Did you know that more than half of Americans are concerned about their drinking water?
Unfortunately, very few of these people take action to improve their drinking water.
If you have made the decision to invest in a water filtration system, it can be a challenge to choose the right kind.
Before making a choice, it’s important to first learn about the different types of water filtration systems. This way, you can make a more informed buying decision.
In this guide, we’ll explain the different types of water filters to produce clean drinking water.
Activated Carbon Filters
To understand how activated carbon filters, you must first know about absorption.
Basically, a typical filter will soak up another material to produce clean drinking water. Activated carbon filters instead use carbon-based materials, such as:
- Coconut shells
- Coal
- Wood
The filtration system heats these materials up without burning them. Then, the material becomes porous and catches impurities and toxins in drinking water.
Lastly, the system will pull these impurities out of the water. Activated carbon filters are the most common and ideal for removing a variety of different impurities.
Depending on whether you choose Aquarain vs Berkey, you can definitely get the most bang for your buck with this solution.
Ion Exchange Filters
If you’re searching for a water filter to get rid of your home’s hard water, this solution is right for you.
Ion exchange filters work by replacing magnesium and calcium ions with sodium ions.
To give you more clarity, magnesium and calcium are two elements that contribute to hard water. Sodium can be used to “soften” hard water.
While this filter is great for reducing hard water, it doesn’t get rid of bacteria as well as other solutions.
Reverse Osmosis Filters
Reverse osmosis filters are probably the most popular on the market. For good reason, they’re effective in removing all kinds of contaminants in drinking water.
This includes dangerous waterborne bacteria.
These filters work by using a process known as reverse osmosis. Basically, all of the contaminants remain on one side of a semi-permeable membrane.
As pressure is applied, fresh drinking water is pushed to the other side. These filters are one of the few solutions that can get rid of pesky contaminants like chromium and fluoride.
A reverse osmosis filter can also remove salt from drinking water. The drawbacks of this filter are:
- The reverse osmosis process is very slow.
- These filters use a lot of water.
- This level of filtration may not be necessary for daily activities, such as flushing toilets.
Mechanical Filters
These filters are the simplest water filtration systems. Basically, water will flow through a filter that will catch contaminants.
These filters are usually made of pads, synthetic foam, or nylon floss.
The most common mechanical filters are found in fish tanks, catching all kinds of plant debris and waste.
Because of their simple design and limitations, mechanical filters are used as a pre-filtration method.
Want to Explore More Types of Water Filtration
As you can see, there are several types of water filtration systems to choose from. Each of these options is suited for different purposes you should be aware of before buying.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out more of our helpful articles on the topic.
