FAQ
Reverse Osmosis Filtration
It is a membrane filtration technology that works by forcing water under pressure through the very tiny pores of a semi-permeable membrane. Modern reverse osmosis units for the home combine membrane technology with carbon and mechanical filtration to produce highly purified, great-tasting water. Reverse Osmosis (RO) water purifiers protect you from the harmful effects of lead, heavy metals, chlorine, chemical contaminants, pesticides, pathogens, bacteria, virus, and even radioactive materials. This is the only technology capable of desalinating seawater, making it drinkable. This process removes sodium, as well as lead, arsenic, nitrates, asbestos, and a range of many other contaminants from household drinking water.
Non-RO water filters are much less effective, and the pore size on these filter media are much bigger, generally 0.5 - 10 micron. They can filter out coarse particles, sediments and elements only up to their micron rating. Anything finer and most dissolved substances cannot be filtered out. As a result, water is far less clean and safe compared to reverse osmosis filtration.
What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse Osmosis, as its name implies, is the reversal of the natural flow of osmosis. By applying pressure to the water solution of higher concentration (the incoming water), the flow of liquid is reversed. Under these conditions, the membrane still rejects the contaminants, but allows the fresh cleansed water to pass through. The purified water is collected in a holding tank and the contaminants are flushed away.
Reverse Osmosis, also known as Ultra-Filtration by the industry, represents state-of-the-art in water treatment technology. Reverse Osmosis was developed in the late 1950's under U.S. Government funding, as a method of desalinating seawater. Now this advanced technology is available worldwide to homes and offices for drinking water.
Do reverse osmosis units need electricity?
No, they run on water pressure. You need electricity only if you add an electric pressure-boost pump or an ultraviolet lamp. Standard units have neither and normally don't need them.
Reverse Osmosis, also known as Ultra-Filtration by the industry, represents state-of-the-art in water treatment technology. Reverse Osmosis was developed in the late 1950's under U.S. Government funding, as a method of desalinating seawater. Now this advanced technology is available worldwide to homes and offices for drinking water.
Is distilled water purer than reverse osmosis water?
Distillers typically remove a few parts per million more of common mineral constituents like sodium. However, distillers don't do a good job with volatile chemicals with a low boiling point. Chloramines, for example, which many cities now use instead of chlorine as a disinfectant, aren't removed well by distillers. Reverse osmosis, with the carbon filters that accompany it, does a very good job with removing chloramines. Unless volatile chemicals like chlorine are removed by carbon filtration before they enter the distiller, they will be released into the room air or they will end up in the distilled water. But in general, distilled water is very pure, as is reverse osmosis water.
Did You Know?
- Water helps to regulate the body temperature, transport nutrients, oxygenate cells, removes waste and protects organs, joints, and tissue.
- Studies show 98.9% of contaminants can be eliminated from the water with a Reverse Osmosis filtration device.
- 97% of the world water is salty or undrinkable, 2% is stored in glaciers and ice caps and the remaining 1% is left for us.
- Lack of access to clean water is a leading cause of death and disease in developing countries, killing about 5 million people annually and causing 3.3 billion illnesses.
- You could survive about a month without food, but only 5 to 7 days without water.
- On the average, each person uses about 160 gallons of water a day at a cost of 27 cents per gallon.
- 500,000 tons of pollutants pour into our lakes and rivers every day in just the United States.