The vast majority of reverse osmosis (RO) reviews are positive, and in some cases they are downright glowing about the ability of these units to clean up brackish well water or water with very high iron or sulfate content. And I would also praise RO systems' ability to clean up such water. But most of us don't have brackish water that needs this very expensive and cumbersome technology. In this article let's take a look at a reverse osmosis water treatment comparison with other water filter technologies options that are available.
In the area I live in a lot of folks have well water with high iron or sulfate content. In some cases either the taste or smell makes it almost impossible to drink. But, when the water is cleaned up with an RO system they think it tastes great and, compared to what they have been drinking, it is. But, visitors often find the water very "flat" tasting.
INVERSE OSMOSIS
This "flat" taste is a small thing, but it is a symptom of something larger. The flatness comes from the fact that the RO process removes ALL the minerals from the water. We need trace minerals such as calcium and potassium to maintain good health. Also, this mineral removal produces slightly acidic water and such water will try to reach a neutral pH by leaching calcium from bones or teeth. If you use a RO system, you may want to consider adding mineral supplements to your diet.
Not to belabor the point, but health officials have proven that when body fluids become more acid than alkaline there is an increased production of free radicals, thus increasing the risk of cancer.
RO systems filter by forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane. Any molecules larger than water molecules are separated out and removed. The amount of force required may necessitate an auxiliary pump.
With adequate pressure, however achieved, much of the water still will not pass through the membrane and, with many systems, is simply a costly waste byproduct.
Chlorine is usually used to kill the living bugs in our well water or our city water and, since chlorine molecules are smaller than water's they will not be filtered out. Neither will any of the thousands of synthetic organic chemicals that trouble our water supplies today. To remove these items, RO systems must be used in conjunction with some sort of carbon filtration.
All water filtration systems impede water flow to some extent, but RO systems are notoriously slow. Large, whole house systems require an additional storage tank in order to provide adequate water for laundry or bathing.
These units are rather bulky, comparatively, and with extra pumps, storage tanks, etc., they generally will require the assistance of a plumber to install. They are also prone to maintenance issues and higher operating costs.
If your drinking water comes from a water utility company, or from a chlorinated well, not plagued with brackish water, I would recommend you look at a selective filtration system. It's what I use and I don't think you can beat the guaranteed quality of the water for the price.
These systems filter in stages, using granulated carbon, a carbon and multi-media block with a sub-micron filter, along with ion exchange. This is state-of-the-art water filtration technology. In simple English, the bad water flows into the filter system from one end, using normal water pressure, all the bad stuff is removed, and the good, safe water, complete with the healthy minerals flows out the other end.
No pumps, no storage tanks, no need for mineral supplements, and the filtered water is clean and healthy.
Bottom line though, any filter system is better than using your body as a filter. If you don't think so, read my article entitled, "Tap Water Facts-Chlorine in Drinking Water Makes Chickens Cry "Foul""
Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Comparison and Reverse Osmosis Reviews INVERSE OSMOSIS