The Disadvantages of Osmosis Water Filters

RO (or reverse osmosis) is one of the most popular water filtering technologies on the market today. While some RO systems certainly are a great choice for some individuals, hear from many who were not prepared for the disadvantages, and ultimately end up replacing it with an under sink water purifier. This series of articles lists the top three things that hear tell people who regret purchasing a reverse osmosis water dispenser. Hopefully, after reading this you will be more confident about making a decision about your own needs. But first, let's look at why RO is so efficient at removing contaminants from your water.

One of the biggest benefits of RO is that it removes 99% or more of the microscopic pathogenic bacteria from your water. Pathogenic bacteria can lead to gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea, flatulence, and vomiting. Ingestion or drinking pathogenic bacteria can also cause serious digestive problems, including ulcers, bleeding, and stomach cancer. If you are like most people, then you probably do not drink your fair share of water. If you drink only a glass or two of water a day, you are probably consuming pathogenic bacteria in the water. RO makes sure that the water you consume or take in is clean and safe.

It might sound strange to talk about RO, but people actually use it in many places, from swimming pools to whole-house filter systems. RO works by pushing water through a two-stage filtration system, eliminating chlorine and other chemicals that can make people sick. Chlorine kills bacteria, but when we take in too much, our bodies are unable to eliminate it naturally, resulting in an increased risk of illness. For this reason, many cities have banned the use of chlorine in public water supplies. Whole-house reverse osmosis filters do not remove chlorine.

Reverse osmosis systems will not filter out chlorine if they are not installed in your home. In fact, they are installed in order to prevent large particulates from entering the storage tank of the system. If they are not installed and serviced on a regular basis, reverse osmosis systems can waste gallons of water unnecessarily.

RO was initially designed for use in large commercial water processing plants. However, it has been used in residential homes for decades as a cheaper alternative to reverse Osmosis Water Filters The problem is that these filters only filter out certain contaminants, such as chlorine. They do not filter out microscopic pathogens.

These microscopic pathogens are the most prevalent causes of gastrointestinal illnesses in the United States. Since people tend to get sick more often when exposed to larger amounts of bacteria, reverse osmosis filters also remove any living cells they come into contact with. If you are serviced by a treatment facility, you should always have your testing performed to ensure you are safe from consuming contaminants in your drinking water.

There are other contaminants present in drinking water, including pesticides and herbicides. Some researchers believe that the high levels of lead in our drinking water are the cause of deteriorating brain development in children. A reverse osmosis water filtration system is not capable of removing these chemicals. In fact, they may even increase the risk of developmental problems.

Osmosis filters can also remove contaminants such as prescription drugs. However, they filter out everything else, as well. You will need a multi-stage unit that includes additional steps such as carbon filtration and ion exchange for removing lead and cysts. Your filter system must be certified by the NSF International. The cost of an effective reverse water filtering system depends on the type you choose.