Carbon filter for water purification: what it cleans from and how it works - the principle of operation of the device, composition and types

The water supply supplied to our apartments and houses leaves much to be desired. Quality can be improved by installing carbon-based filtration systems. It is this rock that has excellent sorption properties, that is, the ability to retain impurities, as well as disinfect liquid from pathogenic microorganisms. In this article we will talk about carbon filters for drinking water purification, what they purify and what their operating principle is.

Carbon filtration: what is it?

This is a device based on a black porous substance – carbon with a small admixture of ash. It is characterized by increased porosity, which gives it the properties of a sorbent, that is, it makes it possible to selectively absorb dissolved suspensions from the liquid. The active material is made from natural raw materials - some types of wood, coconut shells.

During water treatment, the working aqueous medium passes through a single-layer or multi-layer cartridge with bulk activated carbon. Unwanted substances remain in the thickness of the sorbent, while the purified moisture comes out.

How does the process of filtration and purification of moonshine occur?

You can filter fusel milk both before re-distillation and the finished product 10 - 20 days before use. If another distillation of alcohol is planned, and there is a desire or need to clean the moonshine from fusel oils and other harmful impurities, you must first lower the strength of the product. To do this, it is diluted with spring or melt water to the desired degree. For more information about filtration and purification of moonshine, watch this video:

After this, the homemade column is filled with diluted alcohol and wait until all the liquid seeps through the filter (if necessary, change the cotton wool at the neck several times). Filtration is repeated twice. The fact that the raw material turns black is not at all scary - it will be as pure as a tear after distillation.

To further purify moonshine from impurities and fusel oils, you can combine two filtration methods - flow and infusion. To do this, pass fusel through a coal column 2 - 3 times, and add a little more coal powder to the resulting product (40 g of coal per 1 liter of liquid).

After the alcohol and charcoal have been infused for 2-3 days, and a thick sediment has formed at the bottom of the container, you can begin to rectify the drink. For cleaning, the same design that was made for charcoal filtration is quite suitable. It needs to be freed from coal residues (by the way, coal dust can be dried and used one more time) and washed thoroughly. For the most effective cleaning method, watch this video:

Throw away cotton wool, filters or cotton pads, and take clean ones instead. The neck of the bottle is filled with a cotton seal, the cap with holes is screwed on until it stops and the bottle is placed neck down on a three-liter jar. The entire free volume of the bottle is filled with cloudy moonshine and covered with a saucer to avoid evaporation of alcohol.

To do this, the uncleaned drink is poured back into the container, the cotton wool or filter is replaced with a clean one, and cleaning continues. You can drink your product immediately after cleaning, or you can dilute it to the desired strength and let it brew for a couple of days.

What does a carbon water filter clean from?

Using domestic and industrial installations, the following water treatment problems can be effectively solved:

• remove foreign taste - some impurities can make the liquid sweetish or salty;
• get rid of aroma - for example, hydrogen sulfide gives the resource the smell of rotten eggs;
• discolor - in its normal state, the aqueous solution should be completely transparent, not cloudy;
• deal with rust, which often forms inside old metal water pipes;
• remove all organic matter - these are microorganisms hazardous to health, as well as the products of their decay and vital activity, which settle in the form of sludge;
• clean the liquid from impurities of sodium hypochlorite, which is most often used at large municipal water treatment plants as a disinfectant.

Filtration device assembly

It’s easy to make carbon filters for moonshine with your own hands. You need to prepare all the necessary materials and cleaning charcoal in advance. It is better to choose analogs of the absorbent that are used in water filters or gas masks, but if you want to save money, you can make it yourself.

The base for the filters is prepared from ordinary birch branches, which are laid out in a fireproof container and sealed tightly. The influx of oxygen and water should be minimized while the container is placed in the fire. Thus, coal is obtained, which is ideal as a cleaning agent. If you managed to make a sufficient amount of coal based on birch branches, you should move on to the remaining materials for assembling the filter.

You need to prepare:

• plastic bottle;
• cotton wool;
• gauze.

Before distilling moonshine, it is important to remember that absorption is a slow process that can easily be sped up by diluting the alcohol. Usually they carry out two distillations and make the moonshine thinner for better penetration

If only one filtration is used, the moonshine is pre-diluted. This significantly speeds up the cleaning process and allows the cleansing base to absorb more toxic substances. After the moonshine has been diluted, begin assembling the disposable filter.

The process is divided into several stages:

1. The bottom part of the plastic bottle is cut off, and holes are made in the lid through which the mash will flow out after distillation.
2. The second part is the formation of purification layers, which determine how pure the resulting alcohol will be. The more multilayered the structure, the purer the liquid will be, but the speed of the process will drop significantly. It is most effective to place about 7-10 cm of coal, and between it gauze or cotton wool, which will in every possible way delay the flow of moonshine and thereby allow the liquid to pass through the absorbent more slowly.
3. Once the multilayer filter is ready, screw on the lid and begin cleaning. The main thing here is to install the structure efficiently so that it does not tip over. During work, for every 1-2 liters, the coal, cotton wool and gauze, which accumulate dirt, are replaced.

It is important to find a middle ground when assembling a layered filter, because too much coal or cotton wool will only allow the moonshine to pass through longer. This rule also applies to cases when too little coal is used in order to speed up the alcohol purification process, but this does not make much sense if you want to get a high-quality product without impurities and unpleasant odors.

Fusel oil is absorbed only at a slow flow, and if you want to speed up the process, it is better to add the required amount of ground coal to the moonshine and then filter it.

Patience is the key in this process, because you not only have to wait for all the liquid to pass through the cleaning materials, but also constantly replace them. If you miss the moment of filling the filter with harmful impurities, they will begin to be released back into the alcohol, and their dose doubles. Several bottles will contain pure moonshine, but the next batch, in addition to its own harmful microelements, will also receive dirt absorbed by coal from previous cleanings.

This filtration method is not the only one and is only suitable for the final stage of alcohol preparation. Moonshiners use many methods when distilling simultaneously. For example, a popular coagulation option requires the use of egg yolk or milk for cleaning. This method is effective, but the moonshine takes on a cloudy appearance, which is almost impossible to get rid of.

Where are carbon filters used: purpose

This method is so effective and affordable that it is used at almost all possible stages of water treatment. Including:

• Cleaning of drains. Waste water resources (industrial waste, storm and domestic sewage) require preliminary filtration. This is necessary in order to remove all synthetic contaminants, oil inclusions, debris, and organic substances. If this is not done, such a liquid can become a source of bacterial danger both for humans in particular and for the entire environment.
• Water treatment. Before entering our apartments, moisture undergoes multi-stage purification, including sorption. This is especially necessary if the source is not an artesian well, but an open body of water, since pathogenic microorganisms actively multiply in it.
• Household use. Regular users buy either jug ​​filters or main-line units (under the sink), which are based on replaceable cartridges with activated carbon. They are very effective in removing traces of chlorine used for disinfection.
• When using reverse osmosis systems. Carbon cartridges are placed both at the inlet (in front of the membrane) and at the outlet of the working medium.
• Industrial and semi-industrial large installations for filtering water from a well. These are containers with the ability to fill them with bulk sorbent.

Coal column arrangement

The filter device is shown in the figure below. In essence, a coal column for purifying moonshine is a pipe filled with an adsorbent (activated carbon). The bottom of the pipe is a wall with a large number of small holes. A filter made of blotting paper, white flannel or, if the size is suitable, a cosmetic cotton pad is placed on it. The edges of the fabric filter should fit snugly against the walls of the pipe. This is necessary so that small particles of activated carbon do not get into the moonshine.

Then comes the filler (adsorbent). It would be more correct to use activated carbon for moonshine - birch or coconut. But it can be completely replaced with ordinary wood, finely crushed and slightly compacted. For effectiveness, you can add medical tablets to charcoal. As can be seen from the figure, a coal column for purifying moonshine can easily be made with your own hands. Moreover, the material can be very diverse: metal, glass or even wood.

Types of carbon filters

The choice must be made depending on what throughput you need (volumes of processed liquid), as well as what additional functions the unit must cope with. In this section we will talk specifically about domestic use, and not about industrial scale. That is, it is the use of water for drinking and cooking.

Jug

The small volume of the container means that it will be filled several times a day. The degree of cleaning is not the highest and is directly proportional to the service life. It is usually recommended to change cartridges every two months, which is an additional expense. And despite the apparent cheapness of the method, it is far from the most economical in the long term. The advantages include independence from water supply, small dimensions, and mobility.

Faucet attachments

They are a flow filter that is installed on a water faucet. In terms of the quantity and quality of the processed liquid, it is much more productive than a jug. Having a very mobile unit that you can take with you on a trip, we will sacrifice pressure, but get the optimal level of cleaning.

Cartridge

Such systems are installed under sinks and have a separate supply tap. Their resource is designed for 6 months of normal operation, and their good processing rate makes them one of the market leaders.

This type is also used in main systems with cold and hot water. It will help reduce chlorine levels and take care of the health of your skin.

MBFT-75 Membrane for 75GPD

SF-mix Clack up to 0.8 m3/h

SF-mix Runxin up to 0.8 m3/h

Balloon

They are activated carbon pressed into a cylinder. The installation is quite voluminous and at the same time productive. More suitable for private homes and medium-sized organizations. Providing filtration at this level will be offset by the volume of this product and its maintenance.

Elements of reverse osmosis systems

If you want only the purest liquid, consisting of water and oxygen molecules, to come from your tap, then you should think about purchasing a completely new reverse osmosis device. This is a multi-stage water treatment, the basis of which is a membrane with the smallest cells that allows only oxygen molecules to pass through. But before moisture passes through the membrane layer, it must be purified through the carbon layer. The only drawback is the price of equipment and increased consumption of water resources. But this makes it possible to obtain the most purified H2O, literally distilled. However, please note that all impurities, both harmful and beneficial, are removed from the aqueous solution, including this process is called demineralization.

All presented types of devices can be ordered from, which provides the best services for the sale and installation of high-quality filtration systems for domestic and industrial use.

The principle of operation and why it is better than usual

The operation of carbon filters is based on the attraction of impurities to the surface of the sorbent by forces of weak interaction (adsorption), the reaction of some pollutants with carbon fillers (chemisorption).

High-quality activated carbon exhibits the following properties :

• Actively binds foreign substances and does not react to water molecules;
• Easily wetted with water without being destroyed;
• Does not initiate oxidation reactions or resinization of impurities;
• It has pores with sizes from 0.8 to 5 nm, which allows the penetration of organic pollutants (petroleum products, pesticides, surfactants);
• Has a large capacity for short-term interaction with water.

Loaded filter media must be regenerated by washing .
After a few reductions (up to 4 times), the activity of the coals does not decrease.

Long-term use of the sorbent is not recommended.

For complete restoration you need to activate it. It is almost impossible to do this at home.

Important. Some fillers can only be disposed of along with any water impurities that have accumulated on them.

Carbon filters are used to achieve the following purposes :

• Discoloration of contaminated water;
• Removing unpleasant odor and taste;
• Extraction of organic compounds;
• Isolation of biological impurities from the aquatic environment;
• Fixing products of disinfection (chlorination) of water pipelines on a porous surface.

Coal materials successfully cope with all common pollutants . Their characteristics may not be enough to purify water with high levels of impurities containing high concentrations of hardness salts. In such situations, in addition to carbon filters, it is necessary to install additional cleaning modules.

Carbon filters are more effective than any conventional mechanical purifier, but are less effective at removing contaminants than reverse osmosis and ultrafiltration systems.

How to choose the best carbon filter according to characteristics

The choice of model depends on what goals you are pursuing. Let's briefly talk about the three options and their advantages - when and for whom they are the most suitable solution.

Flow devices

They are also faucet attachments. The peculiarity is that there is completely no capacity for moisture accumulation. The two-stage cartridge (first mechanical cleaning in the form of a mesh from rust and dirt, then granular activated carbon) is screwed directly onto the end of the mixer, so it is very convenient to use in the kitchen. Also among the advantages:

• ease of operation and replacement, any housewife can handle it;
• low cost;
• a fairly good level of water treatment, but not in large volumes, since the average supply speed is a glass per minute.

Sorption systems

They are more functional; they are a container with absorbent bulk substances inside. When used, simultaneous purification from impurities, chlorine-containing compounds and microorganisms occurs.

According to their design, carbon filters of this type are divided into:

• Flasks without filler. In them, the user will be able to pour granules himself, change the filling and its quantity, the particle fraction depending on the quality of the original resource.
• Collection container with replaceable cartridge. It needs to be changed accordingly. As a rule, the service life at average water consumption is six months.

The option is more suitable for constant use and thus allows you not to think about frequent replacement of the sorbent.

Stationary filtration systems

Ideal for cleaning from chlorine-containing compounds. The unit is mounted under the sink, from where a separate thin tap is connected to the work area. Thus, when you need to use a water supply for drinking or cooking, they use it, and for other purposes, for example, washing dishes, they use a classic mixer.

Peculiarities

Although tap water in public networks meets most of the requirements of state standards (GOST), sanitary norms and regulations (SanPiN), higher international standards make it unsuitable for drinking in a wide range of parameters. The use of carbon filters can bring health benefits by eliminating the following negative properties from water or significantly reducing the concentration of the following types of contaminants:

Free chlorine . A substance harmful to health that impairs the smell and taste of water is contained in it as a result of disinfection used to destroy a large number of different types of pathogens and bacteria. Chlorine-containing components are removed by catalytic oxidation.

Organics . These types of contaminants are present in water due to the ingress of organic decay products of living organisms and their waste products, which are adsorbed during filtration.

Organochlorine compounds . As a result of complex chemical reactions of free chlorine with organic matter present in water (human and animal waste, decay products of living organisms), organic compounds that are very harmful to human health are formed - trihalomethanes, which include chloroform, bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane and tribromomethane. They accumulate in vital organs (liver, kidneys) and can cause cancer due to their high carcinogenic properties.

Petroleum products and inorganic compounds . Carbon filters effectively absorb gasoline, fuel oil, phenols, benzenes, and hydrogen sulfide from water through adsorption. Purification reduces oxidation levels, the concentration of radionuclides, ammonia, nitrates, pesticides, epoxides and their derivatives contained in water.

Smells and tastes . A carbon filter for water purification, together with the elimination of chlorine, adsorption of insoluble iron salts, lime, bacteria and microorganisms, improves its taste and destroys the odors of chlorine and mud.

Chroma . Coal absorbs organic and clay suspensions, green algae, and insoluble ferric iron, which gives the aquatic environment a reddish tint - these factors help reduce color and increase water transparency.

Raw materials for the production of activated carbon

How does a carbon filter work?

Despite the variety of options, they all follow the same filtering principle. There is a certain container (larger or smaller) in which the bulk sorbent is concentrated and the distribution cylinder is located. Water passes through this layer, inside which all contaminants remain - impurities, organic substances.

SF-mix manual up to 0.8 m3/h

AMETHYST - 02 M up to 2 cubic meters/day.

Aeration unit AS-1054 VO-90

If there is a cleaning function, backwashing is performed. This does not require additional reagents; it is enough to just direct the flow in the other direction to “wash out” the coal sand and contaminants.

Purpose and scope

The main task of a coal installation is to clean the liquid from dissolved impurities and odors. Such filters are used in the following industries:

• home use (additional purification of tap liquid);
• wastewater treatment for VOCs;
• water treatment before supplying the resource to the main;
• cleaning liquids in aquariums.

For industrial purposes, coal-based installations are rarely used, since the backfill cannot cope with large volumes of the treated medium and requires frequent replacement.

The main purpose of carbon-based filters

Their task is a more subtle cleaning, which has already undergone mechanical filtration, as well as disinfection. That is, this is the preparation of a water resource for consumption. The sorbent removes chlorine and some other suspended matter very well, and partially removes microorganisms. But it is not suitable for complete disinfection from pathogens or for primary, rough water treatment. Ideally, a complex is needed: mechanical removal of large particles, ultraviolet irradiation or chlorination, and only then sorption.

Using attachment filters

Nozzles are not an effective cleaning tool because they only capture large contaminants. They are mounted on a crane - this is not very convenient. If it is necessary to use water for purposes other than food, the nozzle must be removed.

When choosing a filter for water purification, you must first study the individual parameters of various types of filters. In addition, the degree of water contamination, the number of people living in the apartment or house, as well as the purpose of the equipment are determined.

How to make a filter with your own hands

The simplest design can be made independently, for this:

• Take a PET bottle and cut off the bottom.
• Prepare a bucket with a sealed lid and make a hole in it equal to the neck of the bottle. Connect the elements, for example, using sealing tape.
• Make a filler. To do this, mix activated carbon, sand and gravel in equal proportions. Fill the bottle with the composition.

You can use it. The first few liters of moisture will be cloudy with impurities of coal sand, drain them. Only after this the purified liquid will begin to flow.

Filtering methods

There are two ways to purify moonshine with charcoal: the infusion method and the flow filtration method.

1. Infusion method. Charcoal tablets are placed in a container with moonshine for several days. Shake the container periodically. After cleaning is complete, filter through gauze and cotton wool.
2. The flow filtration method consists of flowing moonshine through a cylindrical vessel filled with coal, followed by cleaning through cotton wool and gauze.

For the flow filtration method, you can purchase an industrial carbon column with a pump in stores. It is a stainless steel pipe with removable covers at the top and bottom.

The top lid has a fitting for supplying unrefined moonshine, and the bottom for draining filtered moonshine. But the cost of factory equipment is high. You can make a similar house design using improvised materials.

To produce a coal column you will need:

• Activated carbon
• plastic 2-3 liter bottle
• gauze
• cotton wool
• tool for punching holes in plastic

Tips for use

Follow the recommendations of experts to extend the life of the device and improve water treatment:

• do not exceed the maximum permissible hydraulic pressure;
• if the cartridge is not intended for this purpose, do not use it for domestic hot water;
• if you use coal, soak it for a day first;
• negatively affect the sorption properties - humidity above 70% and a source of hot air/steam nearby (in the kitchen the hood should be running when cooking).

Use in everyday life

Before purchasing such a device for your home, you need to understand its design and operating principle. There are several types of filters:

• window, installed directly on the window frame, opens as needed;
• mainline, used to obtain clean air in a house or cottage. Mounted in a general ventilation system. Carbon main filters are often used in industrial premises for point connection;
• for the kitchen above the stove or in other words, a hood. The most commonly used fine air filter.

When installing in a hood, the main preference is given to carbon filters to remove odor, which is always present above the stove. Exhaust systems operate on the principle of recirculation, since in addition to soot and grease vapors, it is necessary to remove various small contaminants.

Carbon filters work most effectively to remove odors from the air. Having an adsorbing property, a carbon filter for hoods removes not only odor, but also the smallest particles of soot and dirt.

In addition to kitchen hoods, smoke extractors are installed for cottages and private houses. The presence of boiler rooms and furnaces provokes the presence of carbon monoxide; to eliminate it in these rooms, it is advisable to use activated carbon filtration. During low-rise construction, many people forget to install ventilation ducts. Subsequently, an autonomous highway is laid, passing through all the premises. Either separate air purification devices for the home or one common filter with a floating load are connected to it.

How to replace a cartridge

Follow the algorithm:

1. close the riser;
2. unscrew the bottom of the device;
3. remove the outdated cassette;
4. wash the O-rings;
5. pour the liquid out of the flask and rinse without adding chemicals;
6. do all the steps in reverse order.

Main table dispenser AquaPro 919H/RO (hot and cold water)

Main table dispenser AquaPro 929CH/RO (cooling/heating)

Floor dispenser AquaPro 311 (empty, without cooling)

Frequently asked questions from buyers

It is believed that flow hoods remove 100% of unpleasant odors from the room, while recirculating hoods operating on carbon filters remove much less. In fact, it is impossible to remove all odors from the kitchen, since they spread very quickly to neighboring rooms.

The difference in performance between the two types of hoods is about 15-20%, that is, carbon filters clean the air quite well.

Exhaust equipment with new carbon filters, when used correctly, works in such a way that it protects wallpaper, tiles, ceilings and furniture from grease and other deposits

Many people do not want to constantly spend money on consumables, and instead of hoods with carbon filters, they buy a model with an air duct, believing that in the end it is cheaper.

To calculate the costs, you need to add the cost of cartridges to the cost of a recirculating hood - for 10 years, on average, you will need about 20 pieces. And to the price of a flow-through model, you must add the payment for materials (ducts, corrugations, fittings) and services for installing the air duct. Additionally, you should take into account the cost of the suspended structure, if it is required for camouflage. It remains to compare the results.

Also, in order to save money, enterprising owners of hoods, instead of the hard plastic cassettes recommended by the manufacturer, manage to put soft fabric filters into the housing, which cost 5 times less. This is a gross violation of the use of exhaust equipment.

Homemade and refurbished filters sharply reduce the performance of devices, and also do not provide any guarantee that the engine will function for the required period after such “protection”.

You can often hear the question: is it possible to use non-original cassettes and panels if there is no corresponding brand? Of course, it is possible, but under one condition - if they are suitable in composition and size. This is easy to do by carefully examining the packaging: the names of the models to which the cassette or cartridge fits are usually indicated directly on the front side.

Flaws

The main negative point that all researchers highlight is partial demineralization. It lies in the fact that, along with harmful impurities, healthy, even essential minerals are removed from the aqueous solution, including a number of salts. But this rule is more applicable not so much to household jugs or nozzles, but to a variety of reverse osmosis equipment.

And the second nuance of operation is that the sorbent cannot completely prevent the entry of bacteria and viruses. In order not to become infected with anything, pre-treatment with ultraviolet light, ozonation or chlorination is still necessary.

Which product requires filtration?

The fact that uncontrollably consumed alcohol is harmful to health is brought to the attention of people already at school. Severe intoxication, damage to the liver, cardiovascular system, neurological and mental disorders are just some of the ailments that occur to those who abuse alcohol. Sometimes the blame for poisoning is placed on low-quality “left-handed” alcohol. It is quite logical that those who follow the “drinking culture” want to protect their body, and at the same time reduce the cost of alcohol.

The use of coal columns for purifying moonshine with an industrial-type pump, or the simplest filters created in a homemade way, should become an obligatory link in the technological process of every craftsman, for whom not only the volume, but also the quality of the resulting product is important.

The most common forms of contaminants are:

• acetone;
• methanol;
• isopropyl and isoamyl alcohols;
• furfural and other compounds.

Once in the human body, they cause irritation of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes. Severe vomiting, hallucinations, rashes and ulcers on the skin, incoherent speech, fainting and even coma - this is what can happen if the concentration of harmful substances in a home product is exceeded. Some of them settle in the steam tank. To check their concentration in the finished product, you need to put alcohol in a metal spoon and set it on fire. At the end of combustion, you can visually observe combustion residues - a brown, viscous substance.

If it is not possible to purchase an industrial filter, then there is nothing left but to make an activated carbon column to clean moonshine with your own hands.

Benefits of a carbon filter

The advantages of using activated carbon systems include:

• Environmental friendliness of materials. The sorbent used is made from natural wood and coconut shells, which means it is completely safe for consumption.
• High degree of moisture purification. As a result, you get a very good quality resource that is suitable for consumption.
• Low cost of replacement cassettes, as well as the equipment itself.

This is an ideal filtering method to remove excess odor (especially bleach) and color. It is especially good to use it when there is significant chlorination of a water source, because a high chlorine content, although it disinfects, has a negative effect on health, and also damages household appliances and can leave a residue.

In the article we explained what a carbon filter is, what composition different devices have, so use the knowledge you have gained, drink only purified water and take care of your health.

Advantages and disadvantages

The use of carbon filters has the following advantages and disadvantages:

• When coal purifies water from chlorine, a catalytic chemical reaction automatically occurs, and the coal fraction is practically not consumed - this property of coal makes it an indispensable component in the dichlorination of water.
• Although activated carbon purifies water from a wide range of harmful impurities, it cannot adsorb lead, mercury, cadmium, and ferrous salts of heavy metals in traditional filter systems. This drawback has been eliminated in modern KDF fillers with copper and zinc, which have not yet found widespread use in cartridges for popular jugs.
• The average service life of replacement jug cartridges is limited to two months, after which cleaning efficiency is lost and replacement is required. This results in financial costs that can be quite significant for some families. In sorption filters, it is also necessary to change the backfill after 1 - 2 years; due to its large volume, the cost of purchasing new activated carbon can significantly hit the family budget.

Design of homemade carbon filters
Activated carbon filters are considered to be effective and cost-effective methods of purifying water from a wide range of harmful impurities and especially chlorine. After passing through the carbon-containing backfill, all its organoleptic characteristics are significantly improved. In many purification systems, carbon filtration is an additional unit for preliminary or final water purification.

conclusions

A carbon filter for water from a well will quickly remove most of the impurities and contaminants in the flowing water. In addition, maintaining such a filter is quite simple.

However, it is important to consider the lifespan of the cartridges in order to maintain a safe water condition and neutralize unpleasant odors and tastes.

Sources

• https://mr-build.ru/santehnika/ugolnyj-filtr-dlya-vody.html
• https://o-vode.net/ochistka/filtratsiya/filtry/ugolnyj
• https://www.MrAqua.ru/articles/52-filtr-ugolnyj-dlya-vody-iz-skvazhiny
• https://okanalizacii.ru/santeh_vodoprov/filtry/ugolnyj.html
• https://iseptick.ru/vodoprovod/ugolnyj-filtr-dlya-vody-princip-raboty-raznovidnosti.html
• https://ovteh.ru/blog/tet/ugolnyj-filtr-dlya-ochistki-vody-ot-chego-on-ochicshaet-i-kak-rabotaet

What filters use carbon in their composition?

When purifying water to potable condition, the following factors are taken into account. Typically, chlorinated water is supplied to apartments by public utilities, and the amount of harmful elements it contains is standardized. To combat chlorine and metal salts, if water is used for drinking purposes, you can use ineffective options for settling or boiling water.

But considering that carbon filters do an excellent job with bleach, their use in this case will bring a more pronounced effect and save time on dechlorination. Therefore, for water purification only for drinking purposes from public water mains, most consumers use small-volume carbon-containing filters.

If an autonomous water supply from boreholes or borehole sources is organized on an individual site, other filtration systems will be needed. Often water enters a house from shallow water layers, which include wells or Abyssinian wells. In this case, there is a high probability that contaminated surface water, various types of microorganisms and microbes, and organic impurities will enter the water basin, while the water itself usually contains a small amount of metal salts, which give it hardness and impair color and taste.

In this case, the use of water purification carbon-containing filters not only for drinking purposes, but also for domestic use, is the optimal solution, and many users install large-volume containers with coal for purification work.

A carbon filter for water purification, if an artesian source with clean water is used on an individual site, usually containing only a high content of metal salts from harmful elements, is not so necessary. In treatment systems for artesian wells, installations are mainly used for iron removal, and carbon filtration is used for post-treatment.

Jug filter cartridge Barrier - device

Jugs

The simplest and most popular type of water purification filters for public water supply networks at home is a device in the form of a jug with a replaceable cartridge. According to user reviews, the sorption cartridge in a pitcher-type filter in urban water supply conditions is usually enough to provide a family of three people with water suitable for drinking purposes for a month.

The filling of cartridges from different manufacturers may differ not only in composition, but also in the quantitative ratio of various components.

Most cartridges from well-known manufacturers (Aquaphor, Brita, Barrier, New Key) are filled with activated carbon obtained from burnt coconut, beads with ionic silver are added to fight microbes, and ion-exchange resin is used to soften the water.

Note: Thus, household pitcher filters clean water from chlorine, partially remove metal salts and adsorb insoluble particles of other pollutants.

Flow-through

A flow-through carbon filter is installed in the cold water main as an attachment on the faucet, under the sink in the pipeline, or used in a separate jug with an outlet spout (Spring) connected to the cold water main. The composition of these cartridges is slightly different from jug modifications, since water is supplied under pressure, the productivity of such systems and the degree of purification are slightly higher than that of gravity-flow devices.

Trunk

Reusable carbon-containing filters of the main type are installed in individual water supply systems of private houses. Structurally, they are made in a glass-shaped body, inside of which a tubular cartridge with filler is placed. The housing is hermetically sealed with a threaded lid and a gasket, which has two holes at the top for connection to the water main.

Water enters the filter through the inlet and, after cleaning, is sent to the consumer. At the bottom of the glass there is a tap for backwashing the carbon filler of the cartridge from contaminants.

Main carbon cartridge - design

Reverse osmosis plants

The principle of water purification in reverse osmosis systems (popular brands of such installations are Bosfor, Agua, Geyser, Barrier, Atoll) consists of supplying liquid through a thin-walled membrane with ultra-small pores under pressure, resulting in distilled water without metal salts at the output, which cannot be achieved in any one of the carbon filters reviewed.

For the reverse osmosis installation to operate effectively, the maximum purified water must be supplied to the membrane inlet; therefore, in a standard system, three flow filters are used for its purification, two of which have activated carbon as the main component.

The following types of carbon-containing filter fillers are used in reverse osmation installations:

Granular activated carbon (GAC) . Made from burnt coconut shells, the component effectively purifies water from organics, pesticides, chlorine contaminants, viral and bacterial organisms, and removes foreign odors. The useful area of ​​1 g of this substance reaches 1000 square meters.

Granular carbon with KDF (GAC-KDF) . The additional presence of KDF components in the backfill makes it possible to effectively remove from water, in addition to biological, hydrogen sulfide, pesticide, phenolic, and benzene contaminants, also heavy mercury, cadmium, lead, and ferrous metal salts.

Pressed activated carbon from coconuts SBC (carbon block) . Compressed high-quality carbon is a sorption filter that perfectly removes organic matter, chlorine compounds, petroleum products, and pesticides from flowing water. After cleaning, foreign odors are eliminated and the taste of water is improved.

Balloon type

Carbon filters of significant volumes are used for water purification on an industrial scale and in public utilities for a large number of consumers. Their main structural element is a container with a lid made of food-grade high-density polyethylene and fiberglass.

The lid contains connections for inlet and outlet of filtered water, a drainage pipe, as well as a control unit that automatically sets operating modes for cleaning the system, which allows you to restore the original state of the carbon filler. The backfill consists of activated carbon and a gravel substrate of purified and etched quartz with a fraction size of 2 - 5 mm, the purpose of the gravel is to uniformly distribute the water flow.

When the sorption filter is operating, water enters the container through the inlet pipe and passes through the activated carbon filler from top to bottom, then it enters a water-lifting pipe with a filter basket at the end, lowered into the gravel backfill, and is sent along it to the consumer through the outlet pipe in the lid.

In the flushing mode, water with high pressure is supplied in the opposite direction: through the water-lifting pipe down through the filter basket and gravel backfill, agitates the layer of activated carbon and is discharged out through the drainage pipe. At the end of backwashing, the loosened layer of activated carbon is compacted by direct washing, passing water for a short time at high speed from top to bottom and discharging it into the drain. Thanks to washing procedures, the resource of the coal bed in sorption filters reaches one to two years.

Design of a balloon carbon filter

Homemade

To save money, many consumers of water resources make a simple, effective carbon water filter with their own hands using technology developed many centuries ago on different continents. To do this, a slot is made at the top of a 6-liter bottle to fill in the filter components, a number of small holes are drilled in the cork and closed from the inside with cotton pads.

Then crushed activated charcoal (obtained by steaming burnt raw materials), its larger fractions, and fine and coarse-grained river sand are poured into the bottle. A water bottle with a carbon filter can be useful on a long hike if you need to collect contaminated, cloudy water from a stream or other source, then filter and boil it.

2.Filters in the form of attachments for the faucet.

Some people prefer faucet-style filters. The devices are easy to install or dismantle and save space under the sink. Filter attachments are convenient for travel. The installation purifies not very dirty water, its supply speed is reduced.

For high-quality work, the nozzle can be used for three months, then the filter media should be replaced. The nozzle is half the price of the jug.

How long does the system last?

The service life of activated carbon for water purification depends on the condition and quality of the water in the well, as well as the amount of liquid that passes through the absorbent element in the system daily.

Includes a filter for a well with a capacity of up to five hundred liters of water. And most often it lasts up to six months, after which it is recommended to change the system to prevent a decrease in the quality of the incoming water and leaching of coal. But automatic systems can last up to two years.