How does a home water filter work?

The working principle of home water filters is based on a variety of different filtration technologies, which are designed to remove impurities, bacteria, harmful substances and odors from water, thereby providing cleaner and safer drinking water. Each technology has its own unique working mechanism and advantages. Usually, home water filters will use a combination of one or more filtration technologies to achieve the best water purification effect.

Activated carbon filtration technology is a widely used water treatment method. Activated carbon has a very high surface area and adsorption capacity. It can effectively adsorb harmful substances such as chlorine, odor, organic matter, and certain heavy metals and pesticide residues in water. When water flows through the activated carbon filter element, the surface of the activated carbon will adsorb pollutants in the water, thereby purifying the water quality. Due to its strong adsorption properties, activated carbon can not only improve the taste and odor of water, but also reduce harmful substances in water. This technology is often used to improve the taste of tap water and eliminate chemicals in water.

Reverse osmosis (RO) technology is an advanced filtration method that is particularly suitable for removing dissolved salts, heavy metals, bacteria, viruses and other tiny pollutants from water. The reverse osmosis system isolates dissolved substances and impurities in water through the action of a semi-permeable membrane, and only water molecules can pass through the membrane filtration. The reverse osmosis process requires a certain amount of pressure to push water through the membrane, so this filtration method usually provides very pure water, but because reverse osmosis removes some minerals from the water, users sometimes choose to add minerals later to ensure that the water contains the appropriate mineral composition.

Ceramic filtration is also a common way to purify water. Its principle is to remove large particles, sediments, silt and most bacteria from the water through a ceramic filter with a small pore size. The pore size of the ceramic filter is very small, which can effectively block most microorganisms and solid particles to ensure clear water quality. Ceramic filtration systems are particularly suitable for areas with turbid water sources or when the water quality itself contains a lot of impurities.

Ultraviolet (UV) sterilization technology uses the strong sterilization effect of ultraviolet light waves to eliminate bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms in the water. When the water flows through the UV lamp, the ultraviolet radiation destroys the DNA structure of the microorganisms, preventing them from reproducing and growing, thereby achieving a sterilization effect. UV filters are often used in conjunction with other filtration technologies to ensure that the water quality is effectively purified at both the physical and chemical levels.

Ion exchange technology is mainly used to soften water and remove hard water elements such as calcium and magnesium in water. These minerals in hard water may cause scale accumulation, affect the service life of home appliances, and even affect the taste of water. Ion exchange technology uses resins or other materials in the filtration process to replace calcium and magnesium ions in water with other ions (usually sodium ions), thereby reducing the hardness of water and avoiding scale problems. This technology is often used in hard water areas to help improve the suitability of household water.