How Do I Explain RO Systems?
- 1). Water passes through a prefilter stage. Water, coming from a well, naturally goes through a prefilter stage. This stage removes all gritty substances from the water including silt, gravel, stones and sand.
- 2). Water then passes through the charcoal prefilter. Many RO systems are equipped with a charcoal prefilter. This filter serves one purpose, which is to remove unwanted odors and tastes from dirty water.
- 3). Water proceeds to the membrane of the RO system. The most vital component of an RO system is the membrane, which is capable of removing as much as 99 percent of the contaminants found in water.
- 4). Waste water exits the system. An RO system has an air gap faucet to accomplish this. This faucet removes the waste water and allows the clean filtered water to reach the faucet being used in a person's kitchen.
- 5). Understand what contaminants RO systems remove. RO systems will not remove contaminants such as coliform bacteria; however, they do remove things such as sodium, sulfates and nitrates.
- 6). Understand the concept. RO systems push water through an ultrafiltration system called the membrane. This membrane contains microscopic openings which allow only water molecules to pass through. Many systems contain an automatic membrane cleaning system. The membrane must be clean in order to produce the best results.
- 7). Determine costs of RO systems. The cost of these systems varies based on many factors, including the purpose of the system, the amount of water in gallons the system will have to pass through and the types of contaminants found in the water. To have an RO system that is very effective, a water analysis test should be conducted prior to purchasing a system. RO systems vary in price, ranging from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
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