Sediment Filter Types | A Complete Overview

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You have sediment floating in your water supply and want to get rid of it?

You are not sure what type of sediment filter to use?

Well, you have come to the right place! This article provides a complete overview of all the common sediment filter types. Let’s go!

Key Takeaways

The most important sediment filter types you should know of before making a purchase are:

  • Spin-Down Sediment Filters: they swirl the water passing through at great speed. Gravity then makes the denser dirt particles separate from the water.
  • Depth Filter Cartridges: the two prevalent forms of depth filters are melt-blown/spun and string-wound.
  • Melt-Blown/Spun Filters: these versatile filters can trap different sizes and types of sediment, simultaneously. The pore size of the filters become progressively smaller towards the center.
  • String-Wound Filters: their design and method of operation are similar to that of melt-blown filters. However, they are often more adept at removing fine particles.
  • Surface (Pleated) Filter Cartridges: these use thin sheets of materials like polyester. They are reusable and cost-effective. The fine sheets are folded to increase their surface area and are mostly used for filtering large particles from water.
  • Backwashing Filters: they don’t just trap sediment, they wash it out afterwards. Because they don’t accumulate contaminants, backwashing filters last longer and require less effort to maintain.
  • Ceramic Filters: Ceramic filters effectively remove bacteria and other microorganisms from water, aside from “regular” sediment.
  • Bag Filters: As the name suggests, these come in a bag-like form. They also have industrial uses apart from water filtration.

What Is a Sediment Filter?

A sediment filter traps and removes suspended contaminants from a water supply.

Sediment is solid particulate matter that contaminates water. Sediments vary in size and range from fine grains of sand to small pieces of rock. They have different textures too; some are smooth and some are coarse.

Particulate matter like dirt, debris, and rust flakes from corroded pipes can make water discolored, unappetizing, and unfit for domestic use. The accumulation of sediments can also ruin appliances like water heaters and valves.

A sediment filter is the first line of defense that stops solid particles from entering your water supply and from clogging up your plumbing system.

Sediment filters are used for several purposes:

  • Restaurants and coffee shops use them for processing the water they need for preparing food and beverages.
  • Home filtration systems use them to prevent particles from contaminating drinking water and from getting into other appliances.
  • They are also used in keeping pool water clean and safe for swimming.

Sediment filters work through the process of mechanical filtration. Their pores are porous enough to let uncontaminated water pass, but not solid particles.

whole house water filter cartridges of different sizes

The Different Sediment Filter Types and How They Work

Spin-Down Sediment Filters

Spin-down filters apply centrifugal force to trap sediments.

Raw water is passed through the top of the filter and channeled into a chamber. The water is then spun around at great speed. Sediments of higher density than water are then flung out of the flow.

Spin-down filters are easy to maintain since they don’t require disposable cartridges. A valve at the base of the filter housing is used to flush out all accumulated particles.

Filter Cartridges

Sediment filter cartridges are put in a casing or housing. As water passes through the housing, the cartridge traps the contaminants.

Sediment filter cartridges are broadly classified into surface and depth filters. Surface filters restrict contaminants to outside the filter media while depth filters trap them within the media.

Depth Filters (Melt-Blown, Spun & String-Wound)

Depth sediment filters work with pores of progressively smaller sizes. The two main types are melt-blown/spun and string-wound.

  • Melt-blown and spun sediment filters are made from polymer fibers, nylon, or cellulose that process water in almost a straight path.
  • String-wound filters are similar to melt-blown filters in design and the way they work. The pores get smaller toward the center of the filter, where contaminants of smaller sizes are held within the medium. String-wound filters can be made of polyester, polypropylene, or cotton.

Surface (Pleated) Filters

These are thin sheets of polyester or polypropylene fibers that trap sediments preventing them from passing through their surfaces. They are particularly good at removing coarse sand and other large particles.

Pleated filters often have a higher micron rating than melt-blown/spun and string-wound filters and are both washable and reusable.

Backwashing Filters

Backwashing filters remove sediments from water and then automatically backwash the sediment out. The backwash control keeps the filter media clean by periodically rinsing trapped sediments from it.

Most backwashing sediment filters can filter fine particles down to 5 microns in size.

Ceramic Filters

This uses tiny pores on a ceramic surface to eliminate both sediments and harmful microbes from drinking water.

Bag Filters

Aside from residential use, bag filters can remove debris and silt from ponds, ditches, and stormwater runoff.

They are made from non-woven geotextile material that can filter particles greater than 150 microns.

About Micron Ratings

A micron is a unit of measurement, also known as a micrometer. It is a thousandth of a millimeter and about the size of a single grain of milled flour.

The micron rating in a water filter indicates the size of contaminants that it can remove. The smaller the micron rating, the finer the particles that will be trapped.

Micron Ratings Can Be Absolute or Nominal

An absolute-rated micron filter removes at least 95% of the sediment of the indicated size or larger.

A nominal-rated micron filter removes 70-80% of the sediment of the indicated size or larger.

brown whole house water filter

Which Type of Sediment Filter Should I Choose?

This depends on where the sediment filter will be used, the size and nature of the prevalent sediments, and your budget.

  1. Both spin-down and bag filters are ideal as a first defense in heavily contaminated water supplies.
  2. Traditional cartridge filters are inexpensive, use no electricity, and are quite easy to install. If you don’t have a big budget and don’t want to run up your electricity bill, a cartridge filter is a good option. Downside: Cartridge-based sediment filters require frequent maintenance – think filter replacements.
    1. Surface filters are easy to clean and the cartridges are reusable. If you don’t want the hassle of regularly replacing cartridges, then surface filters are OK.
    2. Depth filters are excellent when your water contains particles of various sizes. They trap larger particles on the surface and progressively smaller particles beneath the surface down to the center core.
  3. Backwashing filters require a much larger budget. But once installed, you don’t really need to pay any more attention to them.
  4. Ceramic filters are mainly used in point-of-use applications.

If you have any questions about types of sediment filters please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!

About the Author Alexandra Uta

Alex is a content writer with an affinity for research and a methodical attention to detail. Since 2020, she has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment industry only to become an expert herself. Alex has been using water filters and similar products for years which has gained her lots of hands-on experience.
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Alex

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