Reverse Osmosis Systems create the cleanest, purest drinking water. Here are some of the main benefits of getting a Reverse Osmosis system to filter your water.
Removes Contaminants
RO systems are able to remove contaminants such as pesticides, nitrates, sulfates, fluoride, bacteria, and arsenic from water. Since they also have a carbon filter they are capable of removing chlorine and chloramines as well.
Improved Taste & Clarity
Because Reverse osmosis filtration removes all contaminants, it removes all traces of odor and color, giving the water improved clarity & taste
Cheap Long-term Alternative
When you have an RO system you don’t have to invest or spend money on bottled water or a water delivery system. Plus the quality of water delivered by an RO system is much better than you would get from any other source.
Easy Maintenance
There are only a few parts that move or replaceable in the RO systems so that makes them very easy to clean and maintain.
But how exactly do these systems work, and what do they do to your home’s water?
What is Osmosis?
Before we learn what Reverse Osmosis is we should see what Osmosis is. Osmosis is the process where molecules go through a semi-permeable membrane which makes a solution of less- concentrated water into a much higher concentrated solution. This is the process that trees use to gather water from the soil using their roots.
What Happens During the Reverse Osmosis Process
In the Reverse osmosis Process the opposite happens. Here the high concentrated contaminated water is forced, under pressure through a semi-permeable membrane and that result in water that is free of contaminants. The pores in the membrane help to filter out the microscopic contaminants that are found in water.
When you use this in a drinking water system it flushes out all contaminants in the drinking water resulting in clean, pure drinking water.
Even though we got Reverse Osmosis out of the way there still is more parts involved in the filtration in an RO system.
Any RO system consists of a manifold containing 3 cylindrical canisters. One of these is for the membrane filter that we mentioned earlier, the other two compromises of carbon filters. You can see how they are setup in the below image.
Step 1: Pre-filtration Cannister
This first canister is known as the sediment filter or carbon block filter. It is there to protect the membrane filter from heavy sediments and also to filter out some of the chlorine that you find in common tap water.
RO systems are more efficient when you have already softened the water initially. Hard water can damage the system. So in order to get the best water from the RO system, soften the water you feed it.
Step 2: The Reverse Osmosis Cannister
This is the step where an RO system really shows its capability. This step filters out the water using the membrane mechanism like we explained above.
This step filters out contaminants such as glucose, urea, bacteria and viruses completely and most certified RO systems can heavily reduce the following:-
Steps 3 & 4: Final Carbon Filters
The second carbon filter goes through the same process as the first one and takes care of any contaminants that might have been missed by the membrane.
The final step sends the water through an in-line activated carbon filter that will remove any odor or tastes that might still be clinging on to the water and gives it that final polish. This makes the water feel fresh and pure.
When you install a reverse osmosis system, you’ll get pure, healthy water right from your kitchen sink and you will be able to enjoy better-tasting coffee and tea.
The soft water made by some water softening systems is great for cleaning, showering, and laundry. However, it is still not preferred to be drunk because it still might have dissolved solids as well has high sodium content. A reverse osmosis system can get rid of that that sodium along with other contaminants and dissolved solids, which can make the water even softer and because of a water softener and an R.O. system a great combination for most homes.
