Choosing between water filtration systems for your home can be as tough as deciding what to have for dessert when all your favorites are on the menu.
The difference is that different water purification systems have different benefits, advantages, and disadvantages, whereas all desserts are tasty!
But if you’re trying to decide between one of these systems and want some more information, you’ve come to the right place.
Reverse Osmosis Versus Deionized Water
One of the main differences between RO and DI is the process the two systems use to purify water. The resulting water is similar, but the processes are quite different:
Reverse osmosis: force water through a semipermeable membrane to filter out contaminants such as salt, arsenic, and radium. RO systems also have prefilters and carbon filters that get rid of sand, chlorine, and odors. The systems typically have a storage tank to store up to four gallons of filtered water at a time.
Deionization: Uses an ion exchange process to remove minerals and harmful chemicals, such as iodine, calcium, copper, and magnesium, and replace them with hydrogen and hydroxyl molecules. DI water isn't really filtered but rather purified through a chemical process. Once purified, this type of water degrades quickly, so these systems are on-demand rather than storage-based.
Which is better?
Both reverse osmosis and deionized water have their pros and cons. In terms of negatives, both types of water are considered demineralized, and this means they aren’t necessarily fit for long-term human consumption.
While water isn’t a huge source of elements like calcium and magnesium in human diets, it is still a necessary source. However, if you are concerned about contaminants in your drinking water, both RO and DI are remarkable at removing certain substances.
Because of the different processes used, reverse osmosis tends to be purer in terms of dissolved solids, whereas the DI process is better at removing all mineral traces. DI water, however, isn't necessarily free of particulates and bacteria, since there is no purification stage in the deionizing process designed to remove those types of contaminants.
Which Should You Choose?
The reverse osmosis process was initially designed to desalinate water, and that’s still what this system excels at. So if you need to remove salt from your water, then RO is the way to go.
Similarly, DI water was designed to remove mineral contaminants from water, making it ideal for labs, manufacturing processes, and even aquarium applications.
Both types of water are great for cleaning because they don’t leave behind the types of streaks and stains left by mineral deposits in regular water.
If you need more help choosing between these purification systems, or want more information about other water filtration options in Tyler, TX, the Super Plumbers are here to help. So call today at 903-630-6153 to schedule your fall appointment.
