Plumber - Water Filter Options

One of the most important aspects of any building is access to clean water. Whether it is a residential or commercial building, the structure cannot be used without clean water. Water is a substance that is very good at dissolving particles and keeping water pure can be a big challenge.

Before water gets into your home, it has to undergo a series of treatment processes so that you can receive clean water. Water filters are used to cleanse the water of impurities and render it fit for consumption. A plumber is skilled in the installation of water filters that are used in treatment plants and even in the home. Water filters use different types of filtration processes.

Reverse Osmosis Technique

Water filtration through reverse osmosis is where water is passed through a fine filter while it is under high pressure. This process allows the water to pass through while leaving contaminants that may be present in the water behind. In osmosis, a less concentrated solution moves to a more concentrated solution and this action produces energy. In reverse osmosis, the opposite happens whereby water moves from a more concentrated solution to a less concentrated solution and this action requires energy.

That is why pressure has to be used to force the water to move in the opposite direction from the direction it would naturally take. The filters used in the reverse osmosis technique use pumps that are powered by electricity to push the water. This is a great method of getting rid of nitrates, salt and limescale from the water. However, other contaminants such as bacteria may not effectively be removed through the use of this method.

Activated Carbon Technique

A plumber can install for you a water filter that uses the activated carbon technique. In this method, charcoal is used to absorb chemical impurities from the water. Charcoal has a large internal surface area that has many cracks and edges. This feature enables charcoal to attract and lock in chemical impurities that are present in the water.

Chemicals such as industrial solvents and pesticides can be absorbed by the charcoal. However, fluorine, nitrates, sodium and heavy metals cannot be absorbed by the charcoal. The charcoal is also not able to get rid of limesale thus the water cannot be softened. Activated carbon filters have to be replaced periodically since the trapped impurities end up clogging the filter. As a result, the filters can no longer purify the water after a certain period of time and have to be replaced.

Ion Exchange Technique

You can decide to have an ion exchange water filter installed for you by a plumber. An ion exchange filter will split the atoms of a contaminant in order to produce ions. The filter will trap the ions of the contaminant and will release ions that are not harmful. The ion exchange filter is able to effectively soften hard water.

Hard water contains calcium and magnesium while the filter is made from beads which contain sodium ions. When the water gets into contact with the filter, calcium and magnesium ions are released. The beads are attracted to the calcium and magnesium ions more than the sodium ions. They therefore trap the calcium and magnesium ions and release sodium ions into the water. The end product is soft water that is pleasant to drink.


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James Hasapis is part of a passionate and friendly team of plumbers at Pipe Masters. They offer a wide variety of plumbing services in Lower North Shore including the installation of water filters. For more information, please visit the http://www.pipemasters.com.au/sydney-lower-north-shore/ .