Ultraviolet water filters are the most modern and safe way to clean and disinfect water. Compared with other methods, for example, chemical, with this method of purification in water there are no residual impurities, such as chlorine, and therefore, the liquid is safer to eat.
Operating principle
To create ultraviolet radiation, it is enough to install a bactericidal or mercury lamp. The light from this lamp passing into the surrounding space will destroy bacteria, microbes and other pathogenic microorganisms located in the water. Therefore, at first glance it seems that ultraviolet water filters are rather primitive devices. Is it really? Yes and no.
Filter device
Household water filters with a UV lamp are quite compact and easy to install. But ordinary home UV lamps are still not suitable for these purposes, since they emit rays in a different range, almost two times lower than required. Home craftsmen have long found a way out of this situation - a flask is purchased with a special glass through which only long UV rays pass. In the case of the independent manufacture of such a filter, decide for yourself whether you can ensure a safe proximity of water and electric current.
Industrial ultraviolet filters for water purification are more complex devices with high performance and greater degree of purification.
How does disinfection take place?
UV rays passing through the water column change bacteria at the molecular level, changing their DNA. Such changes are detrimental to microorganisms, and thus the disinfection and purification of water occurs.
UV cleaning can be of two types:
- constant - in this case, waves in one certain range are used;
- pulsed - waves have a different range.
The choice of the type of water disinfection largely depends on the degree of contamination and the cleaning result, which is ultimately necessary.
Advantages of ultraviolet water filters
- Safety - no chemical reagents or additional equipment are used in the disinfection process.
- High disinfection rates - the use of ultraviolet filters for water can reduce the content of pathogens in water by about five times.
- Ease of use and maintenance - the cleaning process is completely autonomous and does not require constant supervision and control by humans.
- The lack of large material costs for installation and further operation.
Disadvantages of UV Water Filters
- Not every water can be purified - UV rays do not work in a cloudy liquid or with large admixtures of mechanical impurities. Such water must be pre-filtered so that impurities do not absorb most of the radiation, making this cleaning method ineffective.
- Ultraviolet rays do not stay in the water forever - this means that all bacteria that survived the cleaning process will continue to live and multiply. In this case, either additional purification, for example using chlorine, or some other disinfectant, is used.
Installation
Ultraviolet water filters at home are rarely installed as stand-alone disinfectants. Rather, they are placed last in the purification system chain.
In industry, due to higher capacities, this method is sometimes one of the most acceptable, for example, in catering enterprises, food manufacturing plants and the like, in which the use of chemical reagents can lead to significant negative consequences.
It should be noted that increasing the radiation power does not affect the drinking properties of water. Even very high doses of radiation do not change its physical and chemical parameters, which means they are safe for health.
Conclusion
According to customer reviews, ultraviolet water filters are recognized as one of the safest and most effective methods of disinfecting and treating water for domestic use and, more importantly, industrial. They are gaining more and more popularity in various fields of their application. Perhaps the first to appreciate these filters are aquarists; now they are also used to clean pools and ponds in suburban areas. In this case, they can be used without any additional filtration, only if the organic content in the water is not too high. Otherwise, the use of UV filters will be inappropriate - they, of course, will not bring harm, but also tangible benefits.
Pure clear drinking water without impurities and smack or water with the taste of bleach familiar to children since childhood is everyone’s personal choice, but progress should not be rejected, because many scientific achievements are for the benefit of mankind, its health and comfortable existence.