Drinking filtered water is good for our health because it removes toxins, dissolved minerals, bacteria, fungal spores, and viruses. With plenty of filters on the market, it can be confusing to understand which one does what. If you’re looking at ways to get filtered water for your home, there’s a range of different filters that cater to specific settings with varying levels of purity and efficiency. A filter that removes or treats one type of contaminant may not be suited for removing others. This means that in most cases, you’ll find multiple water filter types in drinking water filter systems.
Here, we’ll lay out the top 5 types of water filters according to their material makeup and the mechanism they use to remove the contaminants.
- Mechanical
This is the most basic kind of filter. It’s designed to remove larger particles such as small rocks, sand, algae, and debris, from your water source. If you know how to brew coffee, you will be familiar with how this type of filter works. The filters are a barrier made of a suitable material such as nylon, cloth, or metal. The barrier acts like a net catching anything too large to pass through. They are generally not used in isolation for drinking water, as they allow bacteria as well as smaller fungal spores and viruses to pass through. They are also ineffective for neutralising chemical contaminants that might be in the water.
But because it’s so good at tackling the big stuff, they form the first stage in a more complex filtration system such as Aussie Natural Filtration’s in-line under-sink filtration system.
- Reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis filters are a popular type of water filter in use today. These water filter systems are highly effective at removing a wide range of chemical contaminants, as well as virtually all known harmful waterborne bacterial contaminants. Unlike many other types of filters that are unable to handle chemical contaminants, reverse osmosis filters work by forcing water through a specially-constructed membrane. This effectively removes contaminants such as salt, nitrates, nitrites, arsenic, fluoride, hexavalent chromium, and radium. Virtually all bacteria, fungal spores, and viruses are removed through reverse osmosis.
At Aussie Natural Filtration we offer the ultimate under-sink reverse osmosis filtration system. Flushing out 98% of impurities, it delivers clear, refreshing water to your home. For a subtle and efficient solution that produces the best tasting water available, this is a safe and effective solution to your filtered water needs.
- UV filters
UV or ultraviolet filters are a simple, elegant, environmentally sound option for destroying bacteria, mould spores, and viruses in your drinking water. They work by shining different frequencies of concentrated UV light into the water, which destroys the DNA in bacteria, fungus spores, and viruses. They usually have no extra moving parts, and modern UV lights only consume a very small amount of power. UV filters are not as effective at removing chemical contaminants, which usually means this filter is best used in tandem with another type for best results. They can be a good option by themselves for home use if your water supply already has other types of filters in place.
- Activated carbon filter
Also known as charcoal filters, these types of water filters work through adsorption, binding a wide number of chemical contaminants to activated charcoal contained within filter canisters. As contaminated water passes through these canisters, they are pulled off of the water, leaving water that is free of these contaminants. These canisters can be replaced at regular intervals and are very affordable and compact compared to most other filtration systems.
They’re also highly effective at removing chemical contaminants while consuming very little water and energy. This makes them a great choice for home use.
On their own, carbon filters are not effective enough at removing microbial contaminants. They are often used in aquariums precisely because they don’t kill beneficial bacteria or mess with the salinity. Combining activated carbon filters with other types of filters and treatments may be necessary if you intend to use the water for drinking. Aussie Natural Filtration’s PureMix X7 optimises taste by absorbing chlorine and other chemicals through its advanced carbon block filtration system. It combines this technology with other leading techniques delivering tasty water to your taps at home. Both affordable and easily replaced, it sits unnoticed under your sink, perfect for the subtle, healthy kitchen.
- Ion exchange
Ion exchange filters are excellent for reducing the TDS (total dissolved solids) in your drinking water. Fewer TDS means your water will be virtually mineral-free and softer to taste. These filters work by using a substance that can remove certain mineral ions, usually from calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate from the water.
Without getting overly technical, this process traps the minerals in the filter, which then passes on the water without the minerals that can build up in your pipes and other appliances. One great side effect of ion exchange filters is that they can be used for removing radioactivity from the water, which, while usually isn’t a concern, is nonetheless great news.
Because these types of filters don’t remove pathogenic organisms from the water they are usually used in combination with other filter types. Targeting TDS and other minerals means it usually features early on in the process to prevent the rest of the filtration system from being damaged by mineral buildup.
The bottom line
It helps to know what kind of water filters your local water supplier uses for treating your drinking water as well as the potential problems in the supply chain leading to your home or workplace. This can help you better choose a specific type or a combination of water filters to install in your property. Always choose with your health and well-being in mind. For expert advice and more information about how to get started, or to find out about the difference between distilled water vs filtered water, get in touch with our team here at Aussie Natural Filtration today.
