Which filter to choose for water purification in a private house

A water treatment system should be in every country house. The reason for this is that the quality of water in settlements or villages is not good enough. It contains a large number of extraneous impurities that can harm health. The article presents options for filters for water purification in a private house.

The main harmful impurities

In addition to the usual dirt particles, water contains a mass of other impurities. Here are some of them:

1. Calcium salts – Ca(HCO3)2 and magnesiumsalts – Mg(HCO3), which form water hardness. Excessive levels in water lead to health and machinery problems.
2. Iodine: Excessive amounts of this substance in water can lead to hyperthyroidism.
3. Fluoride. In minimal doses, the element can be useful, but excessive amounts lead to irreversible consequences in the musculoskeletal system.
4. Iron. The situation is similar with fluoride. Large amounts of iron are harmful not only to humans, but also to household appliances.
5. Chlorine. It is used in sewage treatment plants for disinfection. Consumption of chlorinated water significantly reduces immunity and negatively affects the cardiovascular system.

Types of filters for a private house

Water purification for the house should be properly selected. This will help to effectively clean the liquid from contaminants, get rid of health problems and household appliances in the future, as well as save money.

If one were to make a ranking of water purification systems that provide quality water, rated on several parameters such as water quality, performance, maintenance, it would look like this:

• Hollow fiber;
• Cartridge;
• Reverse osmosis;
• Ozone;
• Ion exchange;
• Carbon;
• Ultraviolet;
• Mechanical.

Fiberglass

If you need a professional purification system in the house, then it is worth paying attention to the fiberglass option. Such filters are of medium size and help to purify water for all devices in the house. The hollow fiber purification scheme is considered a unique invention that has received a lot of positive feedback from buyers.

The first thing to note is the high quality of cleaning. Filters will help to get rid of all contaminants, as well as bacteria and odor. They use membranes that have small holes instead of the usual cartridges. They trap all foreign impurities.

The average life of the membrane is about 4 years. But experts recommend cleaning once every six months, so that the quality of water does not become significantly worse.

Hollow fiber water purification system from a well, well or water supply – a great option for the home.

Cartridge

Cartridge filters are the most common water treatment devices. They are easy to install and maintain, and most importantly, inexpensive. They have different types of cartridges depending on the required water purification. Activated carbon, membranes or cellulose materials, etc. are used as filter elements. These materials effectively remove sand, rust, organic compounds, unpleasant odors, chlorine, and soften water.

Filter elements are easy to install and replace. It is important to choose the right type of cartridge according to the required level of purification and water properties.

Cartridge systems are small in size and are therefore most often installed in the kitchen under the sink.

Reverse Osmosis

Reverse osmosis filters are the most effective of all water treatment methods. In them, the liquid under pressure passes through a membrane that detains about 98% of impurities.

Having such a high degree of purification, the system has a number of disadvantages:

1. low capacity.
2. In some cases, additional mineralization of water is required.
3. high water consumption.

Ozone

Ozone filter is the optimal solution for microbiological and chemical purification of water, preserving its beneficial mineral composition. The filter effectively eliminates unpleasant odors, improves the organoleptic properties of drinking water. As a result of ozone purification, water becomes similar to natural spring water.

Ozone systems are generally considered safe for use in water purification. However, it is important to follow the instructions for installation, operation and maintenance of the ozone filter. Incorrect use or improper maintenance of the filter may result in undesirable consequences or reduced effectiveness. It is recommended that you contact the manufacturer or a professional for additional information and recommendations for safe use of the unit.

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent that can effectively kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and other microorganisms. Excessive amounts of ozone in water or air are harmful to the body.

The method needs pre-filtration and subsequent sedimentation.

Ion exchange

The ion exchange method of purification is considered to be very effective. It helps to prepare the water for use and also softens it. In the ion-exchange filter, chemical reactions take place, allowing you to remove excess manganese, calcium, iron and other impurities.

Ion exchange resins are considered to be the most popular filtering material. The size of their granules varies from 0.3 to 0.8 mm. In some treatment systems, fiber ion exchange materials can be found.

Ion exchange columns are bulky and quite expensive, so they are not always suitable for small households.

Coal

Filters are suitable for both cold and hot water supply. The device is one or more flasks that are mounted in the water supply system. Inside them are special cartridges that absorb all unnecessary impurities from the water.

Activated carbon actively fights with excess chlorine, removes heavy metals. Additionally, the color improves and removes extraneous odor.

The purification system performs the following functions:

1. improving the taste of water;
2. purification from pathogenic microorganisms;
3. normalization of the pH value.

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet filter is a stainless steel tube with a bulb with an ultraviolet emitter inside. UV radiation affects pathogenic microorganisms and destroys them. At the same time, all useful substances remain intact.

Water from wells has many extraneous impurities, which provokes the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria or viruses. Ultraviolet can easily cope with the problem and purify the water. But this method should be used in conjunction with the coarse and fine method of water purification.

The advantages of the method are as follows:

1. Ease of operation.
2. Easy installation.
3. 100% safety for health and environment.

Minuses – the system is not able to qualitatively purify water from lakes or reservoirs with increased hardness.

This method of purification is suitable only for water that is not heavily polluted and needs additional filtration options.

Mechanical filters

This water purification system for a private house can be multistage and quite effective. Mechanical purification allows you to destroy not only large fragments of contaminants, but also smaller ones. In filters for mechanical water purification, cartridges are most often used:

• mesh;
• threaded;
• disk;
• polypropylene;
• bag ones.

Among the negative points buyers noted that the cartridges have to be changed often in case of heavily polluted water.

What water purification system is better to choose

Buy a filter for water purification is not difficult, it is much more difficult to make the right choice. Before going to the store you need to know

• what volume of water will be treated;
• the level of contamination of the incoming liquid;
• what quality it should be at the output.

From these parameters depends on the choice of water purification methods and its characteristics.

If purified water is needed constantly and in the whole house, then the optimal choice will be hollow-fiber systems. If the water has a high content of harmful microflora, then for additional treatment you can apply ultraviolet or ozone options.

Prices

The cost of water purification devices for a country house varies greatly. The price of the cheapest options will be at the level of thousands. Professional devices cost from 20 thousand and more. If water purification is needed infrequently, and the volumes are small, there is no point in overpaying.

Companies for installation and maintenance of installations

There are such companies in almost every city. Find them on the Internet or through ads in newspapers. Before making a final choice, it is recommended to read customer reviews. This will help in choosing the most suitable company.

Drawing conclusions

Water from a well and natural reservoirs must necessarily be subjected to preliminary treatment, since it contains many extraneous impurities and harmful bacteria. Only after qualitative and multi-stage purification it can be used for food.