Sediment Filters

What is a sediment filter?

A sediment filter is the first line of defense against particulate matter polluting your drinking water. This type of filter uses mechanical filtration to trap and eliminate suspended solids entering your water supply and water filtration system.

What does a sediment filter remove from water?

Sediment filters remove dirt, sand, silt, debris, rust flakes, and all other suspended solid particles the filters’ micron-rated capacity can capture. Sediment filters also reduce cloudiness in water caused by suspended solids. High concentrations of these solids can cause the water to appear brown, orange, or yellow.

Note: Sediment filters do not eliminate chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria, or dissolved particulate matter in water. They also do not improve the water’s taste or smell.

How does a sediment filter work?

Sediment filters use a physical process called mechanic filtration to block unwanted particulate matter from entering your water supply. Think of it as a screen door preventing bugs and leaves from entering your home while allowing light and fresh air to come in. Here, the screen door is acting as the mechanical filter. Similarly, sediment filters have a porous layer that allows water to flow into your home and traps any unwanted solids traveling in the water.

Some sediment filters use broad surfaces to trap large amounts of debris, while others use a depth gradient to filter out suspended particles. The latter forces water through thick walls of filter media that become increasingly tight as the water nears the core, filtering out smaller and smaller particulate matter along the way.

Types of Sediment Filters

All sediment filters have the same goal: to collect debris and particulate matter from water. However, there are several different configurations of sediment filter cartridges on the market.

Here are some popular variations:

• Melt-blown filters use depth gradients to remove sediment from water.
• String-wound filters are a type of melt-blown filter comprised of tightly wound cotton, polyester, or polypropylene string wrapped around a core, creating a graded density that traps particulate matter.
• Pleated filters (aka, surface filters) are made up of thin sheets of cotton, polyester, or other filter media folded into pleats to increase the surface area so that they can hold large amounts of sediment particles.
• Bag filters work on the principle of microfiltration and eliminate sediment by processing water through small permeable pores.
• Spin-down filters use a centrifugal force to separate large sediment matter from water.

Why invest in a sediment filter for your home?

Suspended solids in water can create chaos in your household, from affecting the taste and smell of the food and beverages you prepare at home to causing severe health issues over time. Luckily, a sediment filter can reduce the risk of sediment-polluted water in your home for fresher and safer drinking water.

Here are just a few of the many reasons why your home needs a sediment filter:

• It sets the stage for other filters: Sediment filters are a vital component of many different filtration and purification systems. They can prevent particulate matter from prematurely exhausting other filtration media like carbon and ceramic used in whole house filtration. Sediment filters are also excellent for UV purification systems and reverse osmosis (RO) system. That’s because UV systems cannot function optimally in water laden with sediment, and sediments are known to clog flow restrictors in RO systems.
• Safer than tap water: Water filtered with a sediment filter is instantly safer than plain tap water. Although the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are responsible for regulating tap water, that doesn’t mean suspended sediment particles won’t show up in your home’s water supply.
• Removes large sediment particles: You’ll be surprised that the water coming from your local municipality is contaminated with sediments and all sorts of other pollutants (some extremely toxic). This is also sometimes the case with well water sources. If your water comes from a well, you’re essentially relying on nature to do the filtering for you. But without a sediment filter, large particles may still end up in your drinking glass without you even realizing it. And unless these solids are captured and removed, they could clog your pipes, filters, and appliances and even impact your health over time.
• Super-easy installation: In most cases, you can install a sediment filter in just a few minutes to start screening your water supply – no need for fancy equipment or special training.

Need Help Finding the Best Sediment Filter for your Home or Filter System?

Springwell’s sediment filters make eliminating solid particles from your water supply cost-effective and straightforward. If you need help finding the ideal one for your home or filtration system, don’t hesitate to contact us.