About Reverse Osmosis Filtration

Reverse Osmosis (RO) filtration cleans water by taking out the totally dissolved solids (TDS) which contaminate the water. Although city water treatment removes the dirt and debris and adds chlorine to prevent the spread of diseases, it does not remove the dissolved solids from the water. And with the increasing pollution of our surface and ground water with contaminants such as lead, mercury, and chromium-6, as well as the naturally occurring harmful contaminants such as arsenic, fluorides, and sulfides found in some areas of the country, it is more important than ever to have a way to remove these contaminants at the point-of-use.

RO membranes remove an average of 95% of dissolved contaminants from water. (See table at right.) The average household uses only 2-3 gallons per day for drinking and cooking at home, so it makes sense to clean just the water needed. City water is available at the home from already-installed water mains and has the required pressure of 60 to 75 psi to make the RO system work.

Reverse Osmosis works by using pressure to force the water solution through a membrane, retaining the TDS on one side and allowing the pure water to pass to the other side. City water enters the membrane filter element and two streams leave; the clean water to the tap and the brine water, containing the dissolved solid residue, to the drain. On the comparative chart below, reverse osmosis removes the smallest of materials, from 1-micron down to 1- Angstrom. For materials larger than 1-micron, particle filters are used ahead of the RO membrane to prevent plugging of the tiny membrane pores.

Vertex filter systems provide clean, great tasting, safe water for drinking and cooking. The most popular PureWaterMachines have been tested and Gold Seal certified by the Water Quality Association for performance and contaminant reduction to NSF Standard 58. All other products in this catalog are engineered and produced to the same high standards.