Carbon Water Filter Systems ...How Do They Work?

Industry estimates reveal that of all the domestic filters in use today, carbon water filter systems make up nearly 90 per cent of the total, so perhaps a brief description of their working would be in order.

In basic terms, carbon water filters use a piece of activated carbon to remove contaminants from water, using the process of chemical adsorption. And we're not talking about any old piece of carbon. A single pound of carbon contains a surface area of approximately 125 acres! This ensures that the contaminants are exposed to the maximum carbon surface. The piece of carbon is generally activated with a positive charge, which attracts all negatively charged water contaminants.

Most carbon filters can remove particles that range in size from 0.5 to 50 microns. You will know which filter removes which particles because the particle size is used in the filter description. For instance, a 1-micron filter is the most viable option as it will usually remove chlorine resistant cysts as well as a host of other serious health hazards from your water. Also, the slower that water flows through a carbon filter, the more contaminants are removed, so keep that in mind when shopping for a filtration system.

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