What is a filter jug ​​and how effective is it?

Many residents of our country use pitcher filters to purify water, and many are confident that this is the only effective method of disinfection. Such products are widely represented on the shelves of our stores. Why are they actually effective? Let's talk about it.
What is a filter jug ​​and how effective is it?

A pitcher filter is a flow-type device. That is, water purification occurs when it passes through a replaceable filter cartridge.

Inside it the following substances are found:

• Activated carbon;
• ion exchange resins and some others.

The use of such a filter device allows you to remove particles of chlorine and its compounds, traces of petroleum products and many other impurities from the water supply. Thanks to the operation of this device, the liquid becomes transparent, foreign taste and odor are eliminated.

Some manufacturers equip cartridges with materials that contain silver ions. This allows for bacteriological disinfection of liquid supplied from the pipeline system.
Using such a filter allows you to reduce water hardness and reduce the rate of scale formation in the kettle.

A sieve installed in the cartridge allows you to retain large mechanical particles.
The capacity of such a jug is on average 3 - 5 liters.

When choosing such a device, the consumer must be aware that products of this type are not entirely suitable for softening water. The concentration of salts in the water supplied from the water supply can be quite high and the jug is not able to completely remove them. In this case, it will not hurt to install an additional reverse osmosis cartridge. Some companies have mastered the production of such replaceable cartridges for jug ​​products.

In fact, jug devices will show their effectiveness at a salt concentration of no more than 3 - 4 mg per 1 liter. That is for purifying soft or medium water.
Structurally, such a device consists of a container, a cleaning element, and a lid.
The container is divided into two parts, liquid from the tap is poured into the upper section, under the influence of gravity, it passes through the cartridge and purified water is collected in the lower section.
Regardless of the manufacturer, the design of the devices may differ in the appearance and size of the container. Some manufacturers have mastered the production of such products with a capacity of less than three liters. Children can safely use this device.

Advantages and disadvantages of filter jugs.

A device of this type, used for purifying tap water, is distinguished by its simplicity and efficiency, but at the same time, such a product also has some disadvantages. Let's look at this in more detail.

The advantages of these products include:
Their compact design and mobility, their size allows them to be stored anywhere in the kitchen, for example, on a table or windowsill. It can be placed in any place at any second.
Level of purification - for small sizes, they successfully cope with purifying water from various impurities.
Price - in comparison with specialized devices that are installed under the sink or built into the plumbing system, devices of this type are available to a wide range of consumers.
The disadvantages of such devices includethat for efficient operation of the device, fairly frequent filter changes are required.
The compact size does not make it possible to process a large volume of water; for one person or a small family this is not a problem, but for families consisting of several people, this can create certain difficulties, in which case it makes sense to think about using a different purification system. For example, installed under a sink or built into a pipeline system.

Is it possible to continue filtering water if the cartridge has expired?

Depending on the quality of water supplied to the house, the cartridge may have a different service life.
Long-term use of filters shows that in a family of four and consuming 10 liters of water per day, it is advisable to replace the cartridge after two weeks. In some families, the use of the filter continues for a long time, not paying attention to the manufacturer’s recommendations and forgetting that both filtered parts and harmful microorganisms accumulate in the replaceable cartridge, that is, the liquid passing through the filter will not only not become cleaner, but will also absorb previously screened out contaminants and bacteria present in it.Causing an unjustified danger to the life and health of your loved ones. One conclusion can be drawn from this - the use of old filters is unacceptable.

Which cartridges are best to choose for a filter jug?

When selecting a filter, you need to remember that not every device can be used to purify water flowing from the water supply. It is advisable to know what characteristics the water in the system has. In one case, the amount of iron may be exceeded in it, in another calcium, and already guided by these data choose the optimal filter.

What to do if the filter jug ​​becomes cloudy.

During the operation of the filter jug, plaque may form on its inner walls. It is formed in water due to the presence of various impurities of organic and inorganic origin.
To keep the jug clean, you need to wash it using standard detergents.