| It depends, if you have brackish water laced with | | | | membrane's tiny pores, a large quantity of water |
| salt, then yeah, you likely could use one of the | | | | still will not pass through and is wasted. These |
| residential reverse osmosis systems. But, if you | | | | systems discharge anywhere from 2 to 5 gallons |
| are on a chlorinated water system without a salt | | | | of wasted water for every gallon filtered. |
| problem, then the answer would be no. In this | | | | Some systems recycle this water but, recycling, |
| article we will look at why I say that and how | | | | storage tanks and, possibly, an extra pump have |
| you can solve your problems better, more simply | | | | long caused excessive maintenance problems and |
| and cheaper. | | | | extra cost. |
| The main reason I say you don't need an RO, or | | | | Most chemicals have a molecular size smaller than |
| distillation, system unless you have a severe salt | | | | water's and will pass right through the filtering |
| content problem is because of the extra expense, | | | | membrane. For that reason RO systems must be |
| maintenance problems and headaches that go | | | | used in combination with a carbon filter. |
| with these systems. | | | | Using residential reverse osmosis systems when |
| RO systems were first used to remove salt from | | | | you don't need them is like using cannons to |
| brackish water supplies and later were utilized by | | | | shoot flies. It's bulky, expensive, high maintenance |
| industries that needed pure water for their | | | | and produces an unhealthy product. |
| manufacturing processes. In these systems water | | | | The Environmental Protection Agency uses |
| pressure is used to force water against a | | | | activated carbon to clean up chemical spills, and it |
| semi-permeable membrane that is so porous only | | | | considers this miraculous filter material as the best |
| molecules the size of water molecules, or smaller, | | | | technology available for removing toxic chemicals |
| can pass through. | | | | in water systems. |
| But the technique has always had its problems. | | | | I say it is "miraculous" because a carbon block one |
| For example: | | | | foot square has a filtering surface of five square |
| 1. RO removes all the minerals and nutrients in the | | | | miles! |
| water, the good, the bad and the ugly but, this | | | | If you are on a chlorinated water system, you will |
| leaves you with water that is flat tasting and | | | | do much better with a selective filtration system |
| slightly acidic. | | | | that uses a combination of the absorptive power |
| 2. It also leaves you with unhealthy water for | | | | of carbon block filtration, ion exchange and sub |
| two reasons. | | | | micron filtration. You won't get better water at a |
| - a. There is evidence cancer only thrives in a | | | | better price than these units. |
| slightly acidic environment. | | | | These systems will filter out chlorine, lead, |
| - b. The acidic water wants to return to a neutral | | | | prescription drugs, pharmaceuticals, SOCs, VOCs, |
| state, so, it will rob calcium from the body to | | | | cysts (chlorine-resistant parasites), etc. but leave |
| form calcium bicarbonate and neutralize itself. | | | | in the natural trace minerals. |
| These systems are slow and require a | | | | For help deciding if you even need a water filter |
| pressurized storage tank to provide any quantity | | | | system, read my article titled, appropriately, How |
| of water for bathing or laundry. | | | | To Know If You Need A Home Water Filtration |
| The membrane's pores are so small that water | | | | System. |
| pressure might need to be increased by the | | | | And, remember, don't drink or bathe in chlorinated |
| addition of an inline booster pump. | | | | water on a long-term basis. |
| Even with adequate pressure, as a result of the | | | | |