Ideally, the water leaving a treatment facility would meet or exceeds strict safety and health standards. While previous generations may have considered the water from their city, municipality, or private well clean and safe, today more people are skeptical. Whether due to insufficient testing or a degrading infrastructure, we know that there are significantly more contaminants showing up in our water supply than we once realized.
Not that long ago, whole home water filtration systems were considered a luxury item. Today many people consider whole home water filtration an essential home upgrade to ensure health and safety.
To ensure the water in your home is free of chemicals, lead, and microbial contamination, you may be considering installing a whole home reverse osmosis filtration system. After considering the monetary investment, you may also be wondering if a whole home reverse osmosis system is your best option. Knowing your options can help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Understanding the Process of Reverse Osmosis
The term osmosis refers to the diffusion of a solvent through a semipermeable membrane that removes solutes. That’s likely much easier to understand if we use an example. For this example, consider a solution of sugar and water. The sugar represents the potential contaminants. In this example water is the solvent, sugar is the solute.
If this solution was clarified in a reverse osmosis (RO) filtration system, the solution is forced across a semi-permeable membrane to reduce the natural flow of the solvent. The clean water is collected in a holding receptacle while the contaminant, the sugar, is conveniently flushed away.
A reverse osmosis water filtration system uses a series of these chambers equipped with specialized membranes. The pores of the semi-permeable filter get progressively smaller with each stage of the process, removing the largest contaminants first.
The final chamber uses an activated carbon filter to trap organic chemicals and chlorine. Once the process is complete, the water collected in the receptacle is contaminant free.
Installing Reverse Osmosis in Your Home
Those considering installing a reverse osmosis filtration system in their homes have two options. The first option, a whole home reverse osmosis system, filters all the water entering the home.
The second option filters water at a specific location. Reverse osmosis drinking water filtration systems are most commonly installed to purify the water supply to the kitchen. There are significant advantages to both options. Just a few of the many benefits of reverse osmosis include:
- Removal of lead, arsenic, and copper
- Removal of radium, barium, and fluoride
- Removal of particles and dissolved solids
- Removal of oils and fat-based molecules
- Removal of organic bacteria and parasites
- Improvement of the taste of drinking water
While reverse osmosis is an effective method of removing contamination, many people find that using reverse osmosis to filter all the water in their home cost-prohibitive. The price of a whole home unit can create a significant dent in the family budget, averaging between $12,000 to $18,000.
Affordable Alternatives for Improving Water Quality
After factoring the total cost of purchasing a whole home reverse osmosis system, the expense of the unit itself, installation, maintenance, and replacement filters, many people begin their search for a more cost-effective, budget-friendly method of improving water quality. To improve the quality of the water in your home without the high costs associated with whole home reverse osmosis, consider one or more of the following options:
- Removing Contaminants with a Water Filtration System Reverse osmosis is not the only method available for whole home water filtration. While there are a significant number of water filtrations systems to choose from, the most efficient systems install directly to your plumbing system and require little maintenance. A water filtration system can safely remove more than 90 percent of the impurities lurking in your water, the chemicals, bacteria, and viruses, your local water company may not even test for. Installing a water purification system can also save your family a considerable amount of money on bottled water and keep a significant amount of plastic out landfills.
- Installing a Water Softener to Alleviate Hard Water Concerns If you have hard water, consider the benefits of installing a water softener to keep your water cleaner. The minerals in hard water can build up in your plumbing, washing machine, dishwasher, and water heater. Hard water deposits increase the costs of appliance maintenance and shorten the life of your machines. You may also notice that the heavy concentration of minerals in your water can be hard on your skin and hair.
- Purifying Water with a Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration Systems Even with water softeners and water filtration systems installed, many people like knowing their water is cleared of contamination using a reverse osmosis system. You can easily have a reverse osmosis unit installed conveniently out of sight to improve the quality of the water you use for worry-free drinking and cooking. Reverse osmosis drinking water systems are easy to maintain. Some models are equipped with an electronic faucet indicator, so owners know when filters or membranes need changing, or wi-fi enabled technology for remote display of system performance. Permeate pump systems can be installed to improve flow rates.
Although a water softener works by exchanging mineral ions with sodium ions, there is no need to be concerned about drinking water treated with a water softener. It’s important to know that a quart of softened water contains about the same amount of sodium as a slice of bread.
For those concerned about sodium intake, or who are concerned about bacteria or viruses in their water, combining a water softener or whole home filtration system with a reverse osmosis drinking water filtration system is a viable solution.
Improving the Quality of The Water in Your Home
By the time water reaches your home it has traveled a significant distance. Many people who have the water in their home tested find considerable levels of unhealthy organic and chemical contaminants or appliance damaging minerals. Installing a home water filtration system, water softener, or reverse osmosis drinking water system significantly improves water quality.
To improve the quality of your water in Southern Nevada, contact Eco Water Systems Las Vegas. An authorized EcoWater professional can diagnose your water problems and recommend the best method of improving the quality of the water in your home. Recommendations are based on the condition of your water and your family’s water usage. Our home water purification systems, including our water softeners, filtration systems, and drinking water reverse osmosis systems are an affordable alternative to whole home reverse osmosis filtration systems.
Additional Sources:
https://plumbingtoday.biz/blog/water-softening-vs.-reverse-osmosis-whats-the-diference
https://www.webmd.com/women/safe-drinking-water#2
https://science.howstuffworks.com/reverse-osmosis2.htm
https://www.popularmechanics.com/home/interior-projects/how-to/a150/1275126/