Water Filtration

There is a serious debate going on about reverse osmosis. People want to know what the disadvantages of reverse osmosis are and does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink. With all these questions and doubts, it just makes sense to understand a little about this process of water filtration and then you can decide what is the truth.

Reverse osmosis has been quite successful in the commercial sector, where it was originally designed for desalination. However, critics of the system have misgivings and tend to point out the disadvantages of reverse osmosis at homes because they feel that the system is hyped by the manufacturers.

This article will give you an honest and unbiased view about the disadvantages and also answer the question — does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink?

Disadvantages of Reverse Osmosis at Homes:

One disadvantage of this system is the time it takes to filter water, roughly three to four times longer than most other types of filters, but keep in mind a reverse osmosis system filters out far more contaminants than standard filters. Then there is the price factor which can run into the thousands of dollars for a whole house system, although smaller under sink units are available for much less. In addition, there is still the question does reverse osmosis make water safer to drink?

The answer to this question is a resounding yes. Reverse osmosis uses a process known as ultra filtration wherein a membrane is used to filter the water. The openings of this membrane are microscopic which do not allow larger particles to pass through. The systems also use electric shocks to keep chemicals from passing through the membrane.

The process of not allowing contaminants to pass through the membrane is called rejecting the contaminant and there is a rate for this process. With the rate set at high, the membrane will not allow undesirable elements to pass through it making the water safer to drink.

Some say the disadvantages of reverse osmosis far outweigh the benefits, yet those who suffer with health problems or who do not have access to good tasting, odor-free water they feel is safe to drink swear by these systems. Of course, the best way for you to judge the efficacy of a water filtration system whether it is a reverse osmosis system or otherwise is by testing it and making sure that it fulfills your water treatment needs. Different systems handle water treatment differently and you have to find the one that is right for your requirements.

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Reverse osmosis is based on the natural process of osmosis which involves the selective movement of water from one side of a membrane to the other. Reverse osmosis ( also known as hyper filtration ) is the same process used by a human body to filter out contaminants. Particles or impurities can be removed from a solution through the process of reverse osmosis when the solution is forced through a semi-permeable membrane which allows the passage of water but rejects ions like sodium and calcium or contaminants like bacteria or urea. Gore-tex is a common semi permeable membrane. Gore-tex fabric contains an extremely thin plastic film into which billions of small pores have been cut. The pores are big enough to let water vapor through, but small enough to prevent liquid water from passing through.

Reverse osmosis also involves a process known as crossflow, which allows the membrane to clean itself. As fluid passes through the membrane some of the fluid continues downstream, sweeping the contaminants away from the membrane. For reverse osmosis to occur, pressure must be applied to the fluid. The most common method of applying pressure is the use of a pump. The higher the pressure applied, the greater the force created. As the concentration of the fluid being rejected increases, the force required to continue concentrating the fluid increases. Pressure is exerted on the area containing the concentrated solution, which forces the water molecules across the membrane to the area of the fresh water.

Reverse osmosis has become very popular in recent years because it not only filters water but also rejects bacteria, salts, sugars, proteins and other elements that have a molecular weight of greater than 150-250 Daltons; a unit of measurement so small it can only be seen with a microscope.

The process of reverse osmosis is of immense benefit to mankind. Its applications are wide ranging with the most common use being for purifying water in both commercial and residential water filtration systems. It is also used to desalinate seawater as well as to purify liquids in which water is an undesirable impurity, for instance in glucose or ethanol.

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A water cooler is a device that cools (some also heat) and dispenses water. There are usually two categories: bottle-less water coolers and bottled water coolers. Bottle-less water coolers are hooked up to the water supply, while bottled water coolers require delivery of water in large bottles from vendors.

In general bottled water cooler water is more expensive then bottle-less cooler water plus some bottle suppliers add on a delivery charge as well. Bottled water coolers are awkward and the bottles are extremely heavy when replacing. This is frustrating in large offices when the bottles need replacing more regularly.

Office managers are becoming more aware not only of the ongoing costs of bottled water but the storage space the bottles take up. In large offices where there are 8, 9 or even 10 bottles (some empty, some full) the cost to store these bottles per sq ft is in the thousands! This space could be utilized for another desk.

Water from the tap is also deemed to be fresher than water that is hanging around in bottles for days or weeks, fluctuating in temperature.

There is also an ever present health and safety issue with the bottles being left around the office and staff tripping over them.

If you or your company cares about the environment then you would opt for a bottle-less office water cooler. Imagine all those thousands of trucks and vans pumping out fumes into the environment just to deliver water to you.

There are a vast range of bottle-less water coolers available that filter water and supply it hot or chilled. There are freestanding models, under counter models, table top models and fountain models.

It just makes good sense to utilize the water supply that is already coming into your home, office, gym, hotel, hospital or school instead of bringing in another source, wasting money and harming the environment.

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