Bacteria Filters
Bacteria Water Filters
Water borne micro organisms potentially represent some of the most harmful contaminants which water can carry. Fortunately they are very easy and inexpensive to destroy. There are several different ways to take care of pathogens but by far the easiest most efficient & most effective is the use of Ultra Violet light known as Ultra Violet Filters or UV filters.
Ultra Violet Light Filter
As we know, Ultra Violet light in very high concentrations is very harmful. In effect the ultra violet light emitted by a UV light filter is a low wattage energy efficient short-wave system which when water passes through a special stainless steel glass lined cylinder the light emitted kill’s bacteria.
As the water passes through the tube from one end to the other it is hit by short frequency ultra-violet rays which pass through the cell walls of any pathogens / bacteria which are present, passes through the cell surface and strikes the nucleus.
As the light passes through the nucleus it does permanent and irreversible damage to the DNA structure within it.
The cell is now unable to divide, a process known as mitosis and has effectively lost its ability to reproduce. Pathogens generally have a very short life span and it is only because of their ability to reproduce that illnesses occur.
Not only are UV filters extremely effective they are widely available, inexpensive and require no maintenance other than changing the UV tube once or twice a year.
Ultra-Violet light filters are available in many sizes able to filter slow volumes of just a few litres per minute to very high volumes typically 3000 litres per hour and more.
There are no micro-organisms known to be resistant to UV unlike chlorination. UV is known to be highly effective against bacteria, viruses, algae, molds, yeasts & disease causing cysts like cryptosporidium and giardia. In practice bacteria and viruses are the cause of most major waterborne pathogenic diseases, of these enteric viruses, hepatitis virus and Legionella pneumophila have been known to survive for considerable periods in the presence of chlorine but are readily eliminated by UV treatment. For most micro organisms the removal efficiency of UV for microbiological contaminants such as bacteria and virus generally exceeds 99.99%.
Specifically the following are moved to an efficiency of greater than 99.99%:
E-coli
Salmonella typhl (Typhoid fever)
Salmonella enteritidis (Gastroenteritis)
Vibrio cholerae (Cholera)
Mycobacterium Tuberculosis (Tuberculosis)
Legionella pneumophila (Legionnaires’ Disease)
Influenza Virus
Polio virus
Hepatitis A Virus (better than 90%).
Countertop UV systems are generally not recommended for removing cysts such as giardia and cryptosporidium unless equipped with a 0.5 micron carbon block pre-filter since the exposure time the contaminant has to the UV ray is not always long enough to provide an adequate UV dose for disinfection of these more complex organisms.
Whole house UV systems on the other hand are capable of killing waterborne cysts at household flow rates up to four bar when a properly sized model is selected for the application.
Chemical Filters are another way to remove bacteria within the water but they are not as effective & also make the water taste of chemicals. For instance the fluoride and chlorine used in public mains water supplies. On a large scale such as for public supplies these can be cost effective but for a domestic and commercial system they are expensive.
If you need spares, replacement bulbs, replacement glass tubes, advice or would like us to service and maintain your system please contact us.
