Water purification systems
The problem of water treatment and purification systems occurs by itself if water coming from a water supply system or a well is muddy, yellowish-brown or has a strange odor.
It is much more difficult when water looks and smells “normal” – it seems that there is no reason for worrying.
However, the international experience shows that the water treatment expenses make up on average 5-7% of a house’s cost.
It is not an accident.
Even the apparently, problem-free water might have such a bouquet of dissolved and not dissolved dirt that makes this water unsafe to use.
The definite judgment about the quality of water can be made only after a complete chemical analysis.
The problems can be eliminated by using water purification systems, or to be correct, water treatment systems.
So, it should be clear to you what exactly you want from a system.
Either you intend to use water for household reasons or you want to use water for drinking.
The water treatment for heating equipment is a different story.
In this case, the absence of water hardness is very important.
Even water for household keeping purposes must meet the sanitary requirements for drinking water. It is not “too much” because this is the water, which is considered to be “normal”.
It does not result in rusty leaks and failure of plumbing.
Nothing happens if you drink one or two glasses of such water.
However, for drinking and cooking purposes it is better to use water of higher level of purification.
Many people believe that it is enough to clean water from sand, turbidity and other suspensions and receive transparent, colorless water.
Some people understand that it is not enough, but cannot imagine what there is to be done to get rid of the particles which are not visible in water.
So, people often get surprised when they learn that it is possible to retrieve invisible substances from water.
The major water problems which consumers face are the following:
The presence of non-dissolved mechanical particles, sand, suspensions, rust, and colloid substances in water.
Their presence in water results in faster abrasive wear-out of bathroom equipment and plumbing, as well as their blockage.
The dissolved iron and manganese in water.
Such water initially seems to be transparent, but after settling or heating becomes yellowish-brown, and that is the reason of rusty leaks on bathroom equipment.
In a case of increased content of iron, water also has a strong “iron” taste.
The hardness which is determined by the amount of calcium and magnesium salts dissolved in water.
If the amount of these salts is high, the fallout of sediment and appearance of whitish stains on the bathtub or sink surface is possible.
The calcium and magnesium salts, also known as hardness salts, are the reason for the appearance of scale.
The presence of unpleasant taste, odor and coloration in water.
These three properties, which are also known as organoleptic properties, can be determined by the organic substances in water, residual chlorine, and hydrogen sulfide.
Bacteriological pollution.
It is the presence of various microbes and bacteria in water.
Some of them can be very dangerous for the human health and life.
Also, relatively safe bacteria during their life period secrete organic substances which influence the organoleptic properties of water, as well as starting chemical reactions (e.g. with chlorine), can create poisonous and carcinogen substations.
Obviously, the list of the problems above is not a full list, but it introduces you to the major ones.
Despite the popular belief, the probability to meet the meet water containing heavy metals, nitrates, pesticides, radionuclides, etc. is rather small, but still possible.
At the present time there are many devices, which can purify water to the highest standards, even when the initial water quality is very bad.
Various types of equipment differ by the principle of action and construction.
Most popular are mechanical, chemical, absorptive and membrane methods of water treatment and purification.