Drinking clean, safe water is one of the most essential things for good health. With that said, not everyone’s tap water is of high quality, and it may contain impurities, contaminants, or minerals that affect both taste and safety. If you know your water isn’t of the greatest quality, implementing a water filtration system can be very helpful. Due to there being so many options available on the market, it can be overwhelming to decide which one is right for your needs. In this blog, we’ll take the time to explore a few different water filtration system options to help you make an informed decision on what will work best for you.
Before diving into some of the types of water filtration systems, it's helpful to dig a little deeper into why it’s important to have one in the first place. There are four main reasons why you’d want to consider implementing a water filtration system into your home’s water line.
The first reason is for the removal of contaminants. A properly implemented water filtration system can effectively remove different contaminants including bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals, and of course sediment from your tap water. This can help ensure that you and your family have healthy water to drink.
Implementing a filtration system can also help to improve the taste and odor of water. A lot of people say that filtered water tastes better and smells fresher. This is because certain systems are designed to eliminate sulfur, chlorine, and other compounds that lead to unpleasant odors and tastes.
As we suggested above, a water filtration system can also lead to health benefits as clean water is an important factor in having good health. Filtration systems can help remove harmful substances, ultimately reduce the risk of waterborne diseases as well as long-term health issues.
A final reason why using a water filtration system can be beneficial, and one that many people may not even think about, is that it can be eco-friendly. If you use a water filtration system, this can reduce the need for bottled water. The less bottled water that gets used, the less plastic waste that will exist and the more resources that can be conserved.
There are a variety of water filtration systems available that help lead to the benefits above. Now we’ll spend some time exploring what those are.
One type of water filtration system involves the use of activated carbon filters. These filters are one of the most common types of water filtration systems and they use porous carbon to remove impurities and contaminants by absorption according to the EPA. Activated carbon filters trap pollutants, ultimately leaving you with cleaner water. A couple advantages of using activated carbon is that it is effective at removing chlorine, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), as well as some heavy metals. They also improve taste and odor.
Another kind of water filtration system that someone can implement to improve their water is a UV water purifier. UV water purifiers work by using ultraviolet light to disinfect water. This happens through the deactivation of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses. While these don't remove particulates or chemicals, they are great for ensuring that water is free of harmful microorganisms. UV water purifiers help to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other pathogens. They are also chemical-free and don’t alter water taste. The CDC points out that UV light can help remove germs from water.
Whole-house filtration systems can also be used to help clean up water. In whole-house filtration, a filter is installed at the point where water enters the house. In doing so, the filtration system will treat all the water you use, including drinking, bathing and laundry water. This type of system can utilize a variety of filtration methods, including carbon or sediment filters, to take care of specific problems. Standards for whole-house water treatment systems are provided by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).
A fourth type of filtration system deals with gravity-based filters. Gravity-based filters use gravity to push water through a filtration medium. A really nice aspect of these filters is that they are portable and don’t require electricity. As a result, this type of system is ideal for use in emergencies or outdoor activities.
The type of water filtration system you choose depends on your specific needs as well as the quality of your tap water. Talking to a water quality expert can be a helpful way to select the most appropriate system for your home. Regardless of the type of system that you choose, Rusco has numerous water filter options that could be useful to implement depending on the type of system that you choose.
The first type of system we covered was activated carbon, and in the last couple of years, Rusco has brought an activated carbon filter into our product line. An activated carbon element can be purchased to go with any of our existing Spin-Down filter housings, which are designed to go onto either ¾", 1”, 1-½" or 2” water lines. Rusco also introduced a line of Big Filters this year and one of the filtration options for either these 10” X 4-½" or 20” X 4-½" units is activated carbon.
The traditional Spin-Down or Sediment Trapper filters that Rusco has been offering for years now can also be useful for implementation into a variety of different systems. The Spin-Down or Sediment Trappers utilize the type of housing that was mentioned above and can be found with numerous screen options consisting of varying mesh sizes. The elements or screens that Rusco offers for these filters come with either polyester, stainless steel or heavy-duty stainless material. These filters are specifically designed to remove sediment that is heavier than water from a line.
If you are in the process of implementing a water filtration system, look more into the filters that Rusco has to offer. To learn more, please call 1-800-345-1033 to speak to a knowledgeable customer service representative.
Source Notes: All information in this article relating to how activated carbon filters work came from the EPA. Information regarding UV light disinfecting water came from the CDC. All information relating to standards for whole-house water treatment systems came from the NSF.
