Should You Buy A Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment System?

Most people want to drink clean, safe water. And while the water that comes to your tap from the municipal water department should meet certain safety standards, it is not always as clean or pure as you desire. There are a number of ways to deal with this. You can run your water through a filter pitcher before drinking it. You could even not drink your tap water and buy bottled water instead. Still another solution, though, is to purchase a reverse osmosis system and have it installed in your home. For many people, this is the simplest option. Here's a closer look at RO systems.

What is reverse osmosis?

The term "reverse osmosis" refers to the mechanism by which this type of water treatment system works. Osmosis is the movement of water from an area of low concentration of dissolved solids to an area of high concentration of dissolved solids. Reverse osmosis is the opposite — water moving from an area of low concentration to high concentration. This only occurs when pressure is placed on the water.

So basically, in an RO system, water runs through a tube and is put under pressure in that tube. The water then moves through the membrane that the tube is made from and into a collecting chamber. Solids are left behind in the tube, and the clean water in the second chamber travels on to your tap.

What does an RO system remove?

One reason why RO systems are valued over other types of water treatment systems is that they remove a wide range of contaminants from your water. They may remove residual chlorine, fluoride, salt, VOCs, pesticides, heavy metals, and arsenic. Many other types of filter systems remove some, but not all of these contaminants.

How many taps can an RO system treat?

Reverse osmosis water treatment systems are not designed to filter all of the water that enters your home. Rather, they are usually installed in conjunction with just one tap. So you're not filtering all of the water you use to wash your clothes or shower — just the water that you drink. 

If you are uncomfortable even showering or washing your hands in the water that comes into your home, then you may want to instead install a whole-home filtration system. But if, like most people, you mostly want the water you drink to be a bit cleaner, an RO system is an inexpensive, easily installed solution.

Contact a company like Oxley Softwater Co to learn more about RO systems. 


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