Reverse Osmosis vs. Deionized Water Filtration: Which is Better?

Using a water filtration system in your home is the best way to battle impurities, keep your family safe and give yourself peace of mind knowing your water is clean and safe to use. Numerous different types of filtration systems are ideal for various types of situations. Some filters are best for cleaning drinking water, while some are best left for washing and irrigation. The kind of filtration system you use in your home is entirely dependent on your individual needs.

Today, we are going to look at two popular filtration systems, a reverse osmosis system, and a deionized water filter to see which is best:

What is Reverse Osmosis?

Often called RO by professionals, reverse osmosis is a water filtration process that forces water through a semi-porous membrane in a direction that is the opposite of natural osmosis. Natural osmosis involves moving water from a lower ion concentration to a higher ion concentration. RO does the opposite and forces a high ion concentration into a lower concentration through its membrane. This system captures microscopic bacteria, impurities and other molecules that could potentially contaminate your water and make it unsafe to drink.

What is Deionized Water?

The process to create deionized water is typically a two-step process known as DI. This process is very similar to what water softeners accomplish in that they work to remove toxic ions and minerals that may make your water taste bad or be unsafe to use. The first step in DI filtration includes passing the water over ions that remove all metallic molecules from the water as well as calcium and magnesium.

Once the first phase is complete, the water is positively charged with an excess of hydrogen ions. The next step involves canceling out the positive hydrogen ions with negatively charged hydroxyl ions. This process cancels each other out, and the water is left free of all minerals and ions, making it safe for drinking and washing. Deionized water is also commonly used in pharmaceutical production, auto finishing, and the textile industry.

What are the Pros and Cons?

Since all water filtration systems are best suited for individual’s specific needs, here are some pros and cons to help you choose which system is best for you:

Pros

Water processed through an RO filter tastes great to drink and cook with as the filter removes up to 99% of dissolved solids in the water, including eliminating a chlorine taste.

When you consider the money you will save by not buying bottled water, the cost of a reverse osmosis filter is quite low.

DI filters ensure that your water is free of harmful minerals and ions that may make your water taste bad.

Cons

The pores in the membrane of an RO filter are large enough to allow only minerals through, often meaning a complementary filter must be used to trap these other impurities.

The RO system can often waste water, resulting in a higher water bill.

RO filters and DI filters also remove trace minerals in the water that are good for us and are known to make water taste better.

Whether you are leaning towards an RO filter or a DI filter, the experts at Falcon Plumbing in Miami, FL can help you make the right decision to meet all your water filtration system needs. Call (305)-251-7333 today to speak with a professional.