Reverse osmosis filters are one of the most effective ways to clean and purify your drinking water. However, many people may be unfamiliar with how the process works and could benefit from a guide. Read below to discover how reverse osmosis works to purify water.

What Is Reverse Osmosis?

Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water treatment method that uses a semipermeable membrane to screen out impurities and heavy particles like chlorine, microorganisms, and sediment from your tap water. Water filtration systems typically use synthetic membranes.

What Is Osmosis?

Understanding osmosis can help explain reverse osmosis. Osmosis is a natural process that occurs when a weaker saline solution migrates to a stronger saline solution. Plants absorbing water from the soil and the wrinkling of your fingers after a long bath are both examples of osmosis.

Understanding Semipermeable Membranes

A semipermeable membrane allows certain particles to flow through it but not others. Different types of semipermeable membranes can filter out molecules of varying sizes.

How Does an RO Water Filter Work?

Reverse osmosis uses pressure to force tap water through a semipermeable membrane, which removes contaminants from the water. The water also works through additional filters, such as sediment and carbon, to ensure that over 99 percent of the impurities are removed and subsequently flushed down the drain. The resulting water is pure and clean.

What Contaminants Does RO Remove?

Your RO systems can remove an extensive range of contaminants from tap water. Examples of these impurities include nitrates, pesticides, sodium, chloride, copper, and lead. Many of the compounds RO removes can cause health issues when they’re not filtered out.

Health Benefits of RO

Numerous health benefits are associated with reverse osmosis water. For example, reverse osmosis water eliminates 90 to 95 percent of salt from water, allowing you to reduce your daily sodium intake drastically. Another benefit is that the process eliminates mercury and lead, both of which can seriously impact your health when ingested over time.

Hopefully, this guide has improved your understanding of how reverse osmosis works to purify water. Alamo Water Softeners provides the highest quality water filtrations in San Antonio to keep your home’s drinking water safe. Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions about our services.