In the past, the only places that used ultrafiltration were hospitals and larger municipalities. Now, ultrafiltration systems can be enjoyed by anyone - right in their own homes. Ultrafiltration removes solid particles from liquids using membrane filtration. This process filters out dirt, viruses, and bacteria while retaining beneficial minerals, which allows households to have a supply of with clean, safe drinking water.
What is Ultrafiltration?
An ultrafiltration system for the home works by pushing water through a semipermeable membrane. The membrane gets rid of impurities, leaving only clean drinking water. It’s a process that is similar to reverse osmosis as it uses a pressure-driven barrier to remove or greatly reduce solids and other impurities in the water.
Ultrafiltration uses a 0.02 micron membrane that removes the following impurities from water:
- Silt
- Silica
- Smog
- Viruses
- Parasites
- Plastics
- Bacteria
- Proteins
- Endotoxins
Not only does ultrafiltration remove all the impurities and pathogens, but it does so without removing the salt and essential minerals from the water.
The water filtration process can be enhanced further when a carbon pre-filter is used to filter municipal water sources before it enters the home water supply and the ultrafiltration system. The carbon pre-filter will reduce unwanted odors and tastes that are common with aesthetic chlorine. Afterwards, when the water travels into the home, it’s processed through the ultrafiltration system to further purify it from all the impurities listed above.
Do I Need an Ultrafiltration or Reverse Osmosis Filter?
While ultrafiltration systems are similar to reverse osmosis systems and they are two of the most effective and powerful water filtration systems, there are some differences to be aware of. The biggest difference is that ultrafiltration is a filter system while reverse osmosis is a process where molecules are actually separated.
Ultrafiltration systems often use what’s called a hollow fiber membrane, which works by filtering water from the inside out. This allows for a large surface area that particles can adhere to. Many other membranes, including the spiral-wound reverse osmosis membrane, filters from the outside in. The hollow fiber membranes that ultrafiltration systems use have a high chemical resistance to chlorine and oxidants, while a reverse osmosis membrane with a thin-film composite doesn’t tolerate any chlorine.
A reverse osmosis system provides the most extensive filtration because the reverse osmosis membrane has the smallest pore size. However, that extensive level of filtration isn’t always needed or preferred. An ultrafiltration system retains beneficial minerals that reverse osmosis systems remove. Additionally, ultrafiltration systems are able to be run with low water pressure while systems using reverse osmosis have to have a booster pump to increase water flow.
Lastly, each of the two systems filter out different impurities. Ultrafiltration doesn’t eliminate dissolved salts or solids. It will only filter out solid particles, but it does so at a microscopic level. In fact, due to its fine micron reduction capacity, an ultrafiltration system filter is able to remove a majority of the impurities (like the ones listed above) from the water. Reverse osmosis is able to eliminate much of the dissolved minerals in water, including salts and beneficial minerals. Many people prefer this because they want drinking water that is as pure as possible and completely free of salts, minerals, and total dissolved solids.
Benefits of Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration systems provide many advantages to homeowners, making drinking water safe, clean, and great tasting. Some of the benefits include:
- Removal of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens
- Retention of key minerals that are beneficial to people drinking the water
- More cost-effective than other types of filtration (particularly reverse osmosis systems)
- Operates at low water pressure
- Doesn’t waste as much water as other types of filtration, and can treat wasted water for reuse
- Installs quickly and easily
Additionally, ultrafiltration systems are eco-friendly. They have a 90-95% recovery rate and because they can be used to treat waste-water for reuse, they don’t generate very much waste-water at all. Using an ultrafiltration system also benefits the environment because it reduces the number of plastic water bottles that are thrown away in landfills.
How to Install an Ultrafiltration System
Ultrafiltration systems can be easily installed out of sight and under the sink. It’s just a matter of turning off the main water supply, draining the system, cutting the existing pipe in the place where the filtration system will go, and then following the manufacturer’s installation instructions. Most homeowners find it simple enough to do themselves, but installation can also be done by a professional. For more detailed information, read our post “How to Install a Whole House Water Filter.”
