Should You Purchase a GE Reverse Osmosis Water System?

What is the technology behind the GE reverse osmosis water system? Is it really the best drinking water filtration system money can buy? Maybe you won't think so after you have read this article.
A GE reverse osmosis water purification system uses a semi-permeable membrane for reverse osmosis. This membrane separates two water chambers, one with untreated water under pressure, and one with purified water.

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Water molecules and other molecules that are smaller in size than water molecules move through the membrane to the purified side of the membrane. This blocks contaminants whose molecular size is greater than water, such as organic compounds and biological contaminants. Unfortunately it also removes minerals from the water. It turns out that those minerals are actually good for you! We humans are designed to drink water that naturally contains minerals. Our bodies rely on them for our continued good health. In fact, the world health organization warns against the health risks from implementing water desalination treatment systems that completely de-mineralize seawater water. De-mineralized water does not contain adequate levels of some essential nutrients.

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Another concern is that the GE reverse osmosis water membrane does not remove contaminants that have a smaller molecular size than water, such as chlorine and the related contaminants trihalomethanes (THMs) and haloacetic acids (HAAs). Chlorine, THMs and HAAs are thought by the EPA to cause cancer and other adverse health effects. So to get around this drawback the GE reverse osmosis filters contains two additional carbon filters to remove these and other contaminants that aren't removed by reverse osmosis.

You can purchase a stand-alone carbon filtration system for a fraction of the cost of a GE reverse osmosis water filter system. Stand-alone carbon filtration systems leave essential mineral nutrients in the water where they belong. And it turns out that carbon filtration systems are very good at removing the contaminants that are removed by reverse osmosis, as well as contaminants that are not, such as chlorine, THMs and HAAs.

So you have to ask yourself, why bother with the reverse osmosis part of the process when it results in de-mineralized water? Why pay for the extra step of reverse osmosis when a carbon filtration system does the same thing? Those are very good questions. I guess the answer is, GE reverse osmosis filters are not worth the investment when you can get high quality filtered water using carbon-filtered water purification systems.

Should You Purchase a GE Reverse Osmosis Water System?

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GE Reverse Osmosis Water System - 7 Thought-Provoking Facts

Boy, did I learn a valuable lesson when I recently decided to look into the possibility of installing a GE Reverse Osmosis Water system in my home. I wanted to get away from the weekly hassle and expense of hauling 5 gallon water bottles for refill at my local water provider. GE reverse osmosis filters are a very well-known, well-respected brand, so it made sense to me to begin my research with them.

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During the course of my investigation, I received a crash course in reverse osmosis water treatment. I discovered seven thought-provoking facts that I'd like to share with you.

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1. Originally reverse osmosis was developed as an industrial water filtering system for printing and photo processing. GE reverse osmosis water systems, along with other purification companies, adapted this process for home use in response to the rising demand for clean H2O.

2. R.O. works by forcing water under pressure through a permeable membrane. GE reverse osmosis filters operate the same way. Unfortunately, for every gallon of usable water produced by this system, two to three gallons are wasted. It is possible to recover this wasted water, but you should know that it is a very expensive process

3. While effective at an industrial level, the residential application of reverse osmosis makes sense only for those home owners whose water sources are limited to salinated groundwater. For homes with access to municipal resources, a system such as GE reverse osmosis water, may not be appropriate.

4. The "clean" water that a system like G.E. reverse osmosis water produces is stripped of vital minerals necessary for good health. Drinking this water means that you have to find other sources of calcium, magnesium and potassium, when, normally, all it would take would be to drink a glass of healthy water.

5. Some contaminants, such as certain harmful bacterias, are small enough to make it through the permeable membrane and into your water. It may be necessary to add a disinfecting step to a system like G.E. reverse osmosis filters.

6. Because of the expense of installing and maintaining such a system (9.99 for a GE reverse osmosis replacement filter), other methods of water purification, such as drinking water filters and whole house filters, may be better suited for in-home use.

7. Residential reverse osmosis systems are usually installed in the kitchen and only treat water used for drinking and cooking. G.E. reverse osmosis water is no different. This means that the water dispensed in the remaining areas of the home - faucets, toilets, baths, showers, and washing machines is still in an unfiltered and, probably, undesirable condition.

Knowing these facts about GE reverse osmosis water purifiers, and their numerous competitive counterparts, made me rethink my approach to purifying the water in my home. After further research, I have found that there are more affordable, easy to install and maintain purification systems available that will deliver clean, HEALTHY water for use by me and my family.

I hope you'll take the information that I've shared with you about GE reverse osmosis filters and use it make the best decision about meeting your specific water filtration needs.

GE Reverse Osmosis Water System - 7 Thought-Provoking Facts

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Why Install a 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System?

There are many reasons to use the 5 stage reverse osmosis system to clean your drinking water. First, you can install it in any sink in your house that you want. It is quite easy to set up and easy to take care of and maintain over time. Plus, the systems are long-lasting. Moreover, it will give you the much needed peace of mind when it comes to the water you and the members of your family will drink at home.

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Scientific studies have proven time and again that this method of reverse osmosis is an excellent way to keep your water safe as it will kill any bacteria or other harmful microscopic organisms that might be living in your water supply. Microbes simply cannot survive the five-stage reverse. Thus, they cannot enter your body and do the much-feared harm. Five-stage reverse also lowers the levels of metals and chemicals in your water, which can be particularly prevalent in homes and drinking water supplies located near chemical and industrial plants, as well as wastewater-treatment plants. And since the effectiveness of this process has been scientifically demonstrated many times over, five-stage reverse osmosis systems have been certified by the government and many health agencies all across the country at both the local and state levels. In fact, when you are looking to buy a five-stage reverse osmosis system, feel free to ask the seller about the certifications this process has received in your area so you can be fully at ease with what you are going to get.

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Why Install a 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis System?

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Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

What is Reverse Osmosis?

The amount of people that still purchase bottled water for home use never ceases to amaze me. Come on people, it's time to get educated here. You are wasting time and energy, landfill space, and yes, money...Lots of it. 

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Have you ever heard of reverse osmosis? Did you know that most bottled water manufacturers are using reverse osmosis as a means of purifying the bottled water you are drinking? It's a fact that many people are completely unaware of. 

Soon, everyone will know the benefits of reverse osmosis. Reverse Osmosis equipment has only been manufactured for the household consumer for just a few years. Until recently, it was used primarily by major corporations and the U.S. Government for purifying non-potable water supplies throughout the world. It was, and still is, used on large military and commercial ships for purifying seawater, making it suitable for human consumption.

Reverse Osmosis (RO) is often described as filtration, but it is much more complex than that. People sometimes explain it as a filter because it is much easier to visualize using those terms. For instance, the osmosis phenomenon is how our blood feeds each cell in our bodies. As our blood is carried into the smallest of capillaries in our bodies, nutrients actually pass through the cells' wall to sustain its' life.

For example: If you take a jar of water and place a semi-permeable membrane in it, which by its' construction mimics a cell wall, then divide the jar into two sections and place water on both sides of the membrane to an equal level, nothing happens. But, if  you place salt, (or other such dissolved substance), into one side of the jar, you will soon notice that the water level in the salty side begins to rise higher as the unsalted side lowers. This is the natural osmotic pressure at work. The two solutions will continue to try to reach the same level of salt or equilibrium on each side of the membrane by the unsalted water passing through the membrane to dilute the salty water. This will continue until the "head" pressure of the salt water overcomes the "osmotic" pressure created by the differences in the two solutions. 

Many years ago, researchers discovered a means to reverse or exploit this natural osmotic process and use it to purify salty ocean water. They found that if they took that same semi-permeable membrane and fed salty water into it with a sufficient amount of pressure on one side of the membrane, to overcome the natural osmotic pressure of the other side, they could actually "manufacture" clean water on the side of the membrane that has no pressure applied to it!

Depending on a membranes' design, and the material it is made from, the amount of TDS, (salt or total dissolved solids), reduction will range from 80 to over 99 per cent. Different minerals have different rejection rates, for instance, the removal rate for a typical TFC (Thin Film Composite) membrane is 99.5% for Barium and Radium 226/228; but only 85.9% for Fluoride and 94.0% for Mercury. Contamination removal rates are also dependent on proper feed-water pressures.

Is it Reverse Osmosis Water Safe To Drink?  

Reverse osmosis water is perfectly safe to drink.  There is also a scientific explanation as to why this type of purified water is actually better for you than water that contains high mineral (TDS) content. Water with a high TDS count of over 50 ppm, actually becomes electrically charged and can conduct very small amounts of electric current. High TDS water, under the right circumstances, can actually cause a small electric light bulb to become illuminated!  Water with high TDS is typically a solution that is lacking in hydrogen molecules. This type of water often causes de-hydration on the cellular level. Reverse Osmosis water with low TDS on the other hand, has a much lower ability to conduct electrical charges.  Typically, Reverse Osmosis water is slightly acidic and loaded with positively charged hydrogen (H+) molecules.  This type of water has been scientifically proven to provide superior hydration at the cellular level.  

What's the Difference Between Conventional Water Filtration and Reverse Osmosis?

A conventional filtration system, such as that in a refrigerator for instance, will give you nice tasting water, but it will not remove Total Dissolved Solids, such as, SODIUM, MANGANESE, CALCIUM CARBONATE, to name a few, that are present in most municipal tap and well waters.  Residential reverse osmosis systems typically incorporate a combination of conventional filtration to remove sediment and other solids, followed by activated carbon adsorption for the removal of organic compounds, chlorine,  pesticides and VOC's, prior to the reverse osmosis membrane. The end result is as close to distilled water quality as you can get, with virtually no energy consumption. The typical household water line pressure of 40 psi is all the energy that is required to make the RO system work.

The Technology Side

Just as with many new technologies, when reverse osmosis systems first became available to the public sector, they were used almost exclusively in commercial settings and beyond the justifiable financial reach of the average household consumer.  The membranes were very inefficient and wasted a lot of water. The technology has progressed in recent times to the point where it has become an affordable alternative, more efficient and readily available for the average consumer.   A typical residential reverse osmosis system has a recovery rate of 30-35%. What this means is that for every gallon of water fed to the RO system, approximately 1/3 of a gallon of purified water will be produced and 2/3's will be wastewater. Most residential installations simply flush the wastewater to the drain. The very nature of the reverse osmosis process does cause some water wastefulness.  However, if this waste is a big concern, rather than throwing it down the drain, there are numerous ways to use the wastewater, only limited by one's ability to be resourceful.   

Reverse Osmosis Recognized by the United States EPA

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently released information stating that one in five Americans, supplied by one-quarter of the nation's drinking water systems, consume tap water that violates EPA safety standards under the Clean Water Act! With this in mind, it is safe to assume that no matter where you live in the United States, at any given time, there is likely to be some toxic substance in your tap water.

It's no wonder why so many people buy bottled water but right?... read on you may be surprised. The US EPA has stated that many dangerous contaminants can exist in our public water supplies as well as bottled water. One such contaminant is called a "cyst" and yes they are just as disgusting as they sound! Cysts are tiny microscopic organisms that can cause dangerous health problems to even healthy individuals, let alone persons with weakened immune systems. The kicker here is that you do not have to actually drink the water with these organisms in it to become sick. Cysts can be ingested in a number of ways, including just brushing your teeth. They're more common than you think; the elusive cyst has been found in many public water supplies over the past few years and yes, even some bottled waters have been found to contain cysts! 

Reverse osmosis is recognized by the EPA as an effective means to remove cysts. The US EPA has even recommended the use of point of use reverse osmosis for the removal of certain contaminants such as cysts found in many water supplies, public or otherwise.  In addition, reverse osmosis has been scientifically proven over conventional filtration, to be one of the most effective means of removing the widest spectrum of all other water contaminants.   

Chances are your neighbor or someone you know already has a residential reverse osmosis drinking water system installed in their home. It is becoming a popular choice for many educated consumers to have a reliable pure water source at their fingertips. After using the RO system for a while, most people find themselves wondering how they ever did without it.        

Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water System

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A Whole House Reverse Osmosis System

While some people take advantage of inexpensive reverse osmosis systems to filter their drinking water, many home owners are interested in the benefits of a whole house reverse osmosis system. A whole house reverse osmosis system attaches to your water supply and hot water supply in order to provide clean filtered, odorless soft water to all areas of your home, including bathrooms and showers. Reverse hydro osmosis are great for purifying drinking water, but they also get minerals and chlorine out of the water that can make showering much more comfortable and soothing to the skin, and avoid ugly mineral deposits and film in your showerhead or shower stall.

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Reverse and Osmosis

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Reverse and osmosis is a process that applies pressure to one side of a semi permeable membrane, which forces solute and large particles out of a solution in order to filter it out. Many reverse water osmosis contain a number of stages such as carbon filters to catch particles that are too small for reverse water osmosis filters to catch. UV light filter stages are sometimes included in whole house reverse osmosis systems in order to kill bacteria or tiny particles that may have eluded the filter. Most whole house systems remove about 99% of all harmful chemicals and particles from your water supply, making it safe to drink, shower with and use all over the house.

Reverse or osmosis systems can vary in price and size and should be installed by professionals and maintained as directed for optimum performance.

A Whole House Reverse Osmosis System

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Reverse Osmosis System Comparison

If you have spent any time researching water purifying solutions online you will know about RO. An RO System is the only home filtration system that can actually clean your tap water from all heavy metals, chemicals and other contaminants. The only other (not always - depending on the brand) solution might be mineral water but it is simply much, much, much more expensive then a such a System installed at your home.

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Reverse Osmosis cost effective is proved again and again in any Reverse Osmosis System Comparison you will make. As a real "water purification freak", I have studied this matter for several years now and in this article I will share some of my conclusions. I shall discuss a Reverse Osmosis cost per system and its benefits compared to other water purification solutions.

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What is RO Filtration?

RO filtration is a water treatment process in which water is forced through a membrane that has very small holes. Clean water passes through and impurities that are too big to pass through the membrane and are left behind and flushed away.

How does a RO System work?

Tap water is passed through a particle filter that removes silt and large particles. Next, an activated carbon filter traps minerals and contaminants. Water enters the RO module under pressure, allowing only clean water to pass through. Treated water is passed through an activated carbon filter and is ready for use.

RO System Benefits are:

o Filters out most heavy metals, chemicals and contaminants, up to 99% free of contaminants.
o Uses no electricity
o Gives you fresh clean water at home - For both drinking and cooking
o Will make you stop carrying those heavy bottles or barrels of water to your home
o Although a single system's Reverse Osmosis cost can range from 0-0 you save about 0 on the first year (which is the most expensive year - after that you only change filters), this means that you return the investment in 6 months!!! Talk about Reverse Osmosis Cost Effective...

An RO System will save you from hazardous water pollutions:

It is a known fact today that tap water which is drawn from underground water is severely contaminated with heavy metals, chemicals and more. All this pollution can cause you Cancer and other horrifying disease. I know it sounds horrible, but it's true. Together with all the other hazardous pollutions which are passed to us by air, food and others, we can harm our body with drinking plain tap water.

Any filter that you might buy today in the market can clean some of the big particles in the water or some of the scale but no methodology other then RO will clean out the heavy metals and the chemicals. This is why it is so important to use a water purifier which really cleans your water.

Reverse Osmosis System Comparison

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Reverse Osmosis Home System Information

A reverse osmosis home system is a very popular seller. It is an extremely effective system for purifying water. Its process is based on the osmotic process and this should be explained before the reverse osmosis can be understood. The original purpose of this process was to remove salt from sea water making it drinkable.

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During osmosis, a weaker solution is pushed through a semi-permeable membrane to a stronger solution. The end result is that solutions on both sides of the membrane have the same concentration.

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Reverse osmosis works in a similar manner. The difference is that the osmotic process is started, then stopped, and finally reversed. This results in contaminants being trapped on one side while pure water remains on the other.

Once again, the process was originally designed to remove salt from sea water. The purpose of the process now is to purify water that passes through it. There are approximately 2,100 contaminants including known poisons that may be found in water supplies.

The most notable drawback of this system though is that while it is effective in purifying water, it also removes valuable minerals needed to maintain good health. These include calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Fortunately, there are other ways to be sure we are getting enough of these and other minerals.

Now the benefits far outweigh the drawback previously noted. Health benefits include the following: a reduction and/or prevention of diseases such as cancer and others related to contaminated water. When lead is removed from the water, there may be a reduction in learning disabilities that yearly number about 400,000 in the United States. There may also be a reduction or prevention in the occurrences of birth defects. Pure water helps to strengthen the immune system and ensure the proper developmental growth in children.

A reverse osmosis home system again is very effective. It is a slow process but in the end water is purified and people who consume or use it will become healthier. Information can be found on the Internet as well as customer satisfaction reports. Consumer guides may also be beneficial in choosing a water purifying system.

Reverse Osmosis Home System Information

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Water Purifier Reverse Osmosis - Is A Reverse Osmosis System Best For Your Health?

Reverse Osmosis is the process by which water molecules are forced, by water pressure, through a semi permeable membrane. Most of the impurities and other contaminants are rinsed to the drain while the refined water is routed to a special holding tank. Reverse osmosis is one of the most convenient and economical methods of reducing unwanted contaminants in your drinking water.

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Who would have imagined that a water purifier using reverse osmosis will cause a revolution in the water purification world? It is only after people found out about osmosis, reverse osmosis came into picture.

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De mineralized water is not only for sale through factory reverse osmosis plants but one can own them as their very own in the kitchen of every household. The technology is also very effective at removing bacteria, pyrogens, and organic contaminants.

Most of the contagious diseases are carried through water, not food. Everyone is entitled to good health. These water purifiers that run on reverse osmosis are easy to install and free tap water up to 99% from dissolved minerals and other contaminants making water safe and pure.

One can get at least 18 to 35 gallons of water per day through these water purifiers. Reverse osmosis water purifiers are portable as well. Therefore, if you move, you can easily carry it to your new residence.

Another advantage of reverse osmosis is that water purifying over the life of the membrane and leakage increases. Each time a membrane is cleaned, it slightly changes its properties so after many years one needs to change the membrane.

Maintenance is simple as well. To clean a volume of water is re circulated on the high pressure side of the system with a cleaning agent (for hardness or organic plugging) for an hour or so then the membrane is flushed to drain and returned to service.

Here's what you need to remember: water purifier reverse osmosis system is an excellent way to dramatically improve your health, and also do it quite simply. There are very few water purifier systems available today that are as effective at removing the harmful substances in our water supply as a reverse osmosis purifier, and it certainly should be towards the top of your shopping list.

Water Purifier Reverse Osmosis - Is A Reverse Osmosis System Best For Your Health?

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Reverse Osmosis System Problems They Won't Tell You About

Reverse osmosis systems for in-home use are not the right choice for most people. Originally, the reverse osmosis system was designed for large scale operations. Your public water treatment facility is probably using some form of the system.

osmosis water system

The problem is that the water treatment facilities are just unable to keep up with the variety of pollutants that have entered the ground water over the years. They have done a good job, in that we don't see outbreaks of cholera or dysentery in this country, but it is long-term health risks and chronic health problems that are our major concerns, now.

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The only way to be completely safe is to install good filters within our homes, but some companies are taking advantage of our need to take care of ourselves. They advertise reverse osmosis systems as the answers to all of our problems. They are not being completely honest.

As mentioned above, the reverse osmosis system is often used by water treatment facilities, but it is also used in industrial settings where there is a need for de-mineralized water. Film development, for example, requires de-mineralized water.

Simply put, reverse osmosis systems work by forcing water at high pressure through a porous membrane. Much of the water is lost, becomes waste water. Sometimes, it is recycled back into the system. Sometimes, it goes back to the source, whether that is a river or a sewer.

Depending on the type of reverse osmosis system that is used and the size of the pores in the membrane, anywhere from three to five gallons of water is wasted for every one gallon that is cleaned. In the case of making river water acceptable for human consumption, that's okay, but if you are paying a utility bill based on your water consumption, then it's not okay.

Not only are reverse osmosis systems expensive, they increase a person's water bill. They are difficult to install, typically requiring a plumber's help. So, you have to pay for the reverse osmosis system, pay the plumber and your monthly water bill goes up.

Also, drinking de-mineralized water is not healthy. The trace minerals found naturally in ground water are good for your health. Depending on where you live, your water may be your best source of potassium or other minerals.

Studies have shown that drinking de-mineralized water on a regular basis is bad for the digestive system and sometimes results in mineral deficiencies. Installing reverse osmosis systems in the home could cause similar health problems for you and your loved ones.

There are good choices for in-home water filters. Activated carbon is an absolute necessity if you want good tasting, chlorine free water. Micron filters block particles that would pass right through a reverse osmosis system membrane.

So, buy a good system, but skip the reverse osmosis systems. They waste water and for most people they are a waste of money.

Reverse Osmosis System Problems They Won't Tell You About

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Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System - Do You Need One?

I've been reading a lot about the wonders of the reverse osmosis water treatment system. I don't know what you may have heard about these units, but I am here to tell you right now that reverse osmosis water treatment systems are not all that they are made out to be.

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The reverse osmosis treatment system is being recommended for use by the average homeowner, but don't pull out your wallet just so fast. The truth is that you probably don't even need this unit. If you are connected to the mainline water system in your city or town then you'd be wise to pass this one up.

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The only people who will benefit from the use of reverse osmosis water treatment systems are those that live on the outskirts of society, and draw their water from a well or other water source. Of course you would still need chlorination, and additional filtering to ensure the purity of your water.

So, why would you need additional filtering when you already have a reverse osmosis water treatment system? Because all that this system is going to do for you is clean the sand and silt out of your water. You will still need something that will remove the chlorine, and any remaining parasites from your water.

That is because reverse osmosis treatment systems are not designed in a way that allows them to remove such things as liquids or microscopic organisms. These things pass right through and end up coming out of your tap. These impurities could make you very sick over time.

It is a version of the reverse osmosis water treatment system that is being used at your local water treatment facility. This unit that they use does not even adequately clean your water as well as it should. They call the water safe to drink, but it still carries a large number of impurities.

Reverse osmosis water treatment systems designed for home use are also wasteful, and expensive to use. In order for this unit to produce a single gallon of "clean" water it actually turns an additional five into wastewater. It also runs on electricity, and it will push your utility bill sky high.

In the place of a reverse osmosis water treatment system you should purchase a home water purification system that uses a variety of different filters in order to clean out a large number of different contaminants from your drinking water such as chlorine and other chemicals, surviving parasites, and toxic heavy metals.

This is the kind of purification system that you need, not a wasteful system that doesn't even come close to completing the job that you originally bought it to do. These systems are simply a waste of money for most people despite what the ads about them or the salesman may have said.

There are far better choices designed to clean and purify your water than the reverse osmosis treatment system. Don't let anybody sell you something that you simply don't need.

Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System - Do You Need One?

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