 |
Page:   |
|
Dionization (DI) is also very effective at reducing TDS but is generally used in commercial applications because the resin contained in the treatment tanks is considered hazardous and needs to be regenerated by professionals that can dispose of the toxic chemicals used to regenerate the resin. The size of the treatment tanks is determined by the amount of DI water needed therefore space must be a consideration when placing a system. DI is generally used to produce water that is not intended for
drinking because bacteria can colonize in the treatment tanks at an alarming rate.
RO systems compared to a normal filters micron rating are in the .001 micron range. This enables sea-going ships to use RO for desalinization (seawater purification) it is also the way that most kidney dialysis clinics treat city water for patient use. For the money spent on a water treatment system, consumers get the biggest bang for their buck. More contaminants removed for the money with RO than any other treatment method. One draw back of RO can be servicing the system this must be done on a regular basis like every 6 to 12 months or sooner depending on the quality of your tap water and the style of membrane used. The RO systems water quality will be directly effected by the quality of the systems service.
If service of an RO system is left unattended, then there can be total failure of the system which can result in contamination
of the product water. You will be drinking tap water. Like any other hi-tech gadgetry, service is the name of the game. Sometimes just getting the RO system out from under the sink can be harder than the actual service of the system.
Most of the water treatment plants in this country have the ability to deliver potable water. The burden of making the water pleasant to drink is not in the hands of the water treatment facility. We have to remember that water treatment systems are built and maintained by people, and this unfortunately can lead to human error. An in home water treatment system or point-of-use equipment can act as a safety net in times that the water quality is in question but it must be maintained and not relied on with blind faith. These systems are only as good as the people that maintain them.
 David Walling  "Plumbers Protect The Health Of The World." 
|
That brings us to Reverse Osmosis (RO) by far the most popular of the three. There are many benefits in using RO over the other methods. It is a clean system. No toxic materials are needed to service the RO system. The only by-product of the process is water that can be used for other purposes. Water is forced through a semi permeable membrane very similar to cellophane food wrap. In most residential applications no electricity is needed. Residential RO systems can reduce all waterborne contaminants, organic and inorganic, far below the recommended levels.
I recommend using a quick connect manifold system so that all of the RO systems primary connections, feed line, product line, drain line are located in the front of the undersink cabinet so that any time the system needs attention or in case of a plumbing problem the RO system can be easily turned off or removed by the homeowner or service person. The icemaker by-pass valve can also be incorporated into this manifold.
| David Walling - [Qualifications] | [Email] | [Website] | [Articles] |
| The views expressed in this article are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the management or staff of MasterPlumbers.com |
