Without water, a person can live no more than five days. Therefore, to tell how much this is a necessary resource is probably not worth it. But the condition of a person directly depends on the quality and purity of this source of health and strength. Many have come across the fact that tap water smells like bleach or has any color. Therefore, the question of additional filtration arises in every family. But which filter and cartridges to give preference should be considered in detail.
Kinds
There are three main types of devices.
- Filter jug. It is made of high-quality plastic and consists of two parts. Actually, the jug itself, and a removable cartridge for water purification. What is good about this device? The fact that it does not require a fixed installation. Therefore, it is quite suitable not only for an apartment, but also for a summer residence, office. The disadvantage of such a device is a minimum resource of up to 750 liters.
- The filter nozzle on the crane. Such a device requires installation on a crane using special nozzles. Suitable for areas with good water pressure. Depending on the manufacturer and on which cartridge is used for water treatment, the resource can be up to 1000 liters.
- Filter with placement under the sink. This type of device requires a fixed installation. Also, fluid should be supplied under good pressure. What is this view good for? First of all, you can choose any degree of purification. The resource of such devices is up to 15,000 liters.
The most important component of any filter is a cartridge for water treatment. It depends on it and the quality of the liquid obtained, and the life of the device.
For ease of maintenance, cartridges for the water treatment system are removable. Performance and filler determine the resource, the degree of purification and what type of contaminants should be used.
Cartridges for mechanical treatment of water
This is a polypropylene element. It is used as a preliminary cleaning before other filters. Cope with large particles of dirt. It can be sand, silt, rust and others. Unfortunately, he is inclined to accumulate all the garbage on himself. Therefore, clean, change at least once a year or as clogged.
Adsorption (coal) devices
This type of filtration will be carried out due to activated carbon. A natural filter allows for improved water quality. The disadvantage of this device - with prolonged use and untimely replacement, can serve as a source of reverse fluid contamination. It fights against organic compounds, destruction of chlorine and ozone, sorption of gases.
There is another variety of this type - pressed coal. With it, more thorough cleaning is achieved. Throughput decreases, finer dispersions are delayed.
Ion exchange
The filler is an ionic resin that reacts with magnesium and calcium ions and replaces them with safe ones. The taste and hardness of the water change . What is remarkable for such replaceable filter cartridges? Many of them can be easily regenerated at home, saving on the purchase of a new one. The only negative is that ionized liquid should not be used for hypertensive patients, people with kidney and heart diseases.
This treatment is suitable for softening water. The principle of operation has been described previously. This filter is installed after preliminary cleaning.
Membrane
By the name it is clear that the method of cleaning the mechanical plan. For this, a sieve with small cells is used. The size of the cells directly depends on the size of the water molecules. Given that the contamination is larger, it remains on the membrane, and purified water easily passes through the cartridge for future use.
It fights organic, colloidal, bacterial contaminants, as well as metal impurities. Installed after mechanical cleaning of the liquid.
Osmotic
Thanks to its septum, this water purification cartridge can only allow water and gas molecules to pass through. All other impurities remain in the filter. Due to this, the quality of drinking from such a system is significantly higher than all of the above. The downside of such systems is poor performance. For the comprehensive cleaning of a large number of contaminants, including metals, microorganisms, pesticides, viruses, a reverse osmosis membrane is installed. But first, such water must undergo mechanical treatment and dechlorination.
It should be noted that in filters with installation under the sink, combinations of several types of cartridges can be used that will maximally clean the liquid from a large number of contaminants.
Key Points When Choosing
It should be remembered that there is no universal cartridge for all types of contamination.
Service life is limited. He is for each individual option. The cleaning efficiency and operating time depend on the input quality of the water. And it is impossible to determine the end of the filter service life up to a day.
To understand yourself what type of treatment is required for water, you need to answer a number of questions:
- Possibility of use for water supply. Is there enough water pressure?
- What resource is required? It is determined based on the consumption and filter capacity .
- The cost of a liter of purified water. As mentioned earlier, the initial cost of the filter can be high, but the service life is many times longer than analogues. Therefore, the cost is calculated from the price per liter.
- Type of pollution. As a rule, each region has its own characteristic. Sometimes this can be determined visually or by touch. But you can conduct a laboratory test.
In order to make a choice, it is worth considering replaceable filter cartridges from the main manufacturers on the market.
Comparison of domestic manufacturers
And now the last stage before the final choice. What to stop at? After reading the reviews one gets the impression that “every sandpiper praises its swamp”. But I would not want to get swamp water.
- Cartridges for water purification "Barrier". The assortment of this brand is quite large. It can cover any demand. The product quality is not bad, otherwise 40% of Russians would not choose this brand for themselves. When choosing a cartridge type, you should read and compare it with other manufacturers. In order not to push their consumers away from the purchase, this manufacturer adds an ionizer to the set of stationary systems. Also, by rating, this brand has taken a good place in filter nozzles and stationary installations for washing.
- Replaceable filter "Aquaphor" for jugs, according to consumer reviews, has proved to be quite good. That is, again, the long-known truth is confirmed that all products from one manufacturer cannot be ideal. Therefore, it is worth comparing on-site technical specifications of the cartridges. For a jug, for example, it is better to take the Aquaphor filter cartridge. Reviews say it is more reliable.
- Geyser cartridges are available in several ranges. This is a premium and budget options. This manufacturer has been on the market for a long time, and the product range includes elements of all types of cleaning. According to reviews, stationary use systems are interesting. The cleaning effect is maximum. The fluid is of excellent quality. Therefore, Geyser cartridges are one of the most popular for this system. This brand is within the first three for all types of water filtration devices. The exception is the nozzle on the crane.
Once again, we can summarize that when choosing a filter and a cartridge, you should carefully compare the characteristics of products from different manufacturers, and not rely on reviews. Why so? Because rarely do any of the consumers buy and reinstall systems for various cartridges. And, having installed the device from one manufacturer, he will not be able to compare with other analogues, because he did not use them.
Cartridge prices
Depending on the manufacturer, as well as the type of device, the cost can vary significantly (from 500 to 3000 rubles). Therefore, when buying cartridges for water purification, prices are considered per purified liter. For this, the cost of the filtering device is divided by its resource.
So it turns out the correct calculation. With such calculations, the most economical option, however strange it may be, is stationary installations.
If we consider the pricing within three brands - “Barrier”, “Aquaphor”, “Geyser”, then the price can fluctuate at different positions. That is, some types of cartridge will be cheaper than other manufacturers, others more expensive. There is no such thing as the most expensive or cheapest manufacturer. On average, they are all in the same market segment both in quality and price, depending on the type of device.
The degree of protection of the health of family members depends on the choice of cartridge. Therefore, for the right acquisition, you should first of all know what to protect from. And only in the second - to rely on brand awareness. Under such conditions, it is possible to really choose the type of filter and the cartridges for it with high quality and proper quality. This will subsequently save money on the re-equipment of the system.