Can you use reverse osmosis for showering? You want to install reverse osmosis water in your shower, but you hear that this is not a good idea and it might be unsafe for the health of your family members.
This article will help you understand whether or not using reverse osmosis water in your shower is safe or if there are other options available that might work just as well while being more cost-effective.
Can You Use Reverse Osmosis for Shower?
You can use the RO system for the shower but it is practically not recommended. Misleading claims and exaggeration of facts make this process seem more appealing than it actually is. Reverse Osmosis doesn’t work well in that regard because it has a very high energy consumption and is expensive to maintain.
Reverse osmosis is a water treatment system that removes contaminants, such as chemicals and bacteria. Reverse Osmosis systems are able to remove over 99% of the dissolved solids in the municipal water supply making it safe for drinking.
It can be used as a whole house water filtration and treatment system but shouldn’t be used in your shower without incurring additional costs.
According to Charles Michaud on Quora, it is not possible to use RO for a shower. To begin, a reverse osmosis system is scaled based on the number of gallons of water it can generate in 24 hours. You could take a shower with only 25 to 30 gallons of water, but if it took 24 hours to create that amount, your shower would only flow at roughly 80 cc/min.
Second, let’s size it to provide the 2.5 GPM that most showers provide. That equates to 3600 gallons every day. That device would consist of two membranes measuring around 4 by 40 inches in length and would be powered by a few horsepowers.
The amount of pre-filtration necessary to treat the water before the RO membranes would be equivalent to the size of your refrigerator. So, it is not possible.
Additionally, this statement also exaggerates the facts by implying that it’s possible to use an RO filter for showering purposes when in reality you would need a whole system for this purpose which will cost more than what most people pay every month on their utility bill alone
However, Reverse osmosis is an effective way to remove contaminants. The water in the reverse osmosis system has a positive charge, which removes any molecules that have a negative charge by attracting them and pulling them through pores or other openings.
This process also allows for more efficient washing of things like dishes because it can cut down on detergents needed while still removing contaminants effectively.
If you are looking for a new way to get clean without using an expensive showerhead, reverse osmosis might not be the answer after all.
What Are the Best Shower Water Filters?
Water filters are an important part of staying healthy. They remove contaminants, improving the overall health of your family. The Best Shower Water Filters you can use in place of the RO system are explained below based on the user’s feedback after prolonged usage.
The AquaBliss shower filter has an incredible 12-stage filtering system that helps hair and skin revitalized. The system eliminates chlorine, pesticides, germs, and heavy metals while also minimizing scale building and foul odors that are commonly associated with hard water.
This beast of a filter not only eliminates impurities and softens water, but it also infuses vitamin C and boosts oxygen levels in the filtered water flowing out of the showerhead, leaving hair and dry skin feeling much better.
The filter has a lifespan of 10-12K gallons, or around 6 months, making it a highly efficient solution.
Also, the Berkey shower water filtration system has a 10,000-gallon lifespan and is manufactured from proven KDF media that reduces chlorine, mold, lime, scale, and fungal.
The filer comes with a backflush adapter that aids in slowing the rate at which the filter clogs. The unit has a reduced rate of up to 95%, which is higher than the majority of the competitors.
You have the option of ordering this unit with or without a showerhead. This shower water filter, like most others, maybe readily be installed in a matter of minutes.
However, there is no proof of NSF/ANSI certification, and this shower water filter does not eliminate chloramine.
What to consider when buying a shower filter
Shower filters are necessary for many people to stay healthy. You should consider the cost, maintenance, and other factors listed below before buying one.
Budget
Showerhead filters are priced differently based on performance, marketing, quality, and popularity. There will be plenty of options available for a wide range of filter types. You can go lower or higher with your budget but it will still be a wide range of different filter types.
Material of the showerhead
It is important to match the materials of your shower head to your bathroom space. Plastic shower heads are usually cheaper but can’t be cleaned and don’t last as long, while metal ones are rust-proof and can be expensive. Standard components of a shower head filter are in-line activated carbon filters.
Weight and size
When buying a filter for your shower, make sure it is compatible with the dimensions of your shower unit and that the measurements match up. Some filters are designed to be mounted in different ways or might not fit on your existing arm.
It is best to check the weight and size of each filter before purchasing. Some filters can be mounted on a shower arm, but others might need some additional assembly or mounting hardware that will not work with your current setup.
Number of filters included
The number of filters included with your purchase is an important factor in deciding which shower filter to buy. Some manufacturers might provide an additional filter when purchasing their product, saving consumers from having to buy another one down the road.
Replacement filters are available at a lower cost or discounted prices and many people experience a noticeable pressure drop in the flow rate of reverse osmosis.
Filter effectiveness
Water filters for your shower head are a great way to make sure you’re getting clean water, but they also need to be effective in order for it to work. A few products can remove the most common types of bacteria and viruses from water, which is a lot different from regular tap water.
Product warranty
Product warranties are a good indication that the manufacturer has confidence in their product. A warranty can also be seen as an indicator of quality, which makes it more likely for manufacturers to offer free product exchanges or replacement parts if the filter unit is faulty.
How do shower water filters work?
Shower filters remove skin irritants such as chlorine and chloramines from shower water by filtering them via filtration media such as KDF. When the chlorine amount is reduced, the water is considerably softer on your hair and skin and no longer has a strong chemical odor.
KDF is a granular zinc alloy that exchanges electrons with aqueous pollutants, chemically transforming chlorine and heavy metals into non-irritating compounds.
Carbon filters
Showerhead water filters are made up of activated carbon to remove contaminants like sediment, rust, bacteria, debris, and chlorine. Carbon filters are designed to remove particles larger than 0.3 microns in size from your water, which is a process called adsorption.
Carbon filters also soften the water by removing chemicals for e.g., pesticides and herbicides found in tap water before it enters your home’s plumbing system or drinking water tank.
KDF filters
The next stage in a showerhead system is to push water through Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) process medium. These are made out of copper and zinc, which create a tiny electrical chemical charge that alters the elements in your shower water.
When chemicals and metals pass through this process, their electrons change and cause them to be water-soluble and remove them from the water.
Vitamin C filters
Vitamin C filters are able to effectively remove chlorine from the water supply. There are three types of shower head filters, in-line, portable, and chlorine filters.
Vitamin C filters are designed to be very compact and require minimal effort to install. They’re typically better at filtering water than other types of filters, which is why they’re popular with people who live in areas where the tap water often has high levels of chlorine or sediment.
Mike Spencer
Hi Guys, Mike is a Mechanical Engineer who specializes in Heating, Ventilation, and Air-conditioning. His love for humanity and his profession propels him to share useful and factual Information on this blog.