Contaminants range in size. Silt and sediment range in size from 50 to 150 microns. Other contaminants are much smaller. Giardia and cryptosporidium can be as small as 0.5 micron. Bacteria range in size from 0.2 to 10 microns, with cholera, e. coli. and salmonella in the 0.2 – 0.5 micron range, and viruses are much smaller.
Filters are rated by the size of their pores. A filter with a rating of 100 microns might reduce the sediment in your water, but it will leave in harmful chemicals, bacteria and cysts. Many small in-line filters, typically blue and about the size of a cucumber, are rated at 100 microns – or not at all.
A 5.0 micron sediment filter will do a great job on silt and sediment. A 0.2 micron filter treats Giardia, cryptosporidium and many bacteria, but would be prone to clogging unless paired with a sediment filter in a two-canister setup.
In our two-canister system, in the first canister, we install a filter element specifically designed to reduce silt and sediment as well as chemicals, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides. It is a 5 micron activated coconut shell carbon filter, and is perfect for the task. Its activated coconut shell carbon technology makes your water taste terrific. The second element in our system is a 0.2 micron absolute filter. It’s made to the highest standards in the industry. It reduces or eliminates contaminants that other filters miss like giardia cysts, E.coli, salmonella, and more.
In our three-canister Ultra ™ system, we add our industry-exclusive VirusGuard filter in the third stage to block even viruses, which are much smaller than bacteria. The VirusGuard filter also provides protection against heavy metals such as lead and iron. We also install our 5.0 micron sediment filter with rust and scale inhibiting technologies in the first stage.
