When looking at purchasing and installing a water filtration system for the home you may be surprised by the variety of water filtration systems available in the market. One decision can be whether to choose a single stage or a multi-stage system.
Single stage water filtration systems usually use a carbon-based filter cartridge which contains various combinations of activated carbon. Activated carbon is one of the best filter media for improving tap water’s taste or smell. However, tap and tank water sometimes can sometimes contain sediment or other contaminants which a carbon filter may not be efficient in removing, or may become blocked in an unusually short time.
Usually, a sediment filter is required to remove larger particles in the water. The sediment in the water can cause the appearance of tap water to change, becoming cloudy or acquiring a brown-reddish colour. The sediment can come from infrastructure issues or household plumbing, or perhaps rust or dirt washed from the roof and ending up in rain water tanks. Extreme weather events such as droughts and floods are another common cause. Therefore, including a sediment filter in addition to a carbon filter will be more efficient than a single stage carbon filter. Sediment filters are usually available in various grades to remove particles from 1 micron up to 50 microns.
In addition to sediment and carbon filters, in EZEK 3-stage water filtration systems, a third stage is added which has a very fine grade of filter called EM-Medium. These target microorganisms and other pathogens.
Some water filter products combine multiple stages into a single cartridge but this usually means that if one stage gets blocked, a new filter cartridge is required.
With a multi-stage filter system which has separate cartridges for each stage, it becomes more cost effective to replace each stage as required. For example, if the sediment filter becomes clogged due to dirty water, you will only need to replace this cartridge, and the other cartridges will still be fine for some time.
| The Alya water jug filter is silver Impregnated Coconut Activated Carbon and Sodium-free Cation Exchange Resin. It can remove larger particles as well as chlorine, pesticides and heavy metals for better tasting and safer water. |  |
| Other products such as the EZEK 3 stage under sink and above sink water filters include 3 cartridges to provide clean and healthy drinking water |  |
The diagram below shows the 3 stages used in EZEK benchtop and under-sink water filtration systems. In the first stage, tap water goes through a polypropylene or PP filter to remove any larger particles like dirt and rust. The second stage is a finer grade granular activated carbon filter which is constructed by heating coconut shells to turn them to carbon and then crushing them into granules. These target chlorine and other chemicals including heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. The final EM-Medium stage is a very fine grade of filter which targets microorganisms and other pathogens. EM-Medium is a NASA technology used for the recycling of water in space programs.
Watch the video below for more detailed information on the 3 stage EZEK water filtration systems which includes a description of the function of each filter cartridge.
Call us today on (02) 8840 5177, or email us at sales@ilanwater.com.au, to discuss our range of water filtration systems to provide clean and great tasting drinking water at your home or office.
