A reverse osmosis water purification unit is marketed as the latest and greatest technology available. They were first created for the photo and printing industries, but are they really suitable for residential use? Here's 5 reasons why a reverse osmosis water purification unit is not really ideal for home use.
Reason # 1. They do not effectively remove synthetic chemicals. These systems remove contaminants based on molecular size. Since almost all synthetic chemicals are molecularly smaller than water, most are not filtered out unless a carbon filter is used along with it.
Reason # 2. A reverse osmosis water purification unit produces filtered water at a very slow rate. Lots of water is wasted during this whole process. It's very common for it to take an hour or more to produce one gallon of filtered water. So get ready to wait a while for a drink and space out your shower times.
Reason # 3. A reverse osmosis water purification unit strips the natural trace minerals from water. These trace minerals are larger than water molecules, meaning that are removed. There is a lot of controversy over whether or not demineralized water is healthy. But most people will agree that we should not be drinking it simply because there's no natural source of water on this planet that does not contain trace minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium.
Reason # 4. Drinking demineralized water over the long-run has many negative health benefits. It's been shown that the long-term consumption of demineralized water can lead to mineral deficiencies later in life. It's also been suggested that it increases a person's risk of having cancer, since it creates a more acidic state inside the body.
Reason # 5. A reverse osmosis water purification unit requires much maintenance to keep it working at optimal levels. Unless you know something about these systems, you'll have to call someone to conduct regular maintenance. Plus, the pressure at which the water is exposed to needs to be monitored at times as well.
Instead of investing in a reverse osmosis water purification unit, you're better off getting a multi-stage filtration system that only requires the replacement of a standard filter a few times a year. I prefer point-of-use filters because you can be certain that whatever water comes into contact with you is going to be safe and healthy to consume. And since it only costs 9 cents to filter a whole gallon of water, it's well worth the price.