Water is the one substance that we cannot live without. However, due to all the chemicals that can interfere with its purity, making sure that the water that you are consuming is of good quality is essential. One way that scientists use to check the quality of water is by utilizing a ph meter. You can read more about these devices here.
As expected, numerous devices are used to purify water. In total there are four main types of water filtration systems.
Models that use activated carbon
Most household water filters that you can find for sale use activated carbon granules. The charcoal that they include has the quality of adsorbing chemical impurities fast and efficiently. These products are easy to use, but they have two main disadvantages.
One, they cannot successfully clear water that contains heavy metals and limescale. Secondly, these filters tend to clog up rather easily and, thus, they have to be replaced.
Ion-exchange
Filters that useion-exchangeare great at removing limescale from water. They work by splitting apart the atoms of the contaminating substance by producing ions.
They are very practical because they deliver results quickly and because they can purify the water of harsher chemicals. Their drawback is the fact that these filters have to be recharged periodically with sodium ions.
Reverse osmosis
In simple terms, reverse osmosis means forcing contaminated water through a fine filter at high pressure. As a result of this process, the water that passes through the filter is cleaned of harmful chemicals that it contains.
The main difference between reverse osmosis and osmosis is the fact that this process implies making the substance that you are filtering to go in the opposite direction than it would normally travel.
Reverse osmosis devices are, in many ways, similar to those filters that use activated charcoal, in the sense that they can only remove some of the pollutants that are likely to be found in water. In this case, these filters cannot rid the water of bacteria.
Besides, because these filters have to use pressure, they generally have to be powered by electricity, and this can prove costly.
Distillation
Distillation is the simplest and the most affordable way in which you can purify water. To put it in simple words, distillation means boiling the water in order to remove the harmful pathogens that it contains. After boiling, the steam is captured and condensed so that the user is provided with clear water that is safe to drink.
The biggest advantage of distillation is the fact that the distillation devices that you can find online are easy to use and maintain. Plus, using such a product is synonymous with low water wastage. One aspect that makes these options somewhat inconvenient is their bulky size.
The bottom line
As it is easy to gather from the points that we made above, there is no easy way to clean water, as no device can successfully remove all the contaminants that the water might include. So, before you make a decision, you must consider your needs first.
Another point that you should not overlook is that all of the solutions that we have talked about are not cheap, especially not in the long run.
To make sure that the device that you have selected will pass the test of time, you have to clean it regularly and you have to invest in replacement pieces from time to time. So, tread carefully and make sure that the item that you have selected is just what you need!
Also read: waterdrop filters
