Because of the high levels of water pollution these days, you need to make sure that the water in your home is free from toxins and contaminants. These chemicals, debris, dirt, pollutants, and other impurities released into the water, might be very harmful to your health. Water purifiers are the most efficient appliances for removing water impurities. However, water purifiers come in different types, meaning that they don’t work the same. The most well-known purifiers are RO (reverse osmosis) and whole house water filtration system with UV.
Let’s define UV purifiers and reverse osmosis, how they work and why you should bundle the whole house water filtration system with a UV purifier.
What Is Reverse Osmosis (RO)?
Reverse osmosis is a process of water filtration that uses a semi-permeable membrane to filter drinking water. It removes big particles and unwanted molecules such as pollutants and sediments such as salt, chlorine, and dirt from water. The reverse osmosis (RO) system provides a multi-stage water filtration by combining active carbon and particle filtration.
In RO, the tap water is forced to go through a membrane (a polymer film) with very tiny pores, removing microorganisms and minerals in the water. RO works in the opposite way that osmosis does. It takes water molecules from an area of high concentration and transfers them to an area of low concentration under pressure. The collected pollutants are then flushed through an outlet pipe. A reverse osmosis purifier improves the taste of the water.
These filters work well in places where the water contains high amounts of dissolved minerals. It is the most effective process to remove microorganisms, chemicals, heavy metals, and sediments. In addition, the membranes of reverse osmosis are very tiny, meaning that they can eliminate even dissolved salts.
What Is A UV Purifier?
Home owners can expose their water to UV (Ultraviolet) to kill microorganisms and other microbes. When contaminated microbes contact UV rays, they absorb the UV energy through their nucleic acid, which muddles their DNA structure. This renders them sterile and unable to multiply within the water. Unfortunately, ultraviolet purifiers don’t physically remove germs and other microbes from your water. They only kill them and hinder their ability to cause infection. But this is where bundling it with a filtration system becomes viable. By filtering your water after exposure to UV, you’ll be sure to eliminate any microscopic particles and debris from your water, making it safe for your household.
How A Whole House Water Filtration System With UV Works
A whole house water filtration system with UV attacks the incoming pollutants, which results in healthier water in every faucet in your household. But, as much as you are okay with washing your hands and bathing in free water chlorine, you might require adding a second line of protection before taking that sip! That’s where UV filtration comes in.
You may now be wondering why an entire house filtration system is not powerful, just like a drinking system, or why not install a reverse osmosis system for a whole house. The longer the water spends with the water filtration system, the more impurities that particular system removes.
Reverse osmosis systems remove chemical pollutants, but they cannot make water safe from microorganisms. UV systems kill viruses, bacteria, and other living bacteria in the water but won’t remove any chemical pollutants. Therefore, whether you are on tap water (municipal water system) in the U.S. or the source of your water is unsafe with microbes, you should bundle your whole house water filtration system with a UV purifier.
Why You Need An UV Filter If You Have A Reverse Osmosis
As with all water purification appliances, there are various limits in which the system must function to produce super-clean water. Reverse osmosis systems don’t work well with extremely hard water. They don’t decontaminate dirty water harboring infectious bacteria. Therefore, combining reverse osmosis and other water purification technologies like UV can tackle numerous water problems in most cases. UV purification with RO is needed, especially if your water supply has a high level of microbial content.
Reverse osmosis systems are made to eliminate dissolved solids (chemicals, heavy metals, and sediments) but don’t remove microorganisms. The most common way of using a reverse osmosis system with a UV system is to cut the line which connects the RO system to the faucet and fix an inline UV system. Since the flow of water in this line is low, a UV system of 1-2 gallons per minute can work well. The UV system should be on all the time. When the RO faucet is depressed, water moves from the RO system through the UV system to the faucet. The result is excellent tasting, chemical-free, safe water.
The main usage for a UV light is to purify filtered water at a particular flow rate. UV takes water purification to a higher level. That’s why reverse osmosis and UV work hand in hand to produce the cleanest and safest water to drink.
Benefits Of using Reverse Osmosis System with UV
Here are several benefits of combining water filtration with UV technology:
Get Rid of Microbes In-Tank Water
The rate reverse osmosis system produces drinking water is prolonged. Therefore, a storage tank is used to store water for future use. Most water purifiers’ tanks come as a great solution to stock water available for filtration as and when required. However, the one problem with these tanks is that long-term storage may facilitate microbial growth in the water. The dark, warm tank is the right environment for algae, viruses, and bacteria to breed and reproduce.
That’s where a UV light comes in handy as an effective solution to deal with this issue. The UV kills all the germs and bacteria, making the water safe for drinking and household uses.
Quality Water
Even though the UV kills all microbes, the dead bodies of these microbes remain in your water. Reverse osmosis water purification comes in handy to deal with this issue. Reverse osmosis membranes have tiny pores that don’t let pollutants pass through. Therefore, all the dead bodies of microbes, along with all foreign particles, get removed. The result is purified water free from pollutants and foreign particles.
Improved Water Savings
When there is an accumulation of harmful microbes and pollutants in the tank water, you may have to dispose of the water. However, by having a water purifier with UV technology, you can avoid this bother. This way, you can lower water wastage and save on your water bills.
Cost Savings
Combining an RO system with UV lessens the cost of bottled water from your family budget. Thus, they are a great pair that helps to reduce your expenditures and offers you exceptional, quality water.
Low Maintenance
On top of making your water safe to drink, UV technology also helps you to save money on maintenance. How? UV light technology doesn’t encourage algae growth in your water storage tank. Thus, you don’t need to go through the stress of cleaning your water storage tank manually.
What Do You Do If You Already Own A Reverse Osmosis System?
You can install a Water Safe Pro UV between your faucet and the tank. This permits you to use your existing system while preventing any possible microbe introduction from your tank or may have passed through the membrane (like viruses). If the water coming from the tank has a flat or sour taste, this is more likely caused by algae growth in your tank. UV removes contaminants like algae and any unpleasant odors and tastes. UV doesn’t alter the taste of your water.
Bottom Line
Multiple lines of protection against pollutants that can affect your family’s health will guarantee peace of mind with safe water for many years to come. Installing both types of water filtration gives that additional layer of protection. Combining these two systems will ensure that you have safe and healthy drinking water that money cannot buy. You have realized that two are better than one. To have peace of mind and everyday protection from microbe pollution in your water, contact ONIT Water. We provide a whole house filtration water system with UV for clean water free from contaminants. We know that clean water is important for your health. Therefore, we will test your water and install a suitable system for your house. This will ensure you get your water in its cleanest form!
For more information about us, reach out at 800-610-2145. You can also fill out our form online for a water test to know the contaminants in your water before installing your whole house water filtration system bundled with a UV purifier.