Reverse Osmosis:

The way that Reverse Osmosis (RO) works is that your household water pressure forces the water molecules through the RO membrane. All the dissolved solids that are too big to pass through the pores of the membrane are rinsed away to the drain.

The RO membrane (center position) is the workhorse of the system, and performs most of the water purification. The RO membrane in the Microline system is a thin film composite (TFC) type. TFC is one of the highest quality RO membranes, but the material of composition can be damaged by chlorine present in municipal water. So in this unit the leading filter is a composite composed of spun poly-fiber to remove sediment and protect the RO membrane, and activated carbon to remove chlorine. In the economy unit, the RO membrane is composed of Cellulose Triacetate (CTA) a less expensive membrane. CTA is not damaged by chlorine, but its organic nature is vulnerable to bacterial attack, and is used only in applications that have chlorine present in the feed water. In the economy unit the lead filter cartridge is a spun poly-fiber sediment filter which also protects the CTA RO membrane. Our post filter is a "polish" filter that is composed of high grade activated carbon, and removes most residual impurities from the water. You may also notice that some models include an additional in-line post carbon filter which functions to further improve the water's taste and quality. Other units include a conductivity meter which will advise you when filter replacement is required.

Generally the pre-filter, post-filter and in-line filter needs replacing every year, and RO membranes are replaced every three years with normal water consumption. What ever RO system you decide to purchase, it's always a good idea to make sure that the unit it is NSF approved to ensure that you are getting a good quality drinking water. You can see some of our available units on our Reverse Osmosis page.