Almost all reservoirs of the globe are very heavily polluted today. This not only negatively affects the environmental situation, but also pretty much harms people's health. Each of us has a lot of individual features. The fact that one does not pay attention to the other will bring a lot of trouble. Allergy, dermatosis, diseases of internal organs - this is not a complete list of the negative consequences of using dirty water. To avoid such troubles, mechanical / biological treatment of water, as well as its chemical treatment, is mandatory. In this article we will talk about the very first type of stonecrop - the physical.
Cleaning principle
The mechanical method of water purification is the easiest and most affordable way to get rid of liquids from various impurities. With the help of sedimentation and filtration, all foreign substances are removed from dirty water:
- rust;
- weighted particles;
- sand.
The cleaning principle itself is that with the help of various devices coarse impurities are removed from the water. To do this, use various septic tanks, sand traps, manure traps, gratings and sieves. Surface contaminants are removed with the help of gas traps, oil traps and sedimentation tanks. A correctly selected filter material is of great importance for the quality of the cleaning system.
Where is mechanical filtration used
Purification of water from mechanical impurities is quite widely used. This is the most common way to purify water taken from open sources - rivers, lakes, canals, and various reservoirs. Also, a mechanical cleaning is mandatory used at municipal water treatment plants.
Mechanical water treatment is also used in domestic filtration systems. Such cleaners are most often installed on the common entrance to the house and each apartment.
Such a system is also indispensable in wastewater treatment. Using this method allows to separate from dirty domestic wastewater up to 75% of insoluble impurities, and from industrial - all 95%.
How to clean wastewater
Mechanical purification of water has for some time been quite helpful for owners of private houses located far from the central sewage system. The main disaster faced by such homeowners is the filtration of effluents. Of course, such a problem can be solved with a conventional cesspool. When it is full, you just need to call the cesspool machine, and you can again use the pit.
Sooner or later, homeowners come to the conclusion that using a cesspool is not only impractical, but also unhygienic. Not only is there a rather unpleasant smell spreading around it, so also household chemicals, seeping into the ground, causing irreparable damage to garden crops. We have to build a mini-cleaning facility, install a system of various filters.
Such systems, only on a much larger scale, are also installed at municipal wastewater treatment plants, where liquid waste from the life of large and small cities and towns is collected.
Filter systems for water purification in apartments
The city water entering our apartments, although it undergoes some cleaning up, is polluted again as it moves through the pipes. From this life-giving moisture flowing from a home faucet is very difficult to call one: it often has a nasty taste, smell and a dirty yellow color. In order not to clean endlessly teapots and pans, not to remove yellow linen from the washing machine and not to drink compote with a hint of bleach or a crunch of sand on the teeth, it is worth installing filters in the apartment.
Mechanical cleaning of cold water, however, as well as hot, allows you to remove insoluble impurities from the liquid. Also in the apartments are additionally used softeners. They remove salt from the water, providing its rigidity.
There is another cleaning system - reverse osmosis. The principle of its action is that water under pressure is driven through a special semipermeable membrane, which retains impurities.
Water purification from wells
Some people think that water produced from wells does not need to be cleaned. This is not true. Of course, surface water does not act on such water, but a lot of iron, calcium and magnesium salts are dissolved in it. Therefore, such water is also subject to filtration.
First of all, mechanical water treatment is carried out. The procedure helps to release fluid from insoluble particles. Next, water is purified from excess iron. It is oxidized to larger particles and filtered again.
After this, water is softened by ion exchange. This allows you to reduce its rigidity. At the last stage of purification, the water is disinfected, because the residues of detergents and the remnants of chemicals used as fertilizers are dissolved in it.
What are the filters
As you can see, among the whole variety of cleaning methods, the very first and most effective is still mechanical. There are many devices that are used for this process.
The filter for mechanical purification of cold water is primarily divided by the type and size of the captured particles. There is a fine and coarse filter.
The first, in turn, are divided into two groups:
In cartridge systems, a special removable insert is used as the dirt collection mechanism. Most often it is made of foamed propylene or fine steel mesh. No manufacturer will say exactly how often this item should be changed. It all depends on the degree of contamination of the water flowing through the pipes. The first sign that a cartridge needs to be replaced is a decrease in pressure. To make a replacement, it is necessary to shut off the water, unwind the filter and remove the contaminated element. A new one is inserted in its place, and the actions are performed in the reverse order.
The washing filter is designed according to the same principle. Its only difference is that the cartridge can not be changed, but simply rinsed and used again. Wash filters are:
The principle of operation is almost the same, the only difference is in the cleaning method.
Coarse filters are quite similar to thin ones. The difference is that a coarse filter can only capture large particles, therefore it is installed at the beginning of the cleaning system. Coarse filters are:
- mesh;
- cartridge;
- mud (without washing);
- pressure head high-speed;
- backwash.
As well as thin filters, some of them can be cleaned and washed, and some can only be replaced.
How to install a mechanical filter
If a rusty liquid of incomprehensible taste and smell flows from your tap all the time, you definitely need a mechanical water treatment. The cleaning filter can be installed independently. This task is not difficult. First you need to stock up on tools. You will need:
- hacksaw;
- pipe cutter;
- FUM tape or other sealant;
- special fittings for plastic pipes;
- if metal pipes - locknut and coupling;
- thread cutting device.
To install, you need to cut a piece of pipe, the size of which is slightly larger than the diameter of the cover of the existing filter. After that, a thread is cut at the ends and fittings are installed using a sealant. Now the filter itself is installed.
To install a water purification device, you should choose a place so that its lower edge is 10 cm from the ground or floor (at least). If you ignore this rule, replacing the cleaning cartridge will be very difficult. To do this, the filter will have to be dismantled.