Filtration Technologies
Explains different water filtering methods and technologies that clean and improve water quality.
Explains different water filtering methods and technologies that clean and improve water quality.
Reverse osmosis and deionization (DI) perform the same task of removing impurities from tap water. However, DI purifies water utilizing the principle of ion exchange to remove impurities and replaces them with pure water. In most instances, an RO unit serves as a well-rounded filtration method that removes the majority of impurities; coupled with a post deionization filter, the resulting water is 99.9% pure. Many RO units are available as a combined RO/DI unit or are able to accommodate an add-on DI unit that simply attaches to your existing RO unit.
Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process in which water is forced through a semi-permeable membrane that removes 90-99% of tap water impurities. The result is water that is free of minerals and other contaminants. Membrane type determines the amount of dissolved solids a unit is capable of removing. For example, Cellulose Tri-Acetate (CTA) membranes have a removal rate of 88-94%, Thin Film Composite (TFC) membranes remove between 94-98% of dissolved solids, and Hi-S Membranes have higher removal rates, between 97.5-99%, and are especially adept at removing silicates.
The purpose of UV light is for bacterial disinfection. However, on a Water Ionizer this is completely unnecessary for several reasons. If you have city (municipal) water then your water has already been disinfected through the use of chlorine. The carbon filter on the Water Ionizer will remove the chlorine. The UV light itself loses much of its effectiveness after the first six months of use and should be replaced often, which is of course an expensive proposition. Also, the glass tube that the water travels through in order that it can be exposed to the UV light develops a film on it after only a few months, which greatly lessens the effectiveness of the UV light on the water which passes through the tube.