Nitrate filters

Nitrate Filters

What interesting things you will learn from the content of this article:

1. The purpose of filters from nitrates

2. Varieties of filters from nitrates and methods

3. peculiarities of operation of filters

4. Conclusions

To begin with, it is worth explaining what nitrates are. These are salts of nitric acid, which are very harmful to the human body. Often, the content of nitrates in water is greatly exceeded. Their concentration according to regulations should not be higher than 45 mg / l. They get into the water through underground sources. And groundwater is saturated with them passing through the layers of soil, which contains nitrates. They are absorbed into the ground from wastewater, which is discharged by industrial enterprises. Farms use nitrates in their activities. And then they get into the soil, causing damage to.

1. Purpose of nitrate filters

Large concentrations of nitrates can reduce oxygen in the human body. They accumulate in the tissues throughout the time of consumption of dangerous water. To remove them from the body is a very difficult and long process. Therefore, to avoid health problems, water filtration from nitrates is required.

This is the main task of special filters. They are designed to remove nitric acid salts using several technologies. Filters are more focused on well water, because it is in it that the presence of impurities is much more often detected. Outwardly determine the presence of nitrates in the water will not be possible. To obtain accurate data on the composition and concentration of contaminants, a chemical analysis is carried out. Water is taken and sent to the laboratory. Express tests do not give accurate data on the concentration of nitrates, so it is better to use an extended analysis.

Filters from nitrates differ in equipment, design features, technology used, cost. When selecting a filter, you should take into account the technical properties of water, chemical analysis and purpose. There are quite a lot of models and modifications. Therefore, it is possible to choose a device that will meet all the requirements and features of filtration.

Fig. 1 Nitrate filter with automatic control valve

2. Varieties of nitrate filters and methods

There are several modern known methods to eliminate nitrates from water. These are reverse osmosis technology and ion replacement.

The reverse osmosis method is an installation where the filtering element is a membrane. A stream of water passes through the semi-permeable membrane under pressure. The surface of the element consists of many cells, which are able to pass only hydrogen and oxygen molecules. Nitric acid salts cannot pass through the pores and get stuck in them. The uniqueness of the technology is in the complete purification from impurities, including nitrates. The main disadvantage is the high consumption of water, which is drained.

Fig. 2 Reverse osmosis system “Wagner-5000”

Ionic technology uses ionic resin for filtration. The load is filled into a flask and during purification nitric acid is replaced by sodium ions. The technology is quite effective if certain rules are followed. This concerns the control of the ionic loading. The fact is that in the process of filtration, it is filled with impurities. And it has a certain resource. If you do not rinse in time, then nitrates will not be removed from the water. In addition, the water will be more polluted. In order not to control the loading of the element manually, automatic units are installed on filters.

Filters can use one of the described technologies. They differ in terms of capacity. For large productions, the volume of filter loading or the number of membranes is changed. Therefore, the systems are structurally different.

The elements of filters can differ from each other, but the standard filling includes:

• Filter housing
• A control unit that automates the system
• Filter media
• Quartz interlayer
• Distribution system
• Tank for saline solution (if ion exchange method is used)

In addition to nitrate removal, the filters are able to desalinate, soften water, remove nitrites and other substances.

Fig. 3 Nitrate filter with manual control valve

3. Peculiarities of filter operation

From the choice of filter depends on the effectiveness of the entire purification. Therefore, initially it is necessary to take into account all the requirements. When choosing a technology, you should be guided by the composition of water. In addition to nitrates, it can contain other impurities that are also harmful to the body. If hardness salts are present, then filters with ionic filling will be prioritized. If additional contaminants are iron, then reverse osmosis will be more effective.

In addition to technology, the performance of the system should be taken into account. This depends on the installation itself. Also important is the service and operating costs. For the ionic filter requires washing with a salt solution. This means that salt costs should be included in the calculations. The frequency of regeneration affects this figure. And the frequency of cleaning is influenced by the initial water composition and nitrate concentration. Reverse osmosis filters are characterized by high water consumption. Only ¼ of the total flow will be purified. The rest is discharged into the drain.

The frequency of filter replacement is approximately the same, but again depends on the performance and load on the system. In addition to the main filter, there may be costs for additional elements. For example, in case of low pressure, additional pumps are installed. When selecting reverse osmosis technology is mandatory installation of the main filter, which will detain mechanical impurities.

Do not forget about the technical characteristics of the filter. They work effectively with certain characteristics of water. This applies to the acidity of the medium, the content of certain substances, temperature. If the conditions are not observed, then the filter will not be able to qualitatively remove nitrates.

Installation of the device should be entrusted to specialists, especially in cases where there is no experience. You can make a number of mistakes that will disrupt the operation of the system and filters will not cope with the tasks. This can be incorrect connection, lack of tightness, small area for installation and other nuances. When installing on your own, it is necessary to follow the instructions exactly.

4. Conclusions

Nitrates are very harmful and can cause great harm to the body. It is mandatory to purify water from them. Most often nitrates are present in well water, well water and ground water sources. They get there from groundwater and sewage. Each type of water must comply with regulations that specify the permissible proportion of certain substances in the water. As a rule, in the initial analysis of water, the indicators of nitrate content are exceeded several times.

When choosing a filter, you should adhere to several rules. First of all, it should have sufficient capacity and fit the characteristics of water. It should be compact enough and made of high-quality materials. The housing should not be affected by harmful substances and corrosive effects of water.

The filter should not consume a lot of resources. The operating costs should be minimal or at least acceptable when it comes to industrial operations. Service maintenance should not be frequent.

The system should be automated. In this way, many errors and malfunctions can be avoided. In particular, this applies to filter washing. Sensors can wash filters according to several programs, depending on the modification.

When choosing a filter, it is worth selecting well-known manufacturers. Because such brands are proven by experience and have reviews of their work. In addition, manufacturers strive to maintain their credibility and produce quality products that pass certain tests.

As for the installation of the filter, it is better to entrust such work to specialists. The same applies to filter replacement. When replacing the element, it is necessary to follow the instructions exactly, so as not to break the design and not to deform the system.

If the composition of the water, when the filter is installed, begins to change, it should be washed or replaced. Filters can become clogged with impurities. There may be deformation of the housing due to mechanical impact. Installation errors may affect the filter. In any case, it is necessary to stop the filtration cycle and check all elements. As a rule, possible malfunctions are detected during service. Which should be carried out after a certain period of time.

Below is a video on the assembly of the nitrate filter, identical to the assembly of the softener filter

Calculation of the interregeneration period (filter cycle) of the nitrate filter