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Advantages of Carbon Filters Ro Systems

RO stands for "reverse osmosis." Reverse osmosis, also known as hyperfiltration, is a process whereby water is filtered to get rid of potentially harmful chemicals and pathogens. Another way of filtering water is through the use of carbon filters. There are several advantages to each method of water filtration. Furthermore, these two ways of filtering water are complementary. This means that, if they are used in conjunction with one another, the result is much better than if either process is used by itself.

  1. Reverse Osmosis

    • Reverse osmosis is carried out by applying hydraulic pressure to the solution to be filtered. This pressure counteracts the osmotic pressure, which drives pure water from the solution. The pure water is collected in a membrane and stored for drinking later. This process is very effective at removing between 90 and 99 percent of all harmful contaminants, including particles, bacteria, heavy metals and organic materials. The process has been tested many times and is used by most water bottling plants. It is, thus, highly reliable.

    Carbon Filters

    • Another way of filtering water is through the absorption of harmful contaminants into carbon filters. This approach is also very well tested and is used in most residential water filtration systems. Carbon filters remove many unwanted chemicals and gases and are somewhat effective against microorganisms. Unlike reverse osmosis, carbon filters also remove undesirable tastes and odors, including those associated with chlorine. Some carbon filters can remove lead, asbestos cysts and coliform.

    Disadvantages

    • No carbon filters are capable of removing heavy metals, such as mercury, from drinking water. Furthermore, reverse osmosis can take a lot of time to carry out. It also does not remove sediment, which can cause membrane fouling.

    Complementary Approaches

    • Because reverse osmosis and carbon filter absorption target different kinds of contaminants, and because they are both so reliable, using these two approaches together is your best chance at removing the maximum number of undesirables from your drinking water. For example; carbon filters remove sediment but do not remove heavy metals, which is seen as a major drawback. However, reverse osmosis does remove heavy metals. This is one reason why they should be used together.

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