Most people enjoy drinking clean, purified water. After all, when it comes to maintaining your health, water quality is extremely important, mainly since the water leaving your faucet is used for drinking, cooking, eating, bathing, and brushing your teeth. Now you are probably wondering, “Is my water quality up to par?”
Perhaps you’ve noticed a strange odor every time you fill your glass. Maybe you’ve seen dark particles floating in your cup or have noticed a metallic taste in your mouth. Truthfully, the drinking water quality in your household or business is only as good as your drinking water system. A water filtration system can make your water taste fresh and crisp, improving the flavor of your coffee, tea, soups, juices, and more. It may be time to consider a quality water system, one that uses a process called reverse osmosis.
While reverse osmosis seems like a complicated concept, it is fairly simple. Plus, it is one of the most effective ways to treat water. Before you pick a water filtration system that works for you and your family, learn more about reverse osmosis and how it can treat the water in your home or office.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
To fully grasp the benefits of reverse osmosis water, it’s important first to define reverse osmosis. Reverse osmosis, in the context of water filtration, is when water moves through a semipermeable membrane after pressure is applied to a solution on the other side of it. The system will use pressure to reverse the normal osmosis process in water filtration.
Specifically, reverse osmosis water filtration occurs in five steps. To start, water from a valve enters the water filtration system. Then, water is pushed through a pre-filter cartridge, reducing particles, chlorine, taste, and odor. Next, the water passes through a reverse osmosis cartridge and a spiral-wound, semipermeable membrane. Then, the filtered water enters a storage tank before it moves through the system post-filter and is dispensed through a drinking water faucet.
There are many benefits of reverse osmosis waterbesides clean water itself. First, while the abovementioned water filtration process makes it easy to assume that a reverse osmosis water filtration system is large and difficult to install, the opposite is true. Water filtration systems can fit conveniently under your kitchen sink. Second, you no longer have to worry about bottled water or heavy water jugs. A water filtration system ensures you have clean drinking water whenever you need it, saving you from harmful chemicals and hassle-filled deliveries.
Water Softener vs. Reverse Osmosis
Of course, you may be wondering what the difference is between reverse osmosis and water softener. A water softener is like a water conditioner. If you’ve noticed spotty glassware, itchy laundry, soap scum rings in the bathtub, dry skin, and dull hair, you may have a hard water problem. A water softener can help alleviate these issues with customization settings that meet your family’s specific needs.
Reverse osmosis, on the other hand, filters your water supply, making it safer (and tastier) to drink. While water softeners can eliminate the components of water that make it “hard,” reverse osmosis removes impurities. However, if you hope that reverse osmosis can “soften” the water you use, you may find only a slight improvement in your hard water. That’s why it’s important to explore both options to figure out which one your household or office needs the most, if not both.
If you are curious about using both systems, it’s important to understand which process should come first. If your area has hard water, use the water softener first. This way, you can ensure that your water is softened and remove any remaining contaminants in the softened water. At this point, not only should your water taste better, but it should also feel better on your skin, hair, and clothes.
Regarding water filtration, it’s important to remember that filtration systems are not one-size-fits-all. You need a filtration system that purifies thoroughly using innovative technology while also conveniently fitting into your already crowded kitchen or bathroom. To learn more about water filtration systems with reverse osmosis, contact the experts at RainSoft today.