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What Does a Reverse Osmosis System Do, And Should I Get One?

Posted on: May 23, 2016

Homeowners are more concerned today than ever about the quality of the water piped to their homes through the municipal system. What is actually in the water you and your family drink and use to clean and cook? People are often upset to find out the answer.

Fortunately there are solutions available to filter and purify household water. One of the best options is a reverse osmosis system, which provides more powerful purification than most standard activated charcoal filters.

The workings of a reverse osmosis system

In essence, an RO system is a type of filter: a membrane that catches unwanted pollutants in the water as they attempt to pass through. But the reverse osmosis process filters the water more finely than conventional filtration devices.

The way it does this is by creating two different sections of water pressure, one high and one low. Between the two areas of pressure is a semi-permeable membrane that serves as the filter. Normally, water will not flow through this membrane, but the pressure difference forces the water in the high pressure section—the side where freshwater is entering the home—through to the low pressure section. The membrane removes extremely small contaminants in the process.

Pollutants an RO system affects

A reverse osmosis filter removes most of the unwanted minerals, metals, and chemicals that can get into your water: arsenic, sodium, asbestos, lead, mercury, fluoride, chlorine, nitrate, and selenium, and more. Many of these pollutants will slip through standard filters. If you home has a high concentration of various heavy metals and chemical, an RO system is a good idea.

A reverse osmosis system is also wise to pair with a water softener. Water softeners exchange hard water ions for sodium ions, but they can make the water too sodium-rich. An RO system removes the excess sodium to balance the water.

The best way to find out if a reverse osmosis system is the right option for your household is to contact water treatment specialists to test your water. They will then offer advice based on what they find.

Call Bud Matthews Services in Durham, NC for all your home service needs.

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We recognize that our services are of a special and often emergency nature, and we remain fully committed to fulfilling the needs of our community even as potential demand for our services may increase with more families either choosing to or being required to remain home for extended periods of time. More importantly, the safety of our employees and customers is always our highest priority, and we recognize that heightened diligence and focus on health and safety is required during these challenging times. We are actively monitoring updates from the CDC, WHO and local health officials; and we have been proactively and continually implementing measures and developing plans to prioritize the health and well-being of our employees and customers. Including:

  • Equipping all technicians with masks, gloves, and disinfectants.
  • Social distancing – Avoid handshakes and limit direct contact with customers during their visit.
  • Requiring technicians to clean all surfaces with disinfectants before and after performing work.
  • Requiring all employees to stay home if they are experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing or fever.