Industrial water filters are used for very different reasons than home water filters. With industrial water filtration, the factory is trying to remove specific contaminants that are bad for industrial processes, such as iron. The filters have to be custom-made to remove specific contaminants. In contrast, home water filters try to remove contaminants that are not typically removed by water treatment procedures and that have an impact on human health.
Home Filters Remove Difficult Contaminants
There are some contaminants that cannot be removed through municipal water treatment procedures because doing so would reduce the flow and pressure too greatly. For this reason, many contaminants need to be removed in the home instead of being removed through water treatment procedures.
Tap water is usually relatively safe to drink without filtration, but including filtration methods will make the water healthier and will also allow for better tasting water that usually surpasses even the taste of bottled water, while being more cost-effective. Home-filtered water does not have the plastic taste that bottled water sometimes has.
Industrial water filtration, in contrast, does not always worry about the taste of water because the water is often used in processes where taste is not a factor.
Common Filters
One type of filtration used both for homeowners and industrial facilities is reverse osmosis filtration. This procedure is being used less for industrial purposes because it is often not cost-effective. However, it is still being used for homes.
Another type of water filtration found both in home and industrial applications is activated carbon filters. Activated carbon filters use a filtration media that has a pore structure that is designed to remove poor taste from water. Carbon is also used to absorb different contaminants, including orthochloropenols and free chlorine.
Carbon filters in industrial applications can be activated through different means. One is through steam activation, which involves the use of steam to raise temperatures to as high as 1,000 degrees Celsius. Another way to activate the carbon is through chemical activation, where the filtration material is impregnated with phosphoric acid or zinc chloride. This is mixed in a paste that can activate the carbon at as low as 500 degrees Celsius.
Categorizing Filters
Industrial water filters are often organized by how they are powered. Some filters are line pressure powered, while others are powered by electricity. A third category of water filtration is the industrial water filters used for water conservation. The types of filters in the home are more categorized by where they are placed. Some filters are placed directly under the sink or on a faucet, while other filters are placed in standalone pitchers.
Industrial Water Filtration Applications
The types of industrial applications that can need industrial water filtration include bearing cooling, cooling towers, heat exchangers, recirculating seal water and recycled fresh water. Industrial filters are also sometimes used to improve the quality of river and lake waters. The ideal products for these different applications can vary from application to application, while the ideal forms of filtration for home applications are not as specific.
This article was written on behalf of Fil-Trek Corporation, leading industrial filtration solutions in the United States. www.fil-trek.com/bag-filters.html
Industrial Water Filtration vs. Home Water Filters
