The profile section will help you choose a filtration system yourself. And if you need cartridges for water filters, then follow this link.

What is a filter and cartridge?

Let's start with a brief educational program that will help avoid confusion in terms:

  • A water filter is a piece of equipment that performs cleaning. Often it is a complex system with working modules, connecting tubes, plugs, taps, storage tanks, etc.
  • The cartridge (replaceable module) is a key component of the filter, most often a “consumable” that needs to be changed. This element actually provides water purification - removing (retaining) contaminants, impurities and other undesirable substances.
The cartridge is the heart of the water filtration system

In what order should I choose them? Here, as in the eternal problem of “the egg or the chicken,” there is no clear answer. Let’s say that for drinking filters, manufacturers most often recommend a strict set of cartridges. Here you need to start by choosing a filtration system, and then replace the modules in a timely manner. In other situations, the starting point is the problem (pollution) that needs to be eliminated. That is, the cartridge can be decisive here. If the replacement module you need does not support the filter, then this equipment will not work.

What makes the choice even more difficult is that water quality is not a constant, but a variable. Even in one year, the composition changes significantly, so the needs for both cartridges and filtration systems in general can be adjusted.

Popular water filters

Do you need to purify your water?

Is filtering required in your case? The easiest and most accurate way to check this is to order a water quality test. Today, such a service has become widely available, is performed quite quickly, and costs reasonable money. If for some reason you don’t want to do a water test, then a number of typical problems can be identified yourself - based on general signs of contamination. They're not perfect, but they're better than nothing:

  • immediately visible yellowness of the water, the presence of characteristic stains on clothes after washing. This is a sign of mechanical impurities, including rust. The main solution is coarse filters, including main mesh filters ;
  • a yellowish coating or orange sediment is not immediately noticeable, but appears on glasses or other containers when infused. The reason is iron impurities in the water. Iron removal filters will help get rid of the problem;
  • the water leaves a lot of scale - it covers the plumbing fixtures, heating elements and the walls of the kettle. This is a sign of a large amount of hardness salts. Special softening systems are needed;
  • there is a characteristic “swamp” smell. Apparently the water has an increased content of bacteria and other organic compounds. Reverse osmosis filters or systems with UV purification can be an effective solution;
  • salty taste and smell, hinting at a high chlorine content. Its excess can be harmful to the body, and special filters are offered to remove it;
  • smell of hydrogen sulfide + brown or black residue on plumbing fixtures. This is a sign of bacterial growth. If the problem is typical only for hot water, then you probably need to disinfect the water heater. If the problem is definitely not in the boiler (cold water also smells of hydrogen sulfide), then a reverse osmosis system or ultraviolet filters will do.

Unfortunately, this is not a complete list of typical contaminants. Some water problems, including the presence of heavy metals, pesticides and other harmful compounds, are more difficult to detect by visual signs (color or odor). This is another argument in favor of conducting a special analysis.

Plus, once again, the quality of the water changes, so a year or two after installing the filter, you may have completely different contaminants.

Filtering tasks

Professional water analysis or self-assessment of the condition (by color, taste, smell, etc.) most often demonstrate that its quality is not ideal. This means that cleaning obviously won't hurt. But to understand exactly what kind of filter and cartridge you need, you need to understand your tasks and needs. So, there may be a lot of chlorine in the water, but if you do not use it for drinking and allergic reactions have not been noticed in family members, then the need for its purification is questionable.

With some degree of convention, typical user tasks can be linked to filtering stages:

  • The minimum task is to extend the service life of plumbing fixtures, flexible connecting hoses, fittings, etc. This is achieved by removing large mechanical contaminants, including rust, sand, etc. This is the first stage of cleaning and the minimum that is recommended to everyone today. It is implemented through the use of main filters, which “cut” into the water supply system at the entrance to the apartment or house. Another function of these solutions is to protect and extend the life of finer cleaning systems.
  • A more serious task is the protection of household appliances(boilers, dishwashers, washing machines, humidifiers). To do this, it is necessary to provide a second stage of purification - including reducing the content of hardness salts, getting rid of iron and heavy metals. Such purification systems can use ion exchange resins, special catalysts, or even magnets. For example, softening filters are usually installed after the main filters - at the entrance to the home, and, for example, pre-filters - directly in front of a specific household appliance. We also note that the removal of hardness salts improves the taste of water, but the second stage of purification, as a rule, does not protect against organic compounds (bacteria) and chlorination products.
  • The maximum task is drinking water from the faucet. To achieve this goal, three stages of cleaning must be performed at once. To the two described above, filtration from organic compounds and chlorine microparticles is added. As a result, drinking water will come out of the faucet. A flow filter or reverse osmosis system helps achieve this task. Both are usually mounted under the sink and can be equipped with a separate faucet.
Pre-filters are an effective way to extend the working life of household appliances

As the purification stages increase, the cost of filters usually increases. Decide which option is right for you, and then start choosing a system.

How to choose a water filter

The main task when choosing is to decide which system (or several filters) is needed. There is no universal advice here. In practice, the following approaches are often encountered:

  • Only basic cleaning from mechanical impurities is performed;
  • some point solutions are used, for example, a filter jug for drinking or a pre-filter in front of the washing machine (other equipment);
  • a comprehensive solution is being implemented, that is, several filters are combined at once, including a main filter, separate softening ones for household appliances, plus under the sink for drinking water.

Probably the last option is the most responsible and efficient, but at the same time quite expensive. Note that the choice of water filters today is quite large, and some varieties duplicate each other. Therefore, you definitely need to understand the types of systems.

Mechanical cleaning

Main filters are suitable for removing mechanical impurities. Today there are 2 main options:

  • Mesh filter. A fairly simple solution, where the cleaning is carried out by a fine mesh that keeps coarse contaminants - rust, sand, pebbles - from entering the water supply system of an apartment or private house. Mesh models are available and often do not require additional costs for replacing consumables: the mesh can be removed, washed and returned to its place. Minus - no options, one cleaning step and far from ideal results
  • Main filter with replaceable cartridge. Among such models there are multi-stage solutions that, for example, also purify organic impurities, iron, active chlorine, etc. Cartridges have a working life, that is, users will have to buy consumables. But replaceable modules add flexibility in terms of adjustment specifically to your tasks.
This is what a simple mesh filter looks like

Magnetic filters are considered a particular type of mainline systems. They cope well with rust and other mechanical impurities, but have low throughput, so they are installed only in front of household appliances - dishwasher, boiler, boiler. Let’s say that if the repair is completed, but there is no space for the main filter, then you can compensate for its absence by installing several small magnetic models.

Popular mainline water filters

Filtration of hardness salts and iron

To protect various household appliances (both plumbing and electrical) from hard water, specialized solutions are best suited - cleaning and softening systems. Such filters can retain both magnesium and calcium salts, as well as iron or even heavy metal ions. True, they are quite large in dimensions and not cheap.

An ion exchange resin is most often responsible for softening, and a special catalyst is responsible for iron removal. Interestingly, both of these elements usually do not need replacement, but a restoration (regeneration) procedure. The ion exchange resin must be re-saturated with sodium chloride solution, and the catalyst must be washed. Modern filters often provide automatic regeneration, which simplifies the maintenance procedure.

Note that cleaning and softening systems have point alternatives, namely:

  • prefilters. They are most often installed to protect dishwashers and washing machines from hardness salts. Place directly in front of the device;
  • shower filter. This is a narrow profile filter for placement in front of a shower hose or shower head. Cleaning is performed only for one water supply point. Such solutions protect against hardness salts and/or heavy metal ions, which is important for combating watering can blockage and characteristic plaque. But sometimes a shower filter removes organic compounds and/or active chlorine, which may be of interest to families with children and allergy sufferers, because it protects the skin from aggressive influences.
Popular filters for purifying water from iron

How to choose a water filter

Obtaining drinking water

Various filters can purify water so that it is safe to drink. Let's start with less convenient or not the most popular solutions:

  • jug This is a simple, fairly mobile and inexpensive filter with relatively low flow Rate and working life. Unlike other analogues, it requires manual filling, that is, it does not provide drinking water directly from the faucet;
  • attachment on the crane. A relatively small filter, which is even easier than a jug to take on trips. It is easy to install and sometimes supports a mode without filtration (no need to remove it when you need water for washing dishes). Among the disadvantages, it is worth highlighting low productivity, small assortment, lack of self-sufficiency (as a rule, it is effective only in tandem with main filters or other systems);
  • desktop filter. They are placed on the countertop, have their own faucet, and are quite easy to install. Such a filter can be an alternative to a jug, because it is superior to it in terms of convenience. But overall cleaning efficiency is not always ideal.
Popular filter jugs


The best water quality due to multi-level filtration today is provided by the following two drinking systems:

  • Flow filter. This is washable equipment that usually involves at least 3 cleaning steps. In the past, they were often called triple filters, but today many models have 4 or 5 stages, which is aimed at improving the overall quality of the water output. One of the features of a flow filter can be a capillary membrane, which provides the finest cleaning, including retaining bacteria.
  • Reverse osmosis system. Another solution for obtaining high-quality drinking water. It provides the most advanced and benchmark filtration, because purification is literally performed at the molecular level. Such systems outperform competitors in terms of overall working resource, but have a low filtration rate - usually several liters per hour (and low overall productivity). Another feature of reverse osmosis is the need for additional mineralization of water (https://ek.ua/list/219/pr-10345/), because useful microelements are cut off along with harmful impurities.
Popular filters for washing


General features of the flow and somatic systems:

  • installation under the sink;
  • the presence of a separate faucet;
  • not the easiest installation procedure (it is better to entrust it to specialists), but simple replacement of cartridges (can be done independently);
  • multi-level filtration - from mechanical impurities and hardness salts to the smallest particles (bacteria, etc.).

The better the flow filter:

  • higher productivity;
  • better flow Rate - filtration speed from several liters per minute;
  • lower price.

The better reverse osmosis system:

  • reference cleaning quality;
  • higher working resource;
  • excellent taste due to mineralization.
Popular reverse osmosis filters

What else to consider when choosing a filter?

When you have decided on the type of filter, you should also pay attention to:

  • support for the desired type of cleaning, that is, compatibility with cartridges that will solve exactly your problem;
  • requirements for the installation location and system sizes (number of flasks);
  • number of cleaning stages. The more there are, the cleaner the water, but usually the more expensive the device;
  • filtration speed. For coarse cleaning systems it should be quite high (tens and hundreds of liters per minute), and to obtain drinking quality it should be lower by default;
  • additional options, including pressure gauge, cartridge replacement indication;
  • The presence of a faucet is included in the kit - for models under the sink. Although if it is not there, then there is a large search filter of special mixers on sale;
  • price.

How to choose a water cartridge

Usually, when purchasing a filter, you receive standard “consumables” compatible with it—replacement modules—as part of the package. As a rule, manufacturers manufacture and offer entire sets or individual cartridges for their systems. Accordingly, when you need a new replacement module, you can do the following (optional):

  • look at the name (labeling) of the existing cartridge and order the same one;
  • read the instructions for the filter, where the modules compatible with it must be indicated;
  • go to the manufacturer’s official website and find information about cartridges there.
Important! When using ultra-fine cleaning systems, you definitely shouldn’t deviate from the manufacturer’s recommendations, especially when it comes to the main components - a reverse osmosis module or a capillary membrane.

Things are a little more complicated with the choice of cartridges if one of the following statements is true:

  • Various replacement modules are compatible with your filter;
  • your water quality has changed (based on the results of a new analysis);
  • you are not happy with the current filtration results (for example, softening did not get rid of scale or yellowness was not eliminated).

Let us immediately make a reservation that the main mesh filter and softening systems, as a rule, do not require replacement of the cleaning element. The mesh can usually be washed, and the filter material against hardness salts (ion exchange resin) needs a restoration procedure (regeneration).

We have grouped information about the search filter of other cartridges (replacement modules) by the types of contaminants that they filter.

Mechanical cleaning cartridges

For all modules, the filtering capacity (cutting off contaminants) is usually given in microns. The lower the number, the more effective the cleaning, because smaller particles will be removed from the water. For mechanical cleaning cartridges, the smallest value is 1 µm, and the largest is 100 microns. Models with a capacity of 5 or 10 microns are suitable for apartments. This is quite enough to protect plumbing fixtures from sand, rust and small particles. For country houses and dachas it is better to strive for the lowest value (1 µm).

For mechanical cleaning cartridges, the material of the filter element is important. There are three such options:

  • foamed polypropylene. Well captures the most typical mechanical impurities, including sand and rust. Used for pre-filtration only. When the cartridge becomes clogged, the water pressure decreases noticeably;
  • a thread. Such cartridges do not affect water pressure when clogged, which makes them a good choice for installation in front of a boiler or boiler. Can be used in systems with different stages of purification, including reverse osmosis. The filtering capacity of thread replaceable modules is lower than polypropylene, and the overall efficiency is more dependent on the quality of manufacture, including the reliability of fixation of the threads to the plastic core;
  • cellulose or polyester. Such cartridges have a high resource and flow Rate, which makes them a good choice for large country houses, commercial facilities (cafes), etc.
Popular mechanical cleaning cartridges

Cartridges for cleaning organics, chlorine and iron

Organic impurities and chlorine are effectively retained by carbon cartridges. They are often also capable of absorbing other contaminants, including heavy metals, iron and manganese. Coal replacement modules most often come in one of two types:

  • backfill. Granular carbon fills the cartridge and ensures effective flow Rate of the main function without reducing water pressure;
  • carbon block - with pressed activated carbon. These modules have a lower retention capacity, typically in the range of 5 or 10 microns, which is only sufficient to filter out organic impurities. As contamination occurs, the water pressure decreases more than in fill cartridges.
This is what carbon filters with pressed contents look like

Profile cartridges effectively filter small concentrations of iron in water. They usually consist of polypropylene thread, which is impregnated with a special ion exchange material. The latter is supported by fairly high efficiency, but compared to other replaceable modules, these cartridges have a short service life and reduce the operating water pressure.

Important! If you need to purify water from organics, iron and chlorine, but there is also enough sand and other large impurities, then you need to implement a system with two stages of purification, where first a mechanical cartridge is used, and only then a carbon cartridge. Otherwise, the latter will wear out very quickly.

General recommendations for choosing water cartridges

At the stage of searching for cartridges, we recommend taking into account other important aspects, namely:

  • sizes. For drinking systems, the most popular standard is considered to be 10-inch thin 10SL modules(and 20SL are quite rare). Mainline filters are characterized by thicker cartridges (the so-called Big Blue) of 10 and 20 " - 10BB and 20BB. But there are other options, including 12-inch and atypical branded cartridges from individual companies. When choosing sizes, in addition to the compatibility factor, one must take into account the availability of free space and the required resource (larger ones are ready to filter more water);
  • "hit" on the manufacturer. Many companies recommend using only “original” cartridges with the filtration system. But if the connection is universal, then third-party models are acceptable. All other things being equal, branded replacement modules are preferable, although some analogues are attractive at an affordable price;
  • resource and replacement frequency. The amount of filtered water that the cartridge is designed for is a very important point that directly affects the period of its operation. It is better to focus on more “long-lasting” solutions when choosing coarse cleaning modules. For drinking system cartridges, an increased resource is important if you have a large family. By the way, recommendations on replacement frequency should be followed as strictly as possible if water quality is your main priority;
  • degree of filtration. For fine cleaning, models with cutting off contaminants smaller than 0.3 microns are needed;
  • number of cartridges. On sale there are both single replaceable modules and sets, for example, for 3 pieces or more;
  • operating temperature factor. If you are going to put the cartridge in hot water (for example, in front of a washing machine), then it must be a special module.
Typical Water Cartridge Sizes

But the country of origin of the cartridge should not be overestimated. The traditional superiority of Western brands may not work here, since local brands often better take into account our realities - the condition of water supply systems and water quality.

conclusions

Summarizing the choice of filters and cartridges for water, we will highlight several key points and recommendations:

  • If you don’t have a filtration system, then you should first make sure whether you need one at all. To do this, it is recommended to do a water analysis and decide on your goals.
  • When you know what you want, we recommend choosing a filter (one or more). Plus, you need to make sure that the system you are interested in solves the existing problem - for example, it removes hardness salts and/or heavy metal ions.
  • For rough cleaning, a main filter with a replaceable cartridge is well suited, and the best solution for obtaining drinking water is considered to be a flow-through filter under the sink or a reverse osmosis system.
  • If you have to replace the cartridges, then in addition to a subjective assessment of satisfaction with the quality of filtration, it is worth doing a new water analysis.
  • The simplest approach when replacing modules is to buy the same model as it was. And if you want to correct the cleaning results, then you need to understand the issue in more detail: look at the contaminant cut-off indicator, cartridge life, materials for its manufacture, standard sizes, etc.