How does a reverse osmosis water filter system work?

Water filters or purifiers are commonly used these days to remove a variety of pollutants from drinking water. A reverse osmosis water filter system purifies water by first passing the water through a series of filters to remove large contaminants and harmful chemicals/pollutants, and then secondarily forcing the water through a special plastic membrane to remove the very small contaminants. Throughout the first filtration stage, tap or well water passes through a sediment filter where silt, sediment and particles (like sand and clay) are removed. Water is then forced through a high efficiency carbon block filter where micro-pulverized carbon efficiently absorbs chlorine, chloramines, pesticides and other harmful organic chemicals and pollutants. This pre-filtered water, now stripped of membrane-damaging particles and chemicals, flows into the reverse osmosis membrane module where pure water molecules are separated, leaving salts, hardness, bacteria, viruses, pyrogens and other impurities isolated and available for flushing from the system. The ''waste water'' with reverse osmosis water filters is a drawback, typically creating two to four gallons or more of dirty water for every one gallon of clean, purified water. For most areas of the world, however, reverse osmosis water filter systems are the only reasonable option for water treatment. Reverse osmosis water filters can produce one gallon of clean water for about .5 cents, and the membranes will filter 5,000 to 10,000 gallons of clean water if properly cared for. The daily water production ratings with reverse osmosis water filters are nominal. A 10 gallon per day unit will produce about 10 gallons of filtered water per day, when operating under a water pressure of 65 PSI at about 70°F and water containing average TDS (total dissolved solids). If your TDS is high (i.e. you have very hard water) or water temperature or pressure is exceptionally low, a reverse osmosis water filter system will produce less water per day. So, if you need exactly 24 gallons of water every day, and you know you have hard water, cold water or low pressure, do not buy a 24-gpd (gallon per day) unit – go with the next larger size. Home Page | FAQs | Glossary | Contact Us