Protecting Your Home From Viruses With Water Filters
Many homeowners know the basics about what a water filter is and what it does, but that’s where it stops. What about the difference between microfiltration and ultrafiltration? Pore size can make a difference; for instance, microfilters have a 0.1-micron pore size and ultrafilters have a 0.01-micron pore size.
These factors can make a difference when it comes to looking into a water filter that may be able to remove viruses and keep the water in the home at its cleanest. In this article, expert plumbers offer advice on finding the right water filtration system to protect your home.
Let’s Talk More About Ultrafiltration
Water filters are one of the most popular filtration systems in the home. It filters the water by forcing it through some sort of “porous” media, which can be made from a variety of both natural and synthetic sources. The size of the material that is able to be filtered out and removed by a water filter depends on the size of the pore.
This is especially the case when it comes to filtering out viruses, like enteric viruses, hepatitis A, noroviruses, rotaviruses, and more. While microfilters will be able to filter out bacteria, they aren’t able to remove viruses as an ultrafilter can.
Considering how much havoc any of these viruses can wreak in the home, with symptoms like significant nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, making sure to have the best water filter is essential to keeping everyone in the family safe. Some of the viruses being filtered out can even be lethal, so it’s important to not take any chances.
What About a Distillation System?
In addition to using an ultra-water filter, homeowners should also consider using a distillation system. If removing viruses from the home’s water is a concern, this is one of the best methods to do that.
Unlike a traditional water filter, a distillation system uses a process of evaporation and condensation (essentially boiling) to separate the contaminants from the fresh water. This results in killing off virtually all microorganisms in the water, namely bacteria, parasites, and viruses.
Some of those bacteria, especially e.coli and salmonella, are well known for making people extremely ill for multiple days. The health benefits of adding a distillation system to the correct water filter in the home include improved digestion, better hair and skin, and less chance of serious illness. It is recommended for use in baby bottles, coffees and teas, cooking and baking, and drinking in general.
The Benefits of UV Water Treatments
One last option to help filter out viruses and bacteria is UV water treatment. These treatments use ultraviolet light (UV-C, specifically) to disinfect the water in the home.
UV water treatment also uses a pre-filtration process, where a water filter works to remove some of the contaminants before they reach the UV light.
The ultraviolet light actually penetrates harmful pathogens, like salmonella, norovirus, giardia, etc, and scrambles their DNA so that they are no longer able to reproduce. It is so effective that it is said to destroy 99.99% of all of the microorganisms in the water.
It also does not require the use of any chemicals, is easy to maintain, and does not add any strange taste to the water. The UV water treatment is the last thing that water passes through before entering the faucets in the home.
About C & D Plumbing Inc.
Open for over a decade, C & D Plumbing Inc. is a family-owned and operated business located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They offer expert solutions, personal attention and care, honest services (like hydrojetting, and emergency plumbing), and guaranteed satisfaction.