Mechanical water filter

Reservoirs, from which water enters houses and apartments, are rarely clean. Discharges from industrial enterprises, flushes from fields, roads and suburban areas - this is not all that affects the quality of water in the water pipe. The pipes themselves are sometimes in such a state that the water has to be filtered or boiled, or even do both. Why do I need a mechanical water filter, what kind of filters are there, and how do I use them? All this will be discussed in the article.

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Before entering the apartment

Water to the water pipe almost never flows directly from the river or lake. First, it enters the water intake, where it passes several stages of purification by mechanical and chemical means. During the filtration remove particles of solids - stones, sand, various objects. The more filters that can hold small particles, the better.

Important! The principle of operation of mechanical cleaning systems is based on the fact that water passes through special filters. In the process, it is filtered, and large particles remain on the filters.

What happens if these particles are not removed? They will enter the human body, which will not bring any benefit, but can cause a lot of trouble. In addition, pollutants have the property of depositing on the inner surface of the faucet, as well as the walls of kettles and pots, which causes scaling. Even worse, if sand or clay get into the washing machine. Because of this, you can lose both linen and the unit itself.

In addition to sand and small stones, that is, mineral contaminants, mechanical filtration removes:

• organic impurities;
• petroleum products.

Degree of purification

In industrial plants, water intakes and treatment plants, mechanical filtration occurs in several basic stages:

• rough cleaning;
• defending;
• separation of fractions;
• fine cleaning.

Coarse cleaning

During coarse cleaning large contaminants are removed, the density of which is less than the density of water. Then the water settles, so that the particles, whose density is greater than its density, settle to the bottom, and the oils and oil products form a separate layer.

The water is then sent to a centrifuge or hydrocyclone, where fractions are separated, the pollutants are concentrated in special containers. Then it is subjected to fine cleaning. As filter materials are used:

• cotton fabric;
• gravel;
• sand;
• charcoal.

Important! During chemical treatment, water is disinfected. Most often chlorine is used for this purpose. But it is by itself not at all safe, since it has the property of reacting with various organic substances, the result is chlororganic. Epidemiological services control the number of such compounds.

But even an ideally constructed water purification system does not guarantee that what flows from the tap can be drunk. Therefore, the filter of mechanical cleaning in a modern apartment is simply necessary.

Fine Cleaning Systems

On sale you can find a mechanical filter designed for:

• apartments;
• office;
• cottage;
• enterprise.

The assignment is usually indicated in the certificate, as well as on the price tag. But there is no fundamental difference between filters for different institutions. In any case, the device you need belongs to one of two groups:

• with replaceable elements;
• with non-replaceable elements;
• hybrid version.

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Cartridge filters

Cleaning systems with replaceable elements are called cartridge filters. Their action is based on the fact that the cartridge delays various impurities. The degree of filtration can be different:

• There are cartridges that filter out only large particles( 0.1 mm or slightly smaller).
• For better cleaning, filters are used that collect pollutants no larger than 0.005 mm.

Important! When the pollutants on the filter becomes too much and it stops flowing water, it is removed and discarded. Cartridge water purifiers are cheaper than those with non-removable elements. But their operation costs more, because you have to buy new filters.

Components

If you disassemble the domestic water treatment system, you can see the following parts:

• body;
• cover;
• brackets;
• is actually a filter;
• clamping nuts;
• seals;
• device, allowing to relieve pressure;
• keys for the case.

How do I change the cartridge?

With this, any host can easily cope, it takes very little time:

1. Shut off the water in the apartment.
2. Remove the filter.
3. Put a new one.
4. Apply water.

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Wash water purifiers

The second group includes washing cleaning systems. A mechanical filter for water of this type has a steel mesh or discs that detain something that should not be in drinking water. The "dirt collector" is periodically washed.

Important! The main disadvantage of the wash filter is that the device delays larger pollutants than the cartridge filter. The nets, capable of filtering particles less than 0.02 mm, do not yet exist in nature.

What are the wash filters?

It should not be assumed that all water treatment systems with non-removable elements are the same. In the shops you can find several types of rinsing filters:

• mesh;
• with backwashing( also mesh);
• disc.

Principal differences:

1. Mesh - reminiscent of the structure of the cartridge. To rinse it, it is not necessary to disassemble - it is enough to open the down-tap, which allows the water jet to rinse the contaminants in a special drainage groove, and then - into the sewer.
2. Cleaning the backwashing filter is a bit wrong, although in this case it is enough to open the tap. Water begins to move in the opposite direction and flushes what has accumulated in the grid.
3. In disk systems, as the name implies, not grids are used as filter elements, but disks with grooves of different sizes interconnected with each other. All dirt remains in the grooves.

Which system is preferred - depends on several reasons. Before you buy and put a mechanical filter to clean the water, decide what's more important to you - then you do not have to think about new cartridges, or more fine cleaning. In addition, the mesh or disk mechanism should sometimes be washed:

• with a special mechanism( there are many of them);
• manually.

Important! The grid in any case sometimes needs to be changed if there are a lot of organic pollutants and large mineral particles in the water.

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Hybrid version of

Hybrid combines the advantages of both filtration systems. He has grids that hold up particles of almost the same size as high-quality cartridges. But these mesh costs are cheaper, but they work quite a long time. Why is this possible?

These systems use the same principle as for industrial cleaning. They, like centrifuges, use the centrifugal force of moving water, as a result of which pollutants enter special containers and do not enter the grid.

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Which washing filter is better?

Buyer, acquiring a mechanical water treatment filter, focuses on several points:

• quality of cleaning;
• installation features;
• care features;
• state of own purse.

Quality

With regard to the quality of cleaning, it is very important to understand from where exactly the water enters your house, whether it is cleaned before it or goes directly from the pond( for example, in some private houses):

1. For a city apartment in a modern neighborhood,screen filter.
2. But in a private house it will be better to have a hybrid version, plus a coarse cleaning system at the entrance.

Installing

Installing the filter - the procedure is not very complicated, but it is better if it is performed by a specialist from a certified utility service - he turns off the water and does everything correctly.

Maintenance

Grids and disk systems should be cleaned periodically, and even replaced. Grids with direct washing are easier to service - even a person whose technical knowledge is striving for zero will cope with this.

Price

As for the price, it is best to focus on the combination of "price-quality."Simple net wash filters are certainly cheaper, but hybrid ones give better cleaning.

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A few words about rough cleaning

The coarse filters are similar to those designed for thin, and operate on the same principle. The difference is where the water purifiers stand:

1. The coarse filters are installed at the beginning of the purification system.
2. Adapters for fine - at the last stage, just before the water gets to the consumer.

These water purifiers collect the largest particles. They are divided into the following types:

• mesh;
• mesh with backwashing;
• mud collectors( that is, filters without rinsing);
• cartridge;
• pressure high-speed.

Important! Behind the reticulated, backwash cartridges are tended exactly as they are for their analogues intended for fine cleaning. As for high-speed pressure devices, it is something like a hybrid - filled with different filter elements.

In urban apartments, hybrid systems are usually not installed, but in large private houses they are not used very rarely. These filters have rather serious drawbacks:

• large size;
• mandatory drainage;
• the room where they stand should be heated.

Important! The system for rough cleaning can be installed where the water pipes go into the apartment building, or on the branch of the water conduit to the cottage community. But this procedure must be coordinated with public services.

After reading the information in this article, you probably could determine for yourself which filter mechanical water treatment is best for your home. Use the capabilities of modern technology to protect yourself from the harmful effects of the environment on your health.