How to choose the right filtration technology?
Why not all filtration is created equal
Not all filtration is created equal. Sediment, chlorine, PFAS, bacteria, viruses, hormones, nitrates, heavy metals... each technology acts at a different level and has a precise function in a coherent treatment chain.
The choice of a filtration system must be adapted to your needs, and depends first and foremost on the composition of your water (public network or not). Some techniques are better suited to tap water, while others are better suited to rainwater or groundwater.
Osmodyn treats water where it really counts: at the tap, for drinking, and in the home, to protect the system and improve comfort.
This guide will help you understand
- Which filtration fineness is right for you
- Which technology for tap, rainwater or borehole water?
- When reverse osmosis becomes indispensable
- The limits of each system
Questions to ask yourself before choosing
- What type of water do I want to filter?
- For what purpose: drinking, sanitary use, or both?
- How can I choose a solution that will last, be consistent and avoid unnecessary obsolescence?
Principle
Filtering water is not about choosing "the best filter", but the right technology for the right use.
Quick access
Ultra-filtration | Drinking water
Understanding filtration size
Microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF)
Ultrafiltration (UF), down to 0.01 microns, is a technique mainly used for drinking water. It can treat limescale, reduce sediments and some PFAS, pesticides, down to the presence of living organisms and bacteria, but not finely enough to retain nitrates, among other things, for safe consumption.
Microfiltration (MF) with a physical barrier of between 0.1 and 1 micron is the first stage of treatment. It is generally integrated upstream of ultrafiltration (UF) systems to retain the coarsest particles and protect the membranes (RO) from premature clogging.
When reverse osmosis (RO) becomes indispensable
UF must be complemented by reverse osmosis (RO), with filtration down to 0.0001 microns, especially for water not supplied by the public network, in order to eliminate chemical elements, hormones, PFAS, and the finer contaminants still present, such as nitrates and 99% radioactive elements.
Reverse osmosis: the finest filtration
Reverse osmosis stands out as an extremely advanced filtration method, based on the use of very dense membranes. It complements UF, which prevents rapid saturation of reverse osmosis membranes. They remove virtually all contaminants, including traces of drugs and medicines, as well as virtually all undesirable organisms larger than the water molecule.
To date, no other filtration technique offers such finesse. In this process, filtration is effectively 10,000 times finer than the micron. This corresponds to the pore size of membranes, designed to allow only water molecules to pass through, and to retain molecules larger than 0.0001 microns on average.
Technology comparison table
| Technology | Filtration size | Retains | Does not retain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sediment | 50-5 µm | Sand, rust, sludge, suspended particles | Bacteria, viruses |
| Activated carbon | ~10 µm + adsorption | Chlorine, VOCs, pesticides, PFAS (partially) | Nitrates, viruses |
| Microfiltration (MF) | 0.1-1 µm | Bacteria | Viruses, salts |
| Ultrafiltration (UF) | 0.01-0.1 µm | Bacteria, some viruses | Nitrates, heavy metals |
| Reverse osmosis (RO) | 0.0001 µm | Viruses, nitrates, PFAS, heavy metals, hormones, drugs, microplastics | Dissolved minerals (to be remineralized) |
Maintenance: filter = consumable
Water filters are consumables that retain particles until they become saturated. As such, they need to be renewed periodically.
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Our recommendations according to your water
City water
- CSC (home protection) + Osmosis for drinking water
- RING (home protection)
Rainwater or borehole water
- Rain: sediment + carbon + Disruptor® or UF and UV for sanitary use
- Reverse osmosis for regular food use
- Borehole: mandatory analysis, appropriate filtration (iron, bacteria, turbidity, etc.) + reverse osmosis for drinking water.
Drinking water
Reverse osmosis.