Currently, the issue of water treatment is very acute. Every year you can observe a situation of increasing demand for treatment equipment. In particular, we are talking about household water filters. And if earlier only residents of cities needed this, today urban settlements and villages are also forced to use such equipment. Let's talk about how to make water filters with your own hands.
Why is filtering necessary?
It is hardly necessary to say once again that the water that comes from the central water supply is not of special quality. A large number of various inclusions, mechanical insoluble compounds, etc. harmful effect on our body. Someone can say that a filter is not needed for well water , and they will be completely wrong. The fact is that water from a well or well is also not perfectly clean. Nitrates, pathogens, impurities that impair taste, - all this to one degree or another may be present.
For example, pesticides used by farmers seep into the ground and underground rivers. As a result, such water is in our well. Corrosion on the metal structures of a well or well contributes to the appearance of rust in the water. In any case, it is desirable to have at least a filter for rough water treatment.
Overview of suitable materials
As noted above, you can make water filters with your own hands, and sometimes you need to do this. So, as a temporary option, paper, gauze or cotton filters are suitable. They are very effective, but since they are not too durable, they must often be changed.
As for regular use, the best option is charcoal. It can be either bought or obtained by pyrolysis at home. But by itself, it is useless. It is advisable to lay charcoal in layers, alternating it with sand, gravel or grass.
It would seem that an ordinary household filter is suitable for rough water treatment. For the city - yes, this is a good solution. But its use in the country is far from always advisable. This is due to the fact that for its normal operation a certain pressure of water is required. Let's see how to make the simplest water filters with your own hands. To do this, we need a minimum of time and effort.
Plastic bottle filter
If there is no desire to constantly change cartridges, then a home-made filter is ideal for you. To make it, we need a plastic bottle. She needs to trim the bottom. After that, we take an ordinary plastic bucket with a lid. On it, we cut out the corresponding hole under the neck of the bottle. After that, the lid down is inserted into a pre-prepared hole and filled with a filter element. In our case, it is charcoal and the most ordinary paper napkins.
In general, such a design can be modified endlessly. Nobody forbids to increase the volume of containers. For example, instead of a bucket, take a 20-liter container and attach a tap at its bottom through which purified water will be discharged. In general, making water filters with your own hands is very simple and you do not need to buy anything. Now we will go into this topic in more detail.
Homemade charcoal filter
Charcoal is most often used as the main filter element. For the manufacture of a filter, something like birch is ideal. The main thing is not to use conifers. The process of obtaining charcoal is quite simple. We take the workpiece, put it in a metal container, which is closed by a lid. We calcine for some time red-hot on fire and voila, charcoal is ready. In principle, it is possible to use black coals that are completely burnt out from under a fire. They should be medium sized 1-3 cm.
After cooling, we take charcoal and tightly wrap in gauze. Carefully lay it in the container funnel where water will be poured, so that all the liquid gets on the surface of the filter. This is the easiest and fastest option that can be made in the field, being far from civilization. But the water filter for the home should be somewhat more reliable and practical. Now let's talk about this.
Reliable water filter for summer house and home
As the main filter element we will use the same charcoal. But this time you have to work a little more. We take a container of 20 liters and cut a small hole under the tap to its very bottom, then we put a seal and we glue the whole thing. This tank will be used as a receiver of purified water. Insert a smaller container into the neck of the receiver where the filter will be located.
For these purposes, a 10-liter capacity or even less is suitable. In the simplest version, you can take eggplant for 5-10 liters. In principle, the water filter for the home is almost ready, it remains to determine the filter element. It’s best to make a homemade filter cartridge. To do this, take a small piece of plastic pipe of suitable diameter. It should be placed at the junction of two containers, preferably with an interference fit, and if necessary, it can be fixed. A piece of pipe is stuffed with crushed coal and covered with gauze, it is possible with cotton.
About filter performance
After all the structural elements were ready, you can proceed directly to testing. To do this, fill the first batch of water. You will probably notice that it will contain the smallest particles of coal. But this is not at all scary. Such a liquid can be drunk with confidence, but if you do not want to do this, then simply drain it. As for how productive such a water filter for a summer house or home will be, it largely depends on the cartridge.
The thicker, longer, the longer the water will pass through it, therefore - the productivity will be lower, but the quality of cleaning is higher. The optimal indicator is 2-3 liters per hour. We can say that this is quite enough to get drunk a large family. Moreover, under the filter you will have a 20-liter container, which will fill up over time.
Charcoal filters for water purification: reviews
It is worth noting that the similar constructions considered by us have been used for quite some time. During this time, home-made filters have become extremely popular and in demand. They are cheap and at the same time as effective as purchased. And the thing is that the purchased cleaning element has the same filter material. Sometimes, of course, coconut shell is used, which has undergone pyrolysis, but this does not change the essence.
Those who use charcoal filters daily write that they allow you to clean water well from various impurities. In addition, the material for them can be produced independently, so there is no need to spend your own money. Of course, performance is not always happy, but within reasonable limits it can be increased. Charcoal filters for water purification, the reviews of which we just reviewed, are efficient and convenient.
Water filter
You can make a full three-flask filter for cold water supplied by the water supply under a certain pressure. To do this, we need to purchase three identical flasks. They must be connected in series using a ¼ inch adapter nipple. Each nipple has a corresponding designation (In / out), which indicates the direction of movement of the carrier. These designations must be followed. To prevent leaks, it is advisable to seal the joints further. Using a straight adapter, the end holes of the flasks are connected to a ¼ inch tube.
A filter for tap water of a similar plan should be connected to the system with a tee. As for the filter material with which the flasks are filled, then it can be used the most diverse. To protect the heating equipment from scale, a charcoal filter is suitable.
Some important details
It is worth noting that the design of the water filter may vary depending on the installation location. For example, it is not recommended to connect low-performance filters to pumps at the well. If this is done, then their performance should be consistent with the performance of the borehole submersible pump. Only there you can achieve efficient and coordinated operation of the equipment.
If the water will flow by gravity, it is better to use a home-made multilayer filter. The bottom line is that crushed charcoal is laid, then a thin layer of sand, again coal, etc. But you need to understand that with each new layer the water permeability worsens to the point that it will barely drip. That is why any cold water filter should be done wisely.
Conclusion
Expensive filtering installations from eminent companies in many cases make no sense. Of course, this does not mean that they are no use. The point here is rather that there is nothing special about them. A standard filter element is used with only a few changes. If you have no desire to do something yourself and, most importantly, if you are not sure about the effectiveness of home-made filters, then it is better to buy it. But it is unlikely that such an acquisition, especially high-performance and really good, will cost you cheaply. In general, for a summer house or a country house, you can make a homemade filter. You will always find materials for it at hand. In this case, you will definitely be satisfied with the quality of the water and its purity. But for this you must clearly follow the instructions.