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What is RO? Do I need it?

Posted by Discount Water Softeners on Sep 13th 2019

Drinking plenty of water keeps our bodies in good health. Water is the essential fuel that energizes muscles, reduces fatigue, helps with weight loss, and cleanses the body of toxins. If the water in your home is inadequate, you might find yourself heading toward other sources to quench your thirst.

Improving the quality of water in your home can go a long way in veering from the development of unhealthy drinking habits. When we drink more water, we simply feel better. Thanks to modern technology, there are great options for families wanting to enjoy clean and refreshing water straight from the tap.

reverse osmosis water purification

RO Definition

What is RO? Reverse osmosis is an advanced water treatment system that frees water from the chemicals, bacteria, and minerals that make it unhealthy to consume. The RO process can also remove salt-- changing softened water to fresh purified water. Reverse osmosis has other useful benefits in recycling, wastewater treatment, and even producing energy.

RO systems send your home’s water through either 4 or 5 filtration stages before it comes out of your faucet. This filtration improves taste, smell, and appearance of drinking water by removing contaminants. RO treatment systems use pressure to push tap water through very tiny pores of a semipermeable membrane. This allows water to pass through but rejects impurities.

During this process, pollutants like nitrates, lead, pesticides, sulfates, and arsenic are removed along with chlorine and chloramines. The contaminants that don’t pass through the membrane are flushed down the drain. What’s left is top-quality drinking water.

Safe? Or Safe Enough? - RO Explained

Contaminated water is a headline-making issue all around the world. No matter where you live, it’s important to be aware of what comes from your faucet. Unsafe water is not just a third world issue; all sources of drinking water contain some level of contamination. A good filtration system provides you with thoroughly cleaned and healthful water. Reverse osmosis will effectively remove the harmful metals, minerals, and also microorganisms contributing to poor water quality.

Most city water treatment plants rely on chlorine and chloramines for adequate disinfection. Although municipal water is regulated by the EPA, the pollutants that penetrate aquifers, streams, and rivers can bring impurities to your home’s water supply, causing bad tastes and odors. The high levels of chlorine in municipally treated water used for cooking can make your food taste funny or cause discoloration.

Critics of RO believe that by using this type of filtration, you’ll be removing minerals that are valuable to your health. In truth, the minerals your body needs are obtained mostly from the foods you eat; the main issue with water is chemicals, not minerals. Dissolved minerals in water are hard for the body to absorb, negating any health benefits. The bottom line is that the advantages of a reverse osmosis removing harmful contaminants far outweigh any minor benefit of minerals in the water.

Water Softeners & RO

What if you already have a water softener in your home? Do you still need reverse osmosis for clean water? Water softeners give you excellent water for cleaning, cooking, bathing and laundry. They remove the hard minerals from your water and solve hard water problems. However, even with the best water softener, not everyone enjoys the taste of their water after those minerals have been removed.

An RO system paired with a water softener will allow you to enjoy the benefits of both soft and purified water. Additionally, RO systems are more efficient when they begin with soft water. Reverse osmosis will also filter out the dissolved salt that’s added to the water by a softener.

In essence, an RO system will go a step further than your water softening system by ensuring the water you drink is purer and contains less sodium. When you remove all the toxins, all that’s left is high-quality, clean, safe, and healthy water.

How To Tell If You Need RO

Water is a paramount concern for the next generations. Environmental impacts, as well as rising population, add to the global threat of water shortages and hazards to our drinking water. Reverse osmosis is one of the few ways we can take certain chemicals and minerals out of water supplies. It can also filter out fluoride and other impurities on a large scale in a way that charcoal-based filters cannot.

If you’ve had enough of your drinking water tasting like it’s been dragged through the mud, and you’re concerned about high levels of lead and other chemicals, getting a reverse osmosis system will make a major difference in the quality of your water. By using an RO filtration system, along with a water softener, you’re getting the cleanest, most purified water available.

Which RO System Should I Purchase?

You’ve decided to take the leap into the world of reverse osmosis—a great addition to your home. RO filtration uses zero energy, is easy to maintain, and provides lasting benefits. But which type of reverse osmosis system is best?

RO systems have either 4 or 5 stages of filtration. The 5th stage provides an added level of filtration in the purification process.

RO systems can be tucked away under your sink or installed in the basement. This frees up counter and pantry space, as all bottled water needs are eliminated. An RO provides you access to filtered water on demand.

Healthier Drinking, Happier Planet

The use of RO systems helps the environment by keeping bottled water usage to a minimum, as well as keeping plastic out of landfills. The installation of a reverse osmosis system in your home makes it much easier to leave behind soda and sports drinks for great-tasting water.

Treat yourself and your family to the ultimate water drinking experience. Reverse osmosis filtration provides healthier water at a fraction of the cost of wasteful bottled water and significantly reduced the impact on our environment. 

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