Luckily for most, we live in an age where if we want some clean water, then all we have to do is turn the tap on in our house. This process is not something we perhaps think over, and we just assume it’s clean and safe. However, what defines clean?
Unknown to many, tap water can actually have traces of many different substances, with one of the most prominent being chlorine.
Why is chlorine added to our drinking water and why do we not want it?
Chlorine, in its liquid form, is added to the water while being processed at a water treatment facility, in order to kill bacteria and parasites. However, many strains are in fact very resilient to chlorine, but water companies still insist that it’s still the safer option to have chlorine present. Adding chlorine might be the best way of getting it to our houses, but does that mean we need to consume it? Afterall, chlorine is the chemical that’s pumped into swimming pools to keep it clean. Would you drink water if you knew it was diluted from a swimming pool? Of course not, so why should we do it in our homes?
Reverse Osmosis Filter Systems
The use of a reverse osmosis filter system is the best way of guaranteeing that your household water is pure and contaminant free; this, of course, includes eliminating chlorine. In simple terms, a reverse osmosis filter pushes the water through a semi-permeable membrane, which stops anything larger than water molecules getting through it. You may be wondering how such a delicate piece of technology can withstand the corrosiveness of chlorine. This is due to the strategically placed carbon filters that the water has to pass through first. These carbon filters remove many things, including sediment particles, dirt, and chlorine.
There are a couple of different options when deciding on how to install your reverse osmosis system:
Whole house reverse osmosis system
Using a whole house reverse osmosis system means that every single tap and utility will be using safe, clean, and if you’re drinking it, delicious water. These systems are for people who sincerely value the wealth of super-clean water, but don’t want to be restricted to only using a single tap or faucet. However, certain water pipeline parameters must be available and additional machinery may be necessary for the system to work at its optimum level. There would be no point installing the system if you had to wait 5 minutes just to fill up a glass with water.
Reverse osmosis faucets
The smaller and more readily available approach is to use a reverse osmosis faucet. These taps, or faucets, are primarily located underneath your kitchen sink, for easy access and availability. Their main job is to give you clean and tasty water, which is perfect for cooking with or drinking.
Which is best for me?
If your primary concern is consumption of chlorine, then installing an under sink reverse osmosis system will be satisfactory.
However, if you’re seeking to filter every chemical and impurity from all of your water throughout your house, installing a whole house reverse osmosis system will certainly be worth it. If you’re still wondering does reverse osmosis remove chlorine and other contaminants you can check out the NSF website for more information