You can lengthen the lifespan of a filter by cleaning it. This is generally measured in liters for instance, some filters can safely clean 1,500 liters of water before you need to replace the filter or the system. If you plan on using a filter for large volumes of water quite frequently, something to keep in mind is the lifespan of the filter. Certain filters have a much faster filtration rate than others. The main perk of this is that they are small and can fit easily into backpacks or suitcases for traveling to areas where water quality may be questionable.įiltration rate is important, especially for group use of filtered water. Such smaller filters are lightweight and can be used as a straw or attached directly to a receptacle containing dirty water. If you really want to go lightweight, you can purchase a filter that does not include accessories like reservoir bags and hoses. None of the gravity systems reviewed here utilizes a pump. Reservoir bags are great for backpacking because you can hang them from a tree and use them as a shower. Some filtration systems are heavier because they include useful components like reservoir bags and hoses. The lighter a filtration system is, the better. Weight of the filtration system is important for backcountry travel. Hepatitis A and Rotavirus can be water borne hazards. Viruses in water are not common in North America, but in international travel to certain countries it should be a much greater concern. Both of these pathogens can cause gastrointestinal issues and can live in cold water for long periods of time. Cryptosporidium has a protective outer shell, making it difficult to filter in water treatment. The protozoa group includes Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Some filters can remove the majority of viruses, but most are effective for bacteria and protozoa. However, this pore size should not be trusted as small enough to filter out viruses and certainly not chemicals. This is small enough to filter out the majority of bacteria and protozoa, organisms like E. Standard pore size in a filter membrane used in gravity filtration systems is 0.1 to 0.2 microns. The smaller the membrane, the fewer pathogens will be able to move through the filter. The pore diameter of the hollow fiber membrane helps to determine which types of microorganisms it will filter. Contaminating your clean water bag with unfiltered water residue can have dire consequences.Ī hollow fiber membrane contains a semi-permeable barrier in the form of a hollow fiber. Gravity! A tip for gravity filters is to make sure you avoid accidentally swapping the “dirty” and “clean” reservoir bags. Unlike a pump filter, which requires your muscles, a gravity filter simply uses…. Gravity filters are the best option for large groups because they don’t take much work to use. Gravity water filters, like the kind we have included in this review, work by using the force of gravity to move dirty water through a membrane or filter in order to remove microorganisms. Iodine tablets are notorious for making water taste terrible, but it is certainly better than getting sick. However, all of the moving parts inside a filter can result in an increased likelihood that it will break in the field, which is never a good thing when you are miles out into the backcountry.įor all filters, a prudent idea is to bring along iodine tablets or other water purification tablets to clean water in the case of dysfunctional filtration systems. Pump filters and purifiers are smaller and generally do not include a reservoir bag, which saves space. There are many kinds of water filters some use chemicals to kill harmful microorganisms and others use pumps and other moving parts to force water through a filter to mechanically remove potential pathogens. Furnace Filters on Amazon: A Guide to Choosing the Right Filter
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |