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Water Filtering And The Way It Functions

By: Mohamed Moses


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Essentially there are three varieties of water filters, or more precisely, three types of water filtering methods. They are mechanical, chemical oxidation reduction (redox) and absorption. Following is a report of how each works.
Mechanical Filtration
This is simply having a filter that has perforations more fine than what it is that you mean to clean out. This method of filtering eliminates tiny elements that are suspended in the water like sediment, rust, sand, dirt, silt and other un-dissolved particles. As water passes through the media the particles are held or inhibited and effectively removed from the water.
Depending on the class and/or type of the filtration medium, matter as tiny as 0.5 microns can be taken from the drinking water. For the purpose of reference, a micron is equivalent to 1/25,000 of an inch, the diameter of one filament of your hair is about 100 microns.
An assortment of substances are used to produce mechanical filtration media. Ceramics and an assortment of resins comprise the bulk of this type of water filtration.

Redox or Oxidation-Reduction

Redox is a process whereby electrons from one molecule are passed on to a different one. That is to say that where you combine two different metals you get an electrochemical process that oxidizes a host of chemicals regularly discovered in ground water along with our civic water stores, and as a result eliminating them from the water. The heavy metals like lead, chromium, aluminum and cadmium are removed by the electrochemical process. Metals such as these are drawn to the filtering media, very similar to a magnet.

KDF Fluid Treatment, Inc., makes the most extensively used media of this type, a zinc and copper alloy, and has retained the patent since 1987.

Adsorption: Activated Carbon

Activated carbon soaks up organic substances which may make your water stink and taste bad. Also it possesses the ability to get rid of pesticides, chlorine and its byproducts. This product is incredibly porous having a massive surface area, to the extent that the carbon in an average countertop filter could have a surface area of approximately 200 football fields.

The word “activated” refers to a procedure where the carbon becomes more porous than it would be on its own. Activation is achieved by using steam, using chemicals or by controlled production processes while making the carbon.

This is how activated carbon works: When water flows through the filter dissolved chemicals attach themselves to the carbon permitting the water to keep going. This process is known as absorption.
There are three classifications by which activated carbon can be grouped: carbon block (CB), granulated activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC). The carbon block category is the choice for a faster flow, where the granulated activated carbon is more economical and performs adequately with municipal water supplies. The PAC type is not used residentially as regularly.

The types of material used for creating activated carbon are coal, wood, lignite, coconut shell and like materials. Coconut shell is thought of as the ideal substance when producing filters for drinking water in light of its tendency to improve the flavor of the water.

Please note that water filters do not entirely eliminate contaminates, they can just reduce them. Yet a superior filtration system is going to strip nearly all of the undesirable contaminants it is intended to get rid of. Make sure to get only water filtration systems certified by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation). These filters will have been tested to verify the manufacturer's claims. That way you are going to know what you are purchasing.

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Mr. Moses writes about shower water filters at his website waterfiterhub.com. Discover additional information regarding water filtration systems at his site.

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