What is a Water Filter and what are the Different Types?

Water filters, as the term suggests, are filters that remove impurities from water through biological processes, fine physical barriers, or chemical processes. Filtration is done to make water fit for drinking, for irrigation, for use in swimming pools, or for use in aquariums. Different filters use different mechanisms for filtration. The most commonly used water filter mechanisms are sieving, ion exchange, and adsorption. Filters are different from sieves and screens in that they can remove particles that are smaller than the holes through which water passes in filtration.

There are several types of filters and you should go for the one that meets your specific requirements. A water treatment plant filter is used to filter water before it enters the distribution network in a water treatment plant. Filters used in water treatment plants include media filters, disk filters, screen filters, rapid sand filters, slow sand water filter beds, and cloth filters. Water treatment plants have different types of filters to ensure that the water is completely clean before distribution. Filtration is complemented by other purification methods, the most common being the use of chlorine and fluorine, ultraviolet disinfection, hydrogen peroxide disinfection, and ozone disinfection. Point-of-use water filters are used in homes. They include micro-porous ceramic filters, GAC or granular-activated carbon filters, metallic-alloy filters, CBR or carbon block resin filters, and ultra-filtration membranes. There are point-of-use filters that use more than one filtration method.

There are appliances that come with filters, among them jug filters and some kettles. Most people will be familiar with the portable water filter. These filters are used by aid organizations for emergency response, hikers, and the military. Most of these filters weigh less than one kilogram. There are disposable filtration methods that are increasingly popular in such fields as biopharmaceuticals. Biological filtration systems are used in sewage water treatment. These filters usually work through mechanical hand pumps while others work through siphon drip systems. The filters remove microbial and protozoa cysts and bacteria. Most of these filters are ceramic. After filtration, you could use water purifiers, which are tablets and devices that kill viruses, bacteria, and other organisms.