Choose a flow-through main water filter - 6 tips

From school, we know that water is a source of life, but experience accumulated over the years suggests that ordinary tap water can become a source of great health problems and cause breakdowns in household appliances. The thing is that it often comes to us, consumers, of extremely unsatisfactory quality. There are many reasons for this: from inadequate water treatment to worn, rusted pipes. It is hoped that in the future the situation will change dramatically, but for now, this problem has to be solved on its own, and all kinds of filters come to the rescue. We figure out how to choose a flow-through main water filter, a device that allows for the most thorough water treatment and provides high throughput.

No. 1. Is a filter really necessary?

A water filter is necessary in most cases. If it is about tenement house, then outdated pipes may be the cause of water pollution. Water from wellswhich is often used in country houses and cottages, may be excessively mineralized or may not meet drinking water standards according to other criteria - it all depends on where the groundwater is located.

To the question is a filter really necessary, and if necessary, which one can only answer laboratory analysis. Tap water can be excessively harsh, which will damage hair, skin and objects. household appliancesin particular a washing machine, boiler and a kettle. It may contain pesticides and pathogens, the dangers of which are probably not worth talking about. Water may contain some trace elements in an increased amount, which with regular use can cause specific diseases. In addition, water can smell foul, have an unpleasant taste, and even color.

In order for the filtration to bring the desired results, you first need to recognize the enemy in person, so experts recommend starting with checking the water at least for basic indicators. It may turn out that, for example, water softening is not necessary at all, and then the costs of analysis in the future will more than pay off.

No. 2. Why is the main filter better than others?

The problem of contaminated water is so widespread that mankind has come up with a lot of different devices for its purification. We will not go into details, but among most popular filtration systems Today they use the following:

• jug type filters and dispensaries do not apply to flow filters - a certain amount of water is poured into them, which is cleaned with built-in cartridges over time. This solution is suitable only for purification of water for drinking and cooking, since the volume of blood vessels, as a rule, does not exceed 3-4 l;
• filter nozzle on crane allows you to purify water from large mechanical impurities, improve its organoleptic qualities. The filter is suitable if the water has a satisfactory quality, meets the standards, but you just want to improve it a little. Such a filter is easy to install, it can even be taken with you on trips, but it will not cope with serious pollution, has low performance and requires frequent replacement of cartridges;
• filter "next to the sink" also easy to install, connects to water supply using a special adapter and provides an average level of purification, eliminating water from large contaminants and unpleasant odors;
• stationary filter “under the sink” installed under the sink, allows you to purify water from mechanical impurities, chlorine, heavy metals, eliminate odors and tastes. This is a very popular system, it is easy to maintain, requires the replacement of cartridges every 5-6 months, but the cost of its arrangement is higher than the previously listed options. This solution has some disadvantages. The filter will not cope with the most serious impurities, it has limitations in terms of performance and cannot be installed on pipes with hot water.

If any of the above filters allows you to purify the water to an acceptable quality, you are very lucky. But if you are not lucky, then you should not be upset, because there are flow line filterswhich actually represent miniature water treatment plant.

The main filter is built into the water supply system of the apartment or house, crashes into the water main and creates a serious barrier to the water entering the apartment, which, passing through the filter system, is cleaned of mechanical impurities, harmful elements and compounds. Filter can be set to hot and cold water, and since it will stand at the entrance, purified water will flow from all the taps.

The flow line water filter is usually used in houses that have their own water supply (well or well), but recently a similar system is often installed and in apartment buildings where water pipes are badly worn. Similar filters allow solve several problems at once:

• purification of water from harmful impurities, chlorine and microorganisms;
• improving the taste of water and getting rid of metal and other flavors;
• softening, because hard water negatively affects the skin and hair, leads to the rapid wear of some household appliances;
• maintaining plumbing equipment in good condition. Conventional (non-main) filters purify water only at one point of consumption, and along the remaining pipes in the apartment it runs silted and contaminated with particles of rust and other garbage, which gradually leads to blockages and breakdowns. With the main filter, this problem disappears.

The main advantages of main filters include:

• high cleaning efficiency;
• high performance (the filter purifies 20-50 liters of water per minute);
• variability. Depending on what it is necessary to purify water from, various cartridges can be used;
• the ability to purify water for all points of intake with one filter;
• durability subject to proper operation.

Among the disadvantages we note only the difficulty in installation - we need the help of specialists. You can service the main filter yourself, but if clogging occurs, you can hardly do without a professional. The cost of the trunk systems, of course, is higher than that of simpler filters, but it is not sky-high.

No. 3. The main principles of the main filter

Since the main filter is installed at the "entrance" of the water pipe into the apartment, it allows clear water for all points of intake. The main filter is multi-stage cleaningmoreover, the purpose of all stages of cleaning can be determined independently, collecting the system that is optimal in specific conditions.

The following elements may be present in the design of the main filters:

• mechanical filtersthat save water from sand, clay, rust, silt and other insoluble impurities.Such filters can be called basic, they are included in almost any main system and can be represented by coarse and fine filters;
• chemical filters they allow to get rid of iron or manganese, reduce hardness or solve other problems of water purification by passing a chemical reaction. Such filters are represented by special cartridges;
• biological filters represented by ultraviolet sterilizers.

The throughput of flowing main filters is, as a rule, from 20 to 50 l / min or more, which is sufficient for normal operation in any apartment or house. Requirements are put forward to system pressure. Main filters can be low (0.1-0.2 bar) and high (0.4-0.5 bar) water loss. If you live on a high floor, where the pressure in the water supply is already low, it is better to take a filter with minimal water loss. Additionally, a main pump may be needed.

For more productive work, the system does not interfere with equipping pressure reducing valve, which allows you to reduce pressure fluctuations in the system and reduce water consumption. A non-return valve is also needed - it will prevent backflow of water.

When choosing a main filter, it is also worth considering the pipe diameter, maximum operating temperature and the number of existing water intake points.

Number 4. Types of trunk filters

To ensure the proper degree of water purification, the main filter is equipped with several filtration systems, and their set will depend on what the water is polluted.

The main filter may include the following components:

• strainer line filter, or coarse filter, allows you to save water from mechanical pollution, which is especially true in homes with old utilities. The filter is represented by a stainless steel mesh or other material with a cell size of 10 to 200 microns: the smaller the cell, the more debris the filter can hold. Often, strainers are installed in the trunk system in front of the cartridge to reduce the load on them. The mesh, and sometimes there may be several, has an actual unlimited service life - it is enough to clean it only occasionally. If all the cells are clogged so that they are not cleaned, you will have to take a new mesh. There are filters with a backwash system, which are also called self-washing filters. Strainers may vary depending on where they are used in cold or hot water systems. Any filters are suitable for cold water, only steel or special plastic for hot water;
• disk trunk filters, or fine filters, cleaned of mechanical impurities more thoroughly and use several technologies at once. These are blocks of pressed polymer disks with grooves, which, when compressed, form a grid that traps the smallest particles of dirt. Flushing such filters is easier. Sorption cartridges and ultraviolet filters can also be used;
• cartridge line filters provide the highest quality cleaning. They allow you to filter out particles from 5 microns in size, can get rid of iron, chlorine, salts, microorganisms and saturate the water with oxygen - this is an even more subtle and targeted cleaning. You can use several different cartridges at once. Cartridges will have to be replaced more often than cleaning nets and discs, but the quality of cleaning is much higher here;
• reverse osmosis filters rarely used and allow due to the passage of water under pressure through the membrane at the outlet to get clean distilled water. Similar systems can be installed if the pressure in the water supply reaches 3-4 atmospheres.

By the number of cleaning steps, the main filters are divided into:

• single stage;
• two-stage;
• three-stage.

Again, the choice depends on the quality of the water.

No. 5.Types of cartridges for the main filter

Chemical water purification is achieved through the use of cartridges. They can be:

• granular activated carbon. They make it possible to purify water from chlorine and heavy metals, they are effective, but have a low throughput;
• briquetted carbon filters also allow you to get rid of chlorine, a number of chemical compounds and microorganisms, have high throughput, but low efficiency;
• polyphosphate filters allow you to soften the water and get rid of hardness salts due to their reaction with sodium polyphosphate. Such a filter is necessary to protect equipment from scale, it is better to mount it directly in front of the place of water supply to the equipment;
• type filter BA allows you to get rid of excess iron;
• type filter BS reduces water hardness.

No. 6. Water Filter Manufacturers

When it is decided what and how we will purify the water from, the time comes for an equally difficult choice - it is necessary to determine the equipment manufacturer. It is better to trust eminent companies, among which it is worth highlighting:

• geyser company produces filtration equipment that can be installed on hot and cold water pipes. The manufacturer offers several ready-made systems designed for water purification for different purposes. There is, for example, a system for protecting plumbing equipment. The company sells filters and cartridges of various types for mechanical and chemical water treatment;
• Aquaphor company produces trunk filters of small sizes, but at the same time the systems allow high-quality cleaning of mechanical impurities, chlorine, iron and salts of heavy metals. The equipment is made of stainless steel, which withstands a wide range of temperatures, and plastic, which is designed to operate at a temperature of + 5 ... + 40⁰FROM;
• trunk filters "Artesian" They feature a convenient cleaning system, or rather self-cleaning. Strainers are complemented by a special string that vibrates under the influence of a stream of water, not allowing pollution to linger in the pores of the filter;
• company filters Atoll provide high-quality cleaning and are carried out in transparent cases. This is not only a plus for aesthetics, but also the opportunity to observe the cleaning process. The company's assortment has filters for cold and hot water with a capacity of up to 60 l / min.