When to Use an RO Water Purifier at Home?
Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Jul 14, 2023
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A reverse osmosis system is the gold standard of water purification, but sometimes it might seem a little bit overkill.
Depending on your water source and quality, you might not even need reverse osmosis at all!
So let’s take a look at when to use an RO water filter and when to consider something else.
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Key Takeaways
- You should consider a reverse osmosis system if your feed water is particularly high in different types of contaminants and TDS.
- In order to determine what contaminants your water contains, you will need to have it tested.
When to Use an RO Water Purifier at Home?
So, when to use an RO water purifier at home?
Reverse osmosis is very powerful and removes almost all types of contaminants from your water. However, suppose you already have water that is of a pretty high quality with low levels of specific contaminants. In that case, it might be easier to use a different filtration method, like a simple carbon block filter.
However, if you have multiple contamination problems in higher levels that are difficult to remove, an RO system might be exactly what you need. The only way to really tell is to have your water tested!
The Type of Contamination in Your Water Source
The condition of your water will be the determining factor in choosing a point of use or whole house reverse osmosis system. If the water tests show higher than safe levels of let’s say arsenic, lead, chromium, and nitrites, then a reverse osmosis system makes a great choice.
Elevated levels of these chemicals can cause health issues, and not many filtration methods can get rid of them all in one hit. So if you were not to use RO, you would have to combine ion exchange, microfiltration, and catalytic carbon in order to achieve similar results.
If your water is high in specific singular contaminants such as disinfection byproducts, for example, there may be other options for filtration for that that are much simpler.
How Does a Reverse Osmosis System Work?
A reverse osmosis system is a multi-stage water filtration system designed to eliminate almost all contaminants from your home’s water. It uses different filters, including the key RO membrane, to ensure all or most harmful substances are removed.
Generally, RO systems have at least three stages:
- Pre-filters: These include a sediment filter for removing large particles like silt and rust and a carbon filter for eliminating chlorine, which can harm the RO membrane.
- RO membrane: This is the main filter that separates contaminants from clean water using very fine pores.
- Post-filter: Usually, a carbon filter that further improves the water’s taste and smell by removing any remaining contamination.
RO systems force water through the ultra-fine RO membrane under pressure, capturing even the smallest contaminants. They’re typically installed under a kitchen sink to filter drinking water, making them efficient and easy to maintain. Whole house or point-of-entry RO systems, which filter all water in your home, are often too expensive due to higher maintenance and operating costs.
What Contaminants Are Being Removed?
Thanks to its ultra-fine membrane, reverse osmosis systems can eliminate a broad spectrum of contaminants from the water source. Coupled with the pre and post-filtering stages, this system effectively removes everything from common sediment to heavy metals and microscopic organisms.
The pollutants that an RO system can remove include:
- Common particles like sediment, silt, dirt, and rust
- Chemicals like chlorine and chloramine
- Byproducts of disinfection
- Agriculture chemicals like pesticides and herbicides
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, cysts, and protozoa
- Various metals, including aluminum, chromium, arsenic, lead, and copper
- Salts and minerals
- Hazardous materials like asbestos
- Radioactive elements, for example, radium and uranium
Further Reading:
RO Cons
Despite its many pros, using a reverse osmosis filtration system can come with its own set of disadvantages.
Water Waste in Reverse Osmosis
A byproduct of the filtration process in any reverse osmosis system is wastewater. This is an inherent part of the procedure. There can be up to 4 gallons of wastewater for every gallon of filtered water!
However, there are methods to mitigate or repurpose this wastewater. Installing a permeate or pressure pump can decrease the wastewater ratio by up to 90% or even more. Alternatively, you can collect the wastewater in a storage tank instead of letting it go down the drain and reuse it for chores such as washing cars, watering plants, or doing laundry.
Loss of Minerals
A notable drawback of the reverse osmosis process is that it removes everything, harmful and beneficial alike. As a result, minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium are also extracted from the water. Fortunately, drinking water isn’t a primary source of mineral intake for humans, providing only about 5% of our daily needs.
If you’re still worried about this, filters are available that reintroduce healthy minerals into your water before it’s dispensed. You can also manually add minerals to your RO water before consumption.
Slow Filtration Rate
RO systems filter water slowly, which is why they come with a storage tank. Generally, this slow speed isn’t an issue, as the tank automatically refills whenever you use the faucet.
If your system seems to be working too slowly, it may be due to a blocked filter or RO membrane.
Space Constraints
An average under sink reverse osmosis system, including the storage tank, occupies around 2 square feet of space. If your cabinet is too small, you may not have adequate room for installation – but you could install the system in a nearby cabinet if needed.
If you have any questions about when to use an RO filter please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below!
About the Author Gene Fitzgerald
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