you save money. Ceramic filters reliably clean biological particles from water, but they do this more slowly than other water purification technologies. They can remove bacteria from water and work well with other treatments that remove chemicals and viruses.
5. Distillation
The distillation process involves boiling water to turn it into steam and catching and cooling that steam back into clean water. This treatment method pulls apart water molecules from almost every foreign substance found in the water, like minerals, metals, and living things. The system includes three main parts: a chamber to boil water, a setup to cool and condense steam, and a container to gather clean water. Distillation cleans water well but requires a lot of energy and time to make clean water ready for use. The process removes good minerals and dangerous pollutants, so you may need to add minerals back into your drinking water. For the distillation system to work well, you must regularly clean the machine to get rid of mineral deposits.
Install a Water Purification System
You can make your home’s drinking, cooking, and bathing water cleaner by installing a water filtration or purification system. If your home uses a significant amount of water, look for a whole-house filtration system. These systems purify the water at its entrance point in the home, confirming each faucet has clean water. You can also purchase point-of-use filters that address individual sinks and faucets. Contact a water purification provider today to learn more about keeping bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants from your water.
