In the field of developing water filters to meet the growing needs of our planet, manufacturers are putting together various new and improving technologies in unique ways that were unheard of 20 years ago. These new filters are more economical to use as well as more effective. However, if you want to know in general how water filters work, there is no longer a clear-cut answer. Each type of filter works using the varied technologies that created it. The four main types of filtration are reverse osmosis, membrane filtration, chemical adsorbtion, and ceramic filtration.
There are dozens of types of water filters on the market, and most homeowners don't understand any of the technology well enough to know what they need to buy in order to procure the highest quality of water. Obviously, different people have different needs when it comes to water filtration. The type your choose should address any water problems you have, such as contamination, health issues, and quality desired as well as finding something in a price range you can afford.
Reverse osmosis systems involve moving water that contains contaminants through a permeable filter so that the resulting water has lower concentrations of particles.
These systems operate using two separate filters: one for larger debris and one that will catch finer particles. One filter may be a carbon filter, especially if you are trying to clean out chlorine which has smaller particles than water. If you're looking for water filtration in case of an emergency situation, reverse osmosis probably operates too slowly to meet your drinking water needs and wouldn't be a good choice.
A membrane filter is a simple, basic system. Water is run through this membrane and filtered per the size of the pores in the filter. Materials which are used for water filtration are made of cellulose acetate, polytatrafluoroethylene, or polethersulfone. Membranes can be used for micro-filtration, ultra-filtration, and nano-filtration as small as 0.001 microns. This method is an advantageous method in that waterborne pathogens can be trapped and eliminated without the use of any chemicals.
Chemical adsorption is used to clean particles from the air. It can be added to the filter medium an air cleaner uses to assist the filter in absorbing smells, gases, and particles. Using chemical adsorption helps make the filter last longer so that it is more economical to use. Activated carbon works well in absorbing gases. A compound called Zeolite is excellent for removing harmful chemicals from the air. This is a system most commonly used in industrial environments.
Ceramic filters come in pot type and candle type and move water through a ceramic filter in order to remove contaminants which are in it. They are not made uniformly from company to company, so that you will need to check packaging to find the type of filter that will be effective for what you need to clean. Some of the drawbacks in using ceramic filtration include the fact that they are very delicate and can break easily, they are not effective in removing chemicals, and they operate slowly.
