Homeowners in the East Valley of Arizona, along with most other regions of the country, are familiar with the problems tap water can have. Everything from bad taste to local contamination alerts can affect how we feel about this vital resource. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) shares some frankly scary information about America’s water including the fact that over eighty percent of household water has carcinogens and that samples from all States contain arsenic, lead, chromium-6, and other dangerous contaminants. Many people have taken matters into their own hands and taken the EWG recommendation to install a reverse osmosis system. So, what is this water-enhancing feature, and how does reverse osmosis work?
What is Reverse Osmosis?
Reverse osmosis is a process to purify water and make it free of as many contaminants as possible. Reverse Osmosis removes the major pollutants and makes the water safe and clean for consumption. Typically, homeowners choose whole-home systems or under-sink systems, but countertop versions and even portable versions exist as well.
It is important to know that a reverse osmosis system is so good at what it does (removing the tiniest of particles) that it removes the good along with the bad so all modern, high-quality systems come with a remineralizing component as part of the system so that important minerals are added back into the water.
How Does Reverse Osmosis Work?
Knowing that you can have incredibly clean and delicious water straight from your home tap, you may now want to know exactly how it works.
Reverse osmosis is a chemical process where the water coming into the home passes through a membrane under pressure clearing out almost all other particles present in the water. You have to have decent water pressure for the system to work and you either need to have treated water from your local municipality or have a pretreatment. Then healthful and tasty minerals are added back in as the final step.
In terms of how it works to have it added to your home, that is a simple matter of calling your highly qualified plumber, like us at Phend Plumbing and selecting your system. It usually takes less than two hours to install an under-sink unit, and just a short workday to install a whole-home unit.
Benefits Of A Reverse Osmosis System
Let’s examine the benefits to aid in your decision about whether a reverse osmosis system is a good choice for your home.
Reverse osmosis systems:
- Provide extremely clean, delicious water free from parasites and bacteria.
- Protects you and your family from dangerous chemicals found in well water and in municipal water.
- You can create the taste you want in your water by adjusting the remineralization according to your preferences.
- An environmentally friendly alternative to bottled water, especially when you choose a reverse osmosis system that has a low ratio of wastewater to purified water.
- Many cooks prefer to cook with treated water since it tastes better, and the food does too.
- RO systems can enhance a home’s soft water system because people love the benefits of their water softener but don’t love the taste of the water so they can work together well.
If any (or all!) of these benefits sound good to you, then we’d love to get you a free estimate on a reverse osmosis system installation. Our highly skilled plumbers can answer your question and get it installed quickly and affordably. Just reach out to us as soon as possible at 480-388-6093 and we can get you all setup.