Reverse Osmosis - Perfect for islands, drilling water and aquariums

Even though reverse osmosis is technically an under-sink water filter, it actually has its own separate water filters category since it has a completely different technology. RO (reverse osmosis) membrane has only a 0.0001 μm (microns) permeability. This means that it can remove all particles, organisms, bacteria and viruses that are bigger than 0.0001 microns!

It is considered rightly by most water treatment experts as the best water treatment system in the world. Before water even reaches your glass, it has to go through many water filtration stages that reduce most of the harmful substances found in water (such as chlorine, nitrates, arsenic, limescale etc). Reverse osmosis is an ideal solution if you live in an island, since islands to tend to have much harder water and limescale, or even if you use drilling water for your needs.

It is placed under your kitchen sink and connected to its own separate tap (installed on the kitchen counter). Water is filtered slowly from this system and that's the reason most RO systems come with their own pressurized water tank. When you turn on the water tap, you actually get filtered water which is stored in the water tank.

Depending on how dangerous your water is, RO may come with a UV (Ultra Violet) lamp, a mineral filter or a different kind of filter. Before you buy a reverse osmosis filter you need to do a very good research. You should buy products that come with a warranty instead of cheap knock offs that may leak, causing you serious problems. RO housings need to be able to withstand extreme pressure, so even the housing quality is of outmost importance when buying a RO.

If you own an aquarium, you should probably install a 3 or 4 stages RO. They are usually more compact than the domestic RO's, since you will only be needing this water filter evey once in a while to replace your aquarium's water.

Advantages

• Τhe best advantage is that up untill now, no one has come up with a better water treatment technology.
• It's the best solutions for islands and extremely dangerous water.
• Water filter cartridges need to be replaced every year. RO membrane needs to be replaced every 2 years (if you have high quality pre-filters and membrane)

Disadvantages

• RO's main drawback is its cost. This system is not for all the pockets. A high quality RO usually costs around €350 and even more depending on your water quality.
• Many people install this systems by themselves, but usually most people prefer a plumber to do the dirty job. It's difficult to install a RO, and this is actually a main problem, many people have to face.