Water Filtering Systems

Residential water filtration systems use thin film composites to prevent even the smallest microscopic bacteria from entering treated storage units while letting clean water pass through. An enormous surface area of sediments filter and trap pollutants as water is forced through this material. Lead and other volatile substances are then drawn to an activated carbon filter like a magnet. Finally, any remaining chlorine-containing compounds are minimized and reduced by chemical processes occurring within the filtration system.

For filtration to take place, a basic water filtering system needs to have four essential parts- a fluid with suspended solids, a filter media (like activated carbon or ultraviolet light) to separate solid impurities from a fluid, a force typically produced by the pressure differential between two places, and a mechanism (the filter) that holds the material to be filtered from the fluid while permitting the driving force required for filtration to work. The result of the filtering process is a mass of solid material known as a cake. Special features in the system allow for the removal, cleaning, and drying of the created cake.

There are two distinct categories of filter barriers. One form consists of filters containing thin barriers, which are frequently represented by filtration screens, filtration cloths, or the standard filter paper used in laboratories. A thin filter features a single barrier that has openings that are smaller than the particles that need to be removed from the fluid. The second form is frequently used for industrial purposes to filter fluids that contain gelatinous precipitates using thick barriers which are typically made of sandfill beds, porous metal, porous ceramics coke beds, or a precoat of other filter material.

Sometimes, a gelatinous cake might form and clog even a thick filter barrier. A sand bed might then be utilized as an additional filtering device. Occasionally, the particles to be removed from a fluid may be substantially larger than even a thick filter barrier can absorb. In these cases, the offending particles may flow through the filter medium for an extended time, but they will eventually become stuck in the tiny spaces found in the filter bed.

Types of Water Filtering System

There are five typical water filtration systems that are frequently used in commercial and industrial settings including ion exchange, mechanical, ultra-violet, reverse osmosis, and activated carbon/absorption methods. As the two oldest water filtration methods, we discuss the reverse osmosis and activated carbon/absorption methods in greater detail below.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis is a method for removing dissolved particles from water, such as calcium or magnesium. High pressure and a semipermeable membrane are used to filter the water, leaving most of the impurities behind. The mechanical (sediment) filter and the absorption (activated carbon) filter are frequently used in conjunction with this highly-effective filtering system to remove as many pollutants from the water as feasible.

No electricity is required with this process because water pressure is used to force water through a filtering membrane. However, there is still a significant amount of wastewater that needs to be flushed down the drain. The reverse osmosis device is relatively expensive due to its dependence on requiring several water filters. Despite the fact that it is expensive, the technology filters the water to a point where it is almost entirely pure, allowing it to be used in nearly all applications that require water.

Advantages of Reverse Osmosis

• Reverse osmosis provides the most-effective filtering against the majority of water-borne pollutants.
• This process is able to drastically reduce or remove impurities like germs, iron, calcium, lead, cysts, mercury, and dissolved solids.
• It provides the cleanest, purest drinking water possible.
• Due to constant washing, a reverse osmosis membrane has an extended lifespan of 2 to 3 years.

Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis

• Chlorine, certain organic substances, solvents, and volatile organic compounds are not removed.
• Reverse osmosis provides a relatively slow rate of water filtering.
• This filtration process produces a lot of brine (wastewater).
• Reverse osmosis reduces the pH level of the water and removes key minerals in it.
• A water tank is required to store filtered water.
• Reverse osmosis is unable to treat chlorinated tap water on its own.
• This process comes at a higher price than other water filtration methods.

Absorption Water Filtering System

Carbon is frequently utilized in this kind of water filtering system because it is excellent for gathering and capturing pollutants found in water. Using this water filtration process, chemical contaminants found in water simply become trapped in the nooks and crannies of carbon’s densely-packed surface. Granular-activated carbon can also absorb odors and undesirable tastes from the water. Blocks of carbon, which are normally more effective at filtration and have a micron rating (the size of particles trapped by a filter) better suited for particle removal, are used to line the more expensive filters. Wood or coconut shells are among alternative materials that can be used in place of carbon.

Advantages of Absorption Filtration

• This water filtration process is inexpensive.
• No chemical additives are added during absorption filtration.
• Absorption filtration can be considered as a green technology.
• There is only minimal pH level change using this process.
• Absorption filtration provides a long filter life.
• Absorption filtration provides a high flow rate of water filtration.

Disadvantages of Absorption Filtration

• This process provides weak filtering for tiny pollutants.
• Due to loose carbon granules, water channeling issues could occur.
• Carbon granules' reduced density could encourage bacterial growth.
• Absorption filtration cannot get rid of viruses.
• Absorption filtration is unable to eliminate many minerals and dissolved substances.