What Is Reverse Osmosis—How Does It Work?
What Is Reverse Osmosis—How Does It Work?
At Kinetico® Water Systems, we believe in accessible clean water. However, today’s free-flowing water is often full of pollutants and chlorine, a far cry from the crisp, refreshing water we want to drink, and bottled alternatives can be expensive and environmentally harmful. But with Kinetico’s water purification process, you can safely consume tap water again. Let’s discuss how reverse osmosis restores contaminated water to the pure, safe-to-drink water you and your family need.
Reverse Osmosis
While harmful contaminants and other particles in water can potentially have adverse effects on our health, they can also alter the taste and smell of drinking water. Reverse osmosis (RO) uses applied pressure to push water through a thin, sieve-like membrane, resulting in demineralized and deionized drinking water without an altered taste or smell. Pure water is able to pass through the osmosis membrane, while harmful contaminants and other residues are trapped and stay behind. Reverse osmosis is often a part of a larger water purification process used by water treatment facilities.
The Water Purification Process
While harmful contaminants and other particles in water can potentially have adverse effects on our health, they can also alter the taste and smell of drinking water. A water treatment facility works to purify your drinking water, ridding it of chemicals, particles and other contaminants that may impact consumption. Typically, a water purification system involves four steps:
- Sediment filter: First, the largest non-water particles are removed. These larger particles, like dirt and sand, can clog the other filtration levels if not removed at the start.
- Pre-carbon filter: Second, the pre-carbon filter works to prevent potentially harmful chemical components in unfiltered water, like chlorine, from passing through.
- Reverse osmosis filter: Next, the thin, sieve-like membrane of the reverse osmosis filter removes any molecules heavier than water. Some of these, like lead, can be harmful to consume.
- Post-carbon filter: The fully filtered water passes through the post-carbon filter for a final polishing before safe consumption can occur.
Reverse Osmosis Filters For Your Home
Although water leaves a treatment facility ready for safe consumption, additional contaminants can recur in your water before it arrives at the taps in your home. Kinetico’s top of the line RO filters can be installed in your home to maximize the purity of your drinking water. To find out more about how Kinetico can help you and your family safely consume your home’s tap water, request a free quote today!