What You Should Know About Residential Reverse Osmosis Systems |
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By: Andrew Putnam Posted: 2008-06-26 06:39:46 |
| Residential reverse osmosis systems have been in the marketplace since the 1970s. The technology was developed in the 1950s. Originally used in industrial applications and municipal water plants, these systems started making their way into residential use very shortly thereafter. However, this technology is not only outdated and inefficient, it was never meant to be used for home water filtration purposes in the first place.The process, at its simplest level, involves forcing a large volume of water against a semi permeable membrane (i.e. the reverse osmosis filter), which in turn, filters out contaminants. Unfortunately, many contaminants are not filtered out, including many pesticides and prescription drugs, which are often smaller than a reverse osmosis filter's pores. This process uses a large amount of water to obtain a relatively small amount of filtered water, resulting in higher water bills.Additionally, reverse osmosis filters too often strip water of its valuable minerals and nutrients that are required by the body for daily consumption. Vitamins could serve as a substitute for these minerals, but the experts would tell you that natural, organic minerals far outweigh their synthetic counterparts. Users of distilled water also face this problem, since distillation rids water of naturally containing materials.There is a better alternative to residential reverse osmosis systems.The most effective method of obtaining high quality, fresh tasting drinking water is multi-stage filtration. These types of purifiers are equipped with two filters--one that filters out harmful substances such as chlorine out of drinking water, and the other for restoring proper pH balances to water. (Even though municipal water plants use chlorine to disinfect water, it is often present in our tap water, and in large quantities can make you sick). Unlike the bottled water industry, the water filtration products is very highly regulated in the United States and other countries, so claims made by manufacturers must meet the muster of regulatory agencies.Multi-stage filtration systems, as opposed to residential reverse osmosis systems, also usually feature ion exchange systems. It balances mineral content in the filtered water supply, by removing unneeded calcium and magnesium, while adding sodium and potassium ions, through a zeolite resin bed.Reverse osmosis residential systems, as mentioned before, simply force water through a membrane, utilizing a lot of excess water. Reverse osmosis, in fact, was a process developed merely for industrial use in the 1950s and began being used for commercial purposes in the 1970s after a heightened awareness of lead poisoning and better consumer education led to an increased demand for water filters.In short, any positive claims you see about residential reverse osmosis systems are bunk. Consumers should look for other filtration methods, especially multi-stage carbon filtration systems instead.Andrew Putnam is an avid proponent of natural health and a researcher of water purification systems. To learn more about residential reverse osmosis systems and the water filtration system that he recommends after extensive research, visit http://www.water-filtration-guide.info now. |
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