Archive for the 'Methods of Filtration' Category
What is the Difference Between Water Filtration Methods and Water Purification Systems?
One thing that can hold you back from finding out the best solution for contamination of your drinking water is learning the terms. There are a number of technologies used to take the contaminated water that is in the water reservoirs of your community and turn it into clean water again so it is suitable for consumption by your family. It may be easy to write off the water filtration industry as a sham when in fact, the best way to guarantee clean and healthy water for your family is to install a home water purification system such as those Aquasana has in stock. It helps to sort out what the differences are between what is being done at the water processing plant and what you will get when you invest in a water purification solution from Aquasana.
Very often water filtration and water purification are terms that are easily confused or intermixed when talking about the same thing. The water processing facility for your community has some methods at their disposal for filtering the water that will come out of the faucets at your home. One water filtration approach that has been used in different ways is boiling the water.
This is a method of water filtration that is recommended in a crisis situation where you must take contaminated water and filter it yourself. By boiling the water, you kill off most of the bacteria or other living things in that water that could make you sick. Then you can take the water as it cools and pour it through a cloth to filter out impurities before drinking it. The boiling method is not a good way to filter the huge amount of water that must be filtered by your city’s water processing plant because it is too costly, too much of the water is lost to evaporation, and the overhead of manning that kind of filtration system would be too difficult to handle with the limited resources they have.
Instead of using boiling, most water processing facilities that cities have add chemicals to the water to kill off bacteria and other dangerous viruses and parasites that could be living in the water that they are providing to the community. This method is workable because it does kill dangerous microorganisms living in the water. The downside is that it is not 100% effective, so some water contamination still gets through. In addition, the chemicals that are added then become a form of water contamination as well.
Water purification is one term that is used for many of the most effective home water processing systems such as those Aquasana can provide. Within that category of solutions for water contamination, there are a number of designs. A method that many have regarded as most effective uses activated charcoal filters to purify the water before it comes out of the water faucets of your home. An activated charcoal water purification system takes advantage of the ability of charcoal to trap odors, microorganisms, and chemical water contamination and only allows clean and healthy water to get through.
It is no wonder that the activated charcoal water purification system is the water purification system that the Environmental Protection Agency of the federal government recommends for homeowners who wish to invest in a home water processing solution that they can count on. Aquasana has a variety of activated charcoal water purification systems that they can show to you to fit the home water processing solution you need to your budget and your need for clean water as well.
What Should I Think About When Planning a Water Well Filter System?
When you move to a rural area it may be necessary for you to provide your own water. This is a big adjustment if you have never had a well water system before. If you are used to being on city water, then chances are you are used to thinking of water in an entirely different way. Water is something you pay the city to provide like sewage or trash pick-up. Now that you are living farther from a major population center, you have to provide some or all of these services yourself.
On the bright side, you can think of all the money you are saving by providing your own water. On the other side, you may need to invest some of that money into making sure you are getting clean water by buying a good well water filter system. A system of filters is going to be necessary for almost all well water situations.
You do not need to filter all of the water that comes from your well. You can place the well water filter system in a way that you only filter water coming into your house. This one step will save you money by not filtering the water you use to water your plants, wash your car, or to do other outdoor activities. By not requiring your well water filter system to keep that water pure, you cut down on the wear and tear on the filtering mechanism and on the filters that need to be changed routinely.
Making these kinds of wise water usage decisions can save you a lot of money on a cost-per-gallon analysis. The cost per gallon is based on how much the well water filter system costs you plus maintenance costs divided by how many gallons you get between filter replacements and cleaning. No matter how much or how little that amount is, using filtered water is wasted on plants, because most plants cannot tell the difference between filtered and unfiltered water.
The same applies to pool water, since most of the time you take a shower after being in the pool, so there is no point to filter the water than ends up in the swimming pool. Similarly, water used to for cleaning outdoor appliances or for washing the car or the dog does not need to be filtered. Smart placement of your well water filter system will make sure you are only filtering water that will have an impact on your health and the health of your family.
What you need to do is determine how bad your water is and how much filtration you will need to make it safe to drink and use in your house. There is a large variety of water tests out there, and it can be confusing to figure out what tests you need to do. Ask other people in the area what tests they have had done and base your tests on this. You can also hire a professional to test your water. Tests vary from do it yourself home kits to sending a water sample off to a laboratory.
You also need to become more aware of what is going into your watershed. You will find that almost everything in the end has an effect on your water. The watershed provides the water that comes to you through your well water system and you have no control over what kind of contaminants make it into that water before it gets to you.
Water is used by many industries to flush out harsh chemicals. If these chemicals end up in your water supply you need to find a way to remove them instead of drinking them along with your water. A high-quality home filtration system like the ones supported by Aquasana can remove industrial chemicals and other contaminants that should not be part of the water you and your family drink. When you know what sort of chemicals and substances are coming out of your well, tailor your filter system to filter them out.
Does Installing a Water Filtration Faucet Mean I Have to Give Up My Sprayer?
When you begin to research your options for a home water filtration system, there are two decisions to make that One of the most efficient ways of dealing with water contamination in the public water system is to install a home water filtration system such as one of the styles that Aquasana can show you. The great thing about Aquasana’s home water filters is that many of them can be installed by a homeowner who has average home maintenance skills and tools. Because you don’t have to hire a professional installer to put in your water filter system, that saves a lot of money. Plus, if you put in your water filter system yourself, you understand how it is set up so you know how to check on it or perform maintenance down the road.
A water filtration faucet is one of the quickest ways to get clean drinking water while still putting in a quality water filter that you can depend on. The place most people put in a water filtration faucet is in the kitchen sink area. In that way, they get the combined value of providing clean water at the place most people go for a glass of water and providing a reliable water supply for cooking. A faucet water filtration unit is also an economical approach to trying out a home water filtration solution. The alternative to installing water filtration faucets is to install an inline or whole house water filtration system. While these designs are excellent as well, the installation is more involved and they are more expensive over all than putting in one or two faucet water filtration installations.
One downside of setting up a water filtration faucet is that it will take up some space under the cabinets where the pipes go up to your kitchen sink or on the countertop where it is placed. The water filtration faucet is actually not installed in the faucet. This is good because all water filtration systems must have their filters changed a couple times a year. Having the water filtration faucet mechanism under the cabinets or on the countertop makes the unit a lot easier to get to for maintenance.
The faucets for a water filtration faucet system as a rule take up the space where the sprayer ordinarily sits in most kitchens. You can give up your sprayer on the basis that it is far better to have pure and healthy water to drink than to have that convenience. It is possible to still keep your sprayer, however, if you are skilled enough to put in another hole in the counter where the sprayer can come out. With a small amount of handyman skills or by employing someone who has those skills, you can organize a nice looking installation that accommodates both needs. Or, you can simply make space on the countertop to set up the faucet.
Keep in mind that putting in just one water filtration faucet installation may not meet all of your requirements for clean water for your family. You can put in separate faucet water filtration designs that Aquasana can show to you in the bathroom, the wet bar, the utility room, and the showers. This is worth thinking about because more and more experts are stating that as much contamination from polluted water can happen in the shower as can happen from the drinking water you and your family consume. If you do find yourself planning for multiple installations of water filtration faucets, before you buy and install the first one, take a look at a whole house water filtration system again. It could turn out to be the most cost effective solution for your water filtration needs.
How Should I Shop for a Faucet Water Filter?
will make a big difference in how you select the perfect solution for you and your family to get clean water at home. The first decision point is when you realize that a home water filtration system is the best way to eliminate the problem of water contamination in your drinking water. This is an important decision because many people never take the time to educate themselves on the amount of toxins and other contaminants that are coming with their tap water every day.
The second decision is what kind of home water filtration system to install. One of the most popular ways to quickly and cost effectively put in a home water filtration solution that will give you and you family healthy and clean water is to install a faucet water filter. As the name implies, a faucet water filter is installed on one particular faucet only.
That means that if you install a faucet water filter at one location, the water coming out of other faucets such as in the bathrooms, the showers, and the water going to your refrigerator, your clothes washer, and your dishwasher is not filtered. The faucet water filter is usually selected to provide clean drinking water from the location where most people get water for that purpose.
The most common place to put a faucet water filter is on the kitchen sink. By putting a faucet water filter in the kitchen, you are providing healthy water where most people get their drinks and for the water that you will use for cooking as well. Spend some time studying how faucet water filters are installed and then do some measurements under your sink and in the faucet area to make sure you can accommodate the unit where you want it to be installed.
When you buy a faucet water filter, you want to be sure that the brand and model you buy will serve you well at intercepting the most common types of water contamination that are in your area. You can either conduct your own water testing to find out what is in the water now or get copies of the water testing that is done by the EPA for the water that is in your community’s water reservoir to develop that list of contaminants that your faucet water filter must eliminate from the drinking water for your family.
Once you have a good understanding of the installation and filtering requirements you need for the faucet water filter you will buy, the next step is to find a quality water filtration equipment provider that will sell you a well-made faucet water filter and then stand behind their product after the sale. Of the many fine water filter companies in the market, you are on the right track if you start your search with Aquasana. Aquasana sets the standard for the industry so you will be able to find a faucet water filter from their inventory to fit your needs.
Pay attention to when the filters need to be changed on any faucet water filter you buy. Any water filtration system you install will have to have the filters replaced a couple of times a year, so make sure you are comfortable with how to install a fresh filter in the faucet water filter system you install.
Whether you buy from Aquasana or another water filter provider, make sure you know where to get replacement water filters and what those costs will be so you can plan accordingly. By planning ahead and getting a good understanding of the goals and designs of faucet water filters, you will make an intelligent choice to buy and install a faucet water filter that will serve your family well for many years to come.
Is One Kind of Water Purifier System Better Than Others?
The problem of contamination of the drinking water is a national crisis. The ultimate solution to the problem of toxins and other unhealthy contamination in the public water supply lies with the governmental agencies charged with the safety of the public water supply, like the EPA and the FDA. Unfortunately, these agencies seem to be fighting a losing battle because they have been in authority over the water that the citizens of the country drink for some time and the problem of water contamination is no better than it was when it came to public attention.
The conclusion is that it is the responsibility of the individual homeowner to find a water purification system that will assure that their families will have reliable and healthy water to drink. There are numerous methods for purifying water that have been used over the years. To select the water purification system that is best for your family calls for some deeper scrutiny of each of these methods to determine if they are effective and workable at a household level.
A water purification system that has been around for ages is also one that is often used by campers or people in a survival situation. That system is to boil the water. This system is highly effective against bacteria and other microorganisms that are contaminating the drinking water. There are three reasons that boiling is not a good solution for a home owner who wants a water purification system that will work every day.
First, boiling is not effective against chemical contamination of the drinking water which represents the largest threat to the health of the water the public drinks. Secondly, microorganisms in the drinking water are being addressed by most public water processing facilities by the addition of chemicals like chlorine. Thirdly, boiling all of the water you use for drinking, bathing, washing your clothes, or for taking showers is simply impractical for a modern family to attempt on a day-by-day basis.
Chemical treatments are a method of water purification that we mentioned earlier because it is commonly used at the municipal water treatment level. The focus of a chemical water purification system is that it only targets microorganisms. Chemical treatments do nothing about the pesticides, pharmaceutical drugs, toxic industrial solvents, or rocket fuel that has been found in so many public water systems. If anything, chemical treatments introduce another problem to the water purity issue because the chemicals added to kill disease microorganisms in the water becomes a water contamination issue itself. Obviously, chemical treatments are not an ideal water purification system for use at the home level.
Each of these water purification systems are good in a specific situation and to address a specific kind of water contamination. To provide service to a household, a water purification system must be able to address a wide array of water contaminants including chemicals, microorganisms, sediment, and others. To accomplish this goal, a good activated-charcoal home water filter system is a great choice. Aquasana has some outstanding models of activated-charcoal water purifier systems that will fit the need.
Activated charcoal does a great job of addressing hundreds of different kinds of water contaminants and does so reliably for you and your family. Once you have an Aquasana home water filtration system in place, you can enjoy clean and healthy water from any faucet in the house and you can have as much as you want for no additional cost. It is an efficient, economical, and healthy way for homeowners and parents to take a big step forward to protect the health and wellbeing of their families quickly and for many years to come.
Are There Bugs In Your Drinking Water?
It’s summer time and it’s HOT! People are drinking more water and trying to stay cool. This sounds like a typical seasonal occurrence, but there are risks involved if you are drinking unfiltered tap water.
Chlorine is a poison designed to kill living organisms like bacteria and virus. This is how the municipalities keep us safe from water borne disease outbreaks. It’s a necessary evil and it’s effective, but only to a point.
Have you ever stopped to think about chlorine resistant organisms; Cysts, parasites… microscopic bugs?
Two of the most common water born parasites are Cryptosporidium and Giardia. These are small protozoan which create a hard shell around themselves, which makes them resistant to chlorine. They come from animal feces in surface water and are much more common than we realize.
These cysts are most dangerous to young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. If infected by these parasites you typically suffer flu like or food poisoning symptoms. Symptoms usually last for 3 or 4 days, with some cases lasting weeks or months. The Center For Disease Control estimates that 50% of the time people are diagnosed with food poisoning or the flu, they have actually been infected with these chlorine resistant bugs found in drinking water.
Here is the real story; EPA officials estimate 850 billion gallons of storm water mixed with raw sewage pour into U.S. waters every year. An additional 3 billion to 10 billion gallons of raw sewage spills accidentally every year from systems designed to carry only sewage. These spills are caused by improper connections, clogs caused by debris, construction accidents and cracks in aging pipes.
Sewage commonly gets into drinking water supplies. Run off from fields and animal feed lots is where most water borne parasites originate. In 1993 more than 400,000 people got sick and more than 100 people died within a 4 week period after cryptosporidium contaminated drinking water in Milwaukee WI.
An easy way to remove these parasites is with a sub-micron home drinking water filter. The parasites are large enough to catch because of the shell created to keep them alive, 3-5 microns in size. A quality water filtration system with an absolute micron rating of 1 micron or less is an easy, affordable solution. Drink parasite, cyst & bug free water with Aquasana Drinking Water Filters!
Selective Filtration Water Filters vs. Reverse Osmosis Water Purifiers
A lot of people probably wonder what the differences are between Reverse Osmosis Water Purifiers and Selective Filtration Water Filters.
Reverse Osmosis Purification Systems or distillers waste a lot of water during their filtration process; for every 1 gallon of “purified” water, the system wastes about 3-5 gallons. The water passes through a semi-permeable membrane that blocks anything larger than a water molecule. In doing so, the system will remove some contaminants but more importantly, it will remove all of the naturally occurring minerals in the water. Mineral Content in the water improves the pH of the water. When you remove the Minerals from the water you are creating very acidic water. There have been many recent studies on the importance of alkaline(mineral rich) water and your health.
Please Read what the World Health Organization has to say on the subject of alkaline vs. acidic water:
World Health Organization Water Report
Our drinking water filtration systems take out a wide range of impurities and contaminants from the water while retaining the natural occurring minerals that give your water a healthy, balanced pH.
View the performance data sheet for our Aq-4000 Drinking Water Filter:
Aquasana Water Filters Performance
“Nowhere on this planet is there a naturally occurring source of de-mineralized water. This is because we, as humans, are not intended to consume this type of water. Nature knows best!”
