How to choose coarse water filters for an apartment

If a city apartment is connected to a common water supply system, then drinking liquid comes from a well or a well to a country house or dacha. The purity of the life-giving moisture is questionable for both villagers and townspeople. From our article we will learn how to choose coarse water filters for an apartment and a country house. Let's get acquainted in detail with the types of cleaning devices and the rules for their operation.

How to choose a coarse water filter for a summer cottage or at home

The liquid in the individual water supply system is not always of high quality. The main reason for this statement is considered to be the high pollution of the area far from megacities, especially when you consider that a huge amount of wastewater is collected in groundwater.

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Drinking liquid from a well is clean only at first glance; in fact, it can contain a huge amount of harmful substances. This can be checked by settling for 3-6 days. If during this time flakes form at the bottom of the vessel, then the water is dirty. Other qualities of life-giving moisture can be tested in a laboratory way.

 Analyzes and seeding can determine the following harmful substances:

• heavy metals;
• pathogens;
• hard impurities;
• iron salts;
• nitrogen and hydrogen sulfide.

Based on these analyzes and tests, a specific type of water pre-filter is selected. Here you need to take into account the following characteristics of the liquid:

1. For water with normal mineralization, a sorption unit or a conventional filter element is required.
2. For water with increased mineralization, select an ion-exchange and mesh filter element.
3. If the drinking liquid contains other impurities, the absorption, mesh and ion-exchange elements are installed in sequence.

In a standard situation, after installing a coarse water filter, a multistage block with a set of flasks is mounted. To destroy all pathogenic microorganisms, a special installation with ultraviolet radiation is used. If you need to clean a small amount of liquid, you can purchase a filter jug ​​with replaceable cartridges.

A multistage unit cleans water well, but if small children live in an apartment or a private house, then at the end to all filtering elements are mounted an element for forced mineralization, during the operation of which the user can get useful for the body liquid.

Some consumers use reverse osmosis for purification, but this is not necessary. Laboratory studies have shown that the specified element produces a dead, chemically inactive distillate at the exit. To obtain a normal high-quality liquid, reverse osmosis is connected to a forced mineralization device. In front of this block, a filter for fine and coarse cleaning is additionally mounted, as well as a device for the destruction of pathogens.

Another disadvantage of reverse osmosis is low productivity, so buy models with a storage tank. Such a capacity will provide a small family with life-giving moisture.

 The cost of a specific system includes:

• the price of a single cartridge;
• the number of filtering components until the end of the device's service;
• motor resource.

Let's give a specific example for the Barrier and Aquaphor models. These devices cost about the same, but the cartridge of the last element passes one third less water before replacing. In this regard, the Barrier wins in terms of basic functions and performance. Other filters are selected by this analogy.

Types of coarse filters

Depending on the design solution, several options for coarse water filters are used. Let's get acquainted with them in more detail.

Reticulate

A strainer is considered the cheapest and simplest. It is mounted on pipes with hot and cold water in an apartment or an individual water supply system of a private house. There are strainers that are mounted directly on the tap. This option is acceptable for use in the country. These devices are easy to install, if necessary, they can be reinstalled on the tap in the apartment.

Products have different diameters of cleaning holes. In addition, there are devices on the market with mud collectors that can be manually cleaned. Similar advanced models have a self-cleaning function. The sump can be oblique or straight. The last element is installed on horizontally directed pipes. At the same time, a hard water filter on a pipe with an oblique mud collector can be installed in any direction.

In modern models, there are pressure regulators to maintain constant water pressure parameters. A useful filter mechanism is considered to be two pressure gauges, which are mounted before and after the cleaning device. It is recommended to clean the system even with a small difference in the readings of the devices.

The main advantage of such models is considered to be durability and reliability, resistance to temperature extremes in the pipeline, as well as the low cost of the device. The disadvantage of the system is the retention of large particles and the need for constant cleaning of the sump if the system does not have a self-cleaning function.

Disk

These filter elements are equipped with special discs made of plastic. Each element has grooves that, when compressed, pick up dust particles and push the liquid. Such models allow to retain particles from 5 to 250 microns. Manufacturers paint products in different colors depending on the cell diameter. The advantages of the models are high strength indicators, good performance, and the ability to use in a wide temperature range.

Cartridge

Such filters for coarse water purification in an apartment are considered part of a complex system that is installed autonomously under the sink. The degree of liquid purification in these models is from 0.5 to 30 microns. They retain fine debris well if water is supplied under low pressure. With a strong supply of liquid streams, powerful devices will be needed.

The work of the filter consists in retaining contamination with special granules, which are located in the container under a certain gap. Dust-like particles settle on their surface during the passage of the water stream. The device consists of a plastic or metal case, which has high strength and resistance to temperature fluctuations. A filter element is installed in the middle of the device.

In many modern models, cases made of transparent plastic are installed, which makes it possible check the cleaning level and, if necessary, install a new polyester filter element or mesh insert. The latter material can be removed from the appliance and washed. The polyester filter elements must be replaced.

Pressure

In such models, there are pressure regulators due to the fact that water is supplied to them under pressure. They are bulky and highly cleaned devices. Depending on the diameter of the water supply system, pressure filters can be domestic or industrial. The degree of purification of the liquid depends on the diameter of the cell.

How to install a coarse water filter

Any of the listed filters is installed on the water supply after entering an apartment or private house. The device is located after the locking parts in front of the meter. The installation of the element is quite simple, tow or other sealant is wound on its thread, then the threaded connections are clamped on the pipe to avoid leaks.

It is important to correctly position the device during installation. The filter element can be oblique or perpendicular. Regardless of its position, the part is positioned so that the lid on the sump is located at the bottom. If this requirement is not met, then dirt particles will be located on top, which will lead to malfunction or damage to the device.

Installation of cartridge filters

Unlike a conventional coarse filter for hot water, cartridge devices allow you to remove not only large particles, but also other substances dissolved in the liquid. The device consists of a body and a filter element, the filler here is considered to be coal or an adsorbent substance.

The order of installation of the device is as follows:

1. We choose a place convenient for installation.
2. The filter should be installed so that the user can easily replace the cartridge.
3. We close the valve on the riser, drain the water from the taps.
4. We cut the pipe to the required length to connect the cleaning device.
5. Install a valve under the filter to shut off the fluid supply. This valve is used when replacing the cartridge.
6. We fasten the cover with the couplings using special couplings, we use seals.
7. We install the cartridge into the device body.

At the final stage of work, we turn on the water and check the device for leaks. If necessary, tighten the connecting elements.

How to install a filter under the sink

Many users face certain difficulties during the installation of a complex water purification system under the sink. The filter is supplied already assembled, but it still needs to be connected to the water supply. The work consists of several simple operations:

1. We tightly connect the tap with a tee, the threaded connections are sealed with tow or fum tape. The filter inlet is connected to the cold water supply, the other is attached to the mixer branch pipe. The equipment is connected through a tee to the water supply.
2. We fix the filter with a bracket on the wall, while leaving 10 centimeters between the device and the enclosing structure.
3. We attach a faucet to the countertop and connect the filter element to it, connect the hoses.

Next, you need to open the water supply and check the tightness of all connections. Do not wait for liquid to emerge quickly from the tap, the filtration process must first go through. Wait until clear water appears and only then close the valve.

Reverse osmosis

The installation process of such a system is almost no different from the previous version. First, they shut off the water, install the tap and install the tee. The difference between reverse osmosis and other types of filters is the need for a drain device for contaminated liquid. After the molecules pass through the filter element on the other side, a dirty solution is obtained, which must be discharged into the sewer. For this, a special branch pipe is used.

The second feature of the device is the presence of a storage tank, where additional filtration takes place. From the tank, the purified liquid flows to the tap through a special hose. The tank has a special valve to cut off the water supply.

Operating rules

Over time, various dust-like particles accumulate in the filter element. To clean the device from dirt, it is necessary to unscrew the mud collector and rinse the mesh under the pressure of water. If this element is worn out, it is replaced with a new one. Some filters have a self-cleaning system. Here it is enough to unscrew a special tap and flush the dirty water down the drain.

In the absence of this mechanism, the debris is removed manually. To do this, shut off the liquid in the main line, unscrew the sump and clean the mesh from contamination. Such events should be held at least once every three months.