How To Improve Mains Drinking Water Quality |
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The main cause of bad taste and odours is ironically the very thing that makes our tap water so safe. Chlorine is used in our mains water supply as a safe disinfectant unfortunately this can leave a bad taste and odour in your water. There are regulations that limit the amount of chlorine added to tap water so that it keeps the water safe to drink, if you are in any doubt about your tap water you must get the water checked by the relevant authority. Sediment may also build up in your household pipes which can also be a cause of bad tastes and odours. Chilling your mains water Many experts suggest that you can chill the water by, putting the water in a covered container and chilling it in the refrigerator. This is because cold water tastes and smells better than water at room temperature. The same effect can be achieved by chilling the water using some kind of tank or direct chill under sink device or water cooler, these devises may also be fitted with a filter (see below for more information). Filtering your mains water There are a wide range of water filters on the market today, under sink filters for your home or office kitchen and filters that are housed in the desktop or freestanding water cooler style machines. It’s important to note that although products such as Reverse Osmosis filters and UV filters are available they are not normally required in the UK as our mains supply is very safe, if you think that your drinking water supply is unsafe and requires advanced filtration then you should contact your water authority immediately. Activated Carbon based filters are normally sufficient to remove the bad tastes and odours from the UK mains water supply. Carbon filters can take on many forms from the common household BRITA water filter to the more advanced inline filter that can be plumbed into your mains water supply. Activated carbon is a material that has been almost completely carbonated, typically it is produced from raw or recycled materials such as hard coal, lignite, coconut shells etc. Considered to be one of the oldest means of water purification Activated Carbon has been used to filter water for hundreds of years. Carbon filtering works by removing contaminants and impurities, utilizing chemical absorption. By it’s very nature carbon provides a large section of surface area that attracts and holds a wide range of contaminants. Activated Carbon has a positive charge designed to attract even more (negatively charged) contaminants in your water supply. It should be noted that although carbon is effective at removing elements that cause bad taste such as chlorine and sediment it does not generally remove minerals, salts, and dissolved inorganic compounds from the water. There are 2 types of Carbon Filter; powdered block carbon (carbon block) and granular activated carbon (GAC) , in general Carbon Block filters remove the greater number of contaminants due to the larger surface area. The particle size of the filter also plays an important part in the number of contaminants removed, the sizes available typically range from 0.5 to 50 microns with 0.5 microns being the most effective removing particles of 0.5 and larger. The efficiency of the filter will also be partly dependant on the flow rate through the filter, the slower the rate the more contaminants are exposed and filtered by the carbon. What’s the right option for you If you are a home user you could choose between a variety of under sink filters that can dispense either chilled or tap temperature water. If you want to make an impression various counter top water coolers are also available ideal for any kitchen. If you work in an office there are a range of plumbed in coolers the more expensive models are ideal for customer facing areas and more basic models are available for general office environments. If your office is situated in London or anywhere where space is at a premium then an undersink filter or chiller maybe the ideal for your business. If you are sourcing a water cooler for use in a school then a mains connected fountain or mains connected basic water cooler are the only options to cope with the general wear and tear of school life.
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