Water filters are really important to install if your tap or well water is contaminated. Many types of water filtration systems are there for you to choose. Here, we will discuss activated carbon filters, how do they work, their benefits, and are they worth it.
What Are Activated Carbon Filters?
An activated carbon filter is made out of activated carbon or charcoal. You might be thinking – that black hard substance can purify water? No way! Actually, it can and it does the job pretty well.
Activated carbon or charcoal is made by injecting air, carbon dioxide, and steam into the carbon, which leads to the formation of a porous lattice inside the carbon. This makes carbon a hard sponge and it is capable of sucking all of the impurities out of anything you put it in.
So, these filters are equipped with this magical substance and when the water passes through it, the impurities are drawn to the activated carbon like a magnet and you can significantly see the water getting clean. You don’t need to do anything else.
Activated carbon filters look exactly like regular filters but the only difference is that the cartridge in which the filtration medium is present, there is activated carbon present in it and it is responsible for cleaning the water from many types of impurities, which is awesome.
This is a relatively new type of filter and it has been very effective in removing many types of impurities from the water, without actually altering the taste.
How Does An Activated Carbon Filter Work?
Activated carbon is aerated carbon and the molecules have a wider internal surface area that allows for adsorption.
You might be confused about a lot of these terms. So, let’s break them down.
Surface area is usually an external thing, but what makes activated carbon so unique is that it has a higher internal surface area and this means that it is capable of absorbing things very easily without getting dissolved or anything of that sort.
Most things are capable of absorbing impurities because they have a higher external surface area. Higher surface area usually means that the things are bigger in size too. Well, not activated carbon. It is molecular and the surface area is internally higher, which means that a little bit goes a long way and that is amazing. Activated carbon is seriously mind-blowing when it comes to absorbing things and impurities from any medium it is put in. That’s why it’s used for getting filtered water.
Now, let’s talk adsorption. Activated carbon doesn’t work on the principle of absorption, but adsorption. What is the difference between the two? Well, absorption is the process of a substance sucking in something else inside. Whereas adsorption is the deposit of impurities on the external layer of the substance.
So, when it comes to activated carbon, thanks to its higher internal surface area, it is literally like a sponge that adsorbs everything and forms a layer on the outside. The surface area and the molecular forces prevent the impurities from floating around in the water and when you remove the activated carbon filter, you can clean it up and then use it again as you please. So, it is not only convenient but it is also long-lasting.
Benefits Of Activated Carbon Filters
There are a lot of benefits of activated carbon filters. Here are some of them.
Cheaper
Activated carbon filters are usually cheaper than other water purification systems like reverse osmosis and water distillation systems. However, they are usually best at removing organic chemicals and VOCs. If your water has other contaminants like microbes, you may need an RO system or a UV water filtration system.
On the other hand, if you water is clean and only have excess minerals, you should install a water softener system Meadville.
Eco-Friendly
These filters are amazing when it comes to removing impurities from water. You can take the dirtiest of water and it will still purify it to an extent. These filters are made of sustainable materials so they are environmentally friendly and can be used for a long time before you need to replace them. Each cartilage lasts for 6 to 12 months. It can follow easy steps to replace the activated carbon filter of your whole house water purification system.
They Don’t Alter Water Taste
The great thing about activated carbon filters is that they don’t impart any weird flavor or taste to the water. You might think that your water will taste like coal or something bitter, but that won’t be the case at all.
If anything, your water will taste a lot fresher, and it is just amazing to think that something so daunting like black charcoal can do so much to the water in terms of purification, but still not alter the taste. This is great if you are sick and tired of filters altering the taste of the water.
A Lot Of Variety
Activated carbon filters are available in pitchers, tap-mounted filters, shower filters, and whole-house water filters. So, you can choose the type you want.
Remove Organic Chemicals And Other Impurities
Activated carbon filters can remove many sorts of impurities. Whether it be volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or organic chemicals or heavy metals like lead, you can count on activated carbon filters to save the day.
The only thing that they are unable to remove is live contaminants like mold, microbes, and bacteria from the water. This is something that will require more extensive purification processes to really get the job done. But as far as surface-level and harsh impurities are concerned, an activated carbon filter has you covered.
Are Activated Carbon Filters Worth It?
This is a question that can’t be answered in one go. Water impurities can be different in different households and the type of water filtration or purification system you need will vary depending on the presence and severity of the impurities in the water. So, if you have volatile compounds in the water, and you also have murky water coming through the taps, then an activated carbon filter is amazing. It can also remove heavy ions from the water, which is really great.
In order to understand what impurities your tap water has, you need to test said water first. You have to figure out what is in the water before you go ahead and employ filtration or purification processes. You don’t want to close your eyes and just go for any type of filtration. It will be insufficient if you don’t know what needs to be removed from the water in the first place. So, knowing what is in your water is really important.
Aside from mold and live germs, other things that the activated carbon filters are unable to remove include arsenic and other heavy metals. For this, you will need to employ other methods of water purification and those will do a wonderful job in purifying and filtering the water.
So, even though activated carbon filters are amazing and all that, they still aren’t a one-stop solution for all of your water problems. You might need to employ secondary methods of water purification and filtration to really get clean and potable water for consumption. So, it is better to do your research on different types of filters and then figure out what works best for you. The goal is to ultimately purify water.
Conclusion
Activated carbon – who would’ve known that something like this could be so capable of removing impurities from the water in such a convenient way. But remember that activated carbon filters don’t work alone. They are usually coupled with sediment filters and other kinds of filters for robust water filtration. And they are a part of most types of whole house water filtration Warren systems.
