Ultimate Guide of Water Filter Cartridges from Selection to ...

Water filter cartridge is a tubular device that can be used in different industries with diverse filtration requirements. It installed in your filter housing or casing.

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It is applied to remove unwanted contaminants, particle and chemicals from your liquids. There are now a variety of water filter cartridges available with varying designs and purposes.

Whether you want to choose right cartridges for your existing water filter, or look for others for better results. In this article, all answers are ready for you.

1. Why does Your Water Need Filtering?

No matter how clean and refreshing your water appears, generally it always contains some level of contaminants. Understanding the issues that can occur with water will make your better informed for selecting the optimal water filter cartridge.

• Bacteria: Although chlorine can eliminate bacteria, conditions such as broken distribution pipes and dirt entering can still occur, and bacteria and dirt can still enter your water.
• Chlorine: It leaves a bad taste and smell. Chlorine can also react with substances in water to form trihalomethanes, which has been linked to cancers and non-cancerous side-effects.
• Hardness which causing scaling: The residue consists of calcium and magnesium. It will shorten the service life of your appliances and also reduce their energy efficiency.
• Iron: This leads to staining in the laundry and almost everywhere else it touches. It can affect the taste of your water, clog your filter cartridges and interfere with disinfection.
• Fluoride: While this can reduce tooth decay, too much can cause dental fluorosis, or skeletal fluorosis, which damages bones and joints.
• Heavy Metals: These pose a risk to our health and are linked to many types of cancers.

2. Water Filter Cartridge Options

Once you understand the problems associated with water, the next thing to look at is, which water filter cartridge should you choose?

There are so many types of water filter cartridges on the market, which dazzles you, such as string wound filter cartridge, melt blown filter cartridge and so on.

We will detail advantages and disadvantages of the most common water filter cartridges and their applicable conditions. Then you can become an expert at that.

i. String Wound Filter Cartridge

String wound filter cartridge is usually made by spinning a yarn around the core to achieve deep filtration. With a variety of materials, including nylon, PP, natural cotton, bleached cotton and fiberglass, it has a remarkably high filtration capacity compared to other types of filter cartridges.

Pros and Cons of String Wound Filter Cartridge

With honeycomb structure, string wound filter cartridge has the characteristics of efficient filtration performance, large flow rate, small pressure difference, superior dirt holding capacity and more. However, it it may not be suitable for some specific environments or fluids.

Applications of String Wound Filter Cartridge

• Food & Beverage: Mineral water, syrup, alcohol, edible oil, beverage water
• Electronics: Ultra-pure water, organic solvents, printed circuit boards
• Petroleum & Chemical: Petrochemical products, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, coatings
• Industrial Oil: Hydraulic oil, lubricating oil, cutting oil

ii. Melt Blown Filter Cartridge

Melt blown filter cartridge is a tubular filter element made of non-toxic and odorless polypropylene particles. Not only used in large quantities in water purification, it is also suitable for the filtration of strong acids, alkali and organic solvents.

Pros and Cons of Melt Blown Filter Cartridge

Fine pores of melt-blown filter cartridge makes its filtration efficiency reach more than 99%. And due to unique manufacturing technology, it is excellent in resistance to acid, alkali and organic solvents. But its cost is relatively high with complex production process.

Applications of Melt Blown Filter Cartridge

• Pharmaceutical: Pre-filtration of various injections, liquid medicines
• Food: Alcohol, beverages and potable water
• Electronics: Pre-filtration of pure water
• Petroleum & Chemical: All kinds of organic solvents, acids, lye filtration, oil field water filtration

iii. Spun Water Filter Cartridge

Spun water filter cartridge features thermally bonded microfibers of pure polypropylene, which offers higher flow rates with low pressure drop, retaining high efficiency. With graded density construction, it captures particles throughout entire cross section of filter cartridge.

Pros and Cons of Spun Water Filter Cartridge

Spun water filter cartridge is widely used to filter water because it has good anti-clogging, filtration performance and long service life. With simple structure, it is easy to install and replace. But it possesses specific requirements for water quality and flow.

Applications of Water Filter Cartridge

• Water Treatment: Seawater desalination, fresh water treatment, sewage treatment
• Food Processing: Filtration of raw water or clean water to ensure product quality
• Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Filtration of production water
• Laboratory & Hospital: Filtration of laboratory water, medical equipment water

iv. Carbon Water Filter Cartridge

Carbon water filter cartridge is made of fruit shell carbon or powdered activated carbon. Coupled with food grade adhesive and special processes, it can effectively remove organic compounds in water, residual chlorine and other elements, and has the effect of fading, odor.

Pros and Cons of Carbon Water Filter Cartridge

As we all known, carbon water filter cartridge has strong adsorption capacity. It can effectively remove impurities such as different colors, odors, residual chlorine, organic matter, heavy metals and other impurities in water. But it is not suitable for bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms removal.

Applications of Carbon Water Filter Cartridge

• Electronic &Power : Pure water, vapor, plating solution, packaging printing line plate
• Chemical & Petrochemical : Building paint, magnetic slurry, detergent, liquid wax
• Pharmaceutical: Hospital tap water, tradition Chinese medicine liquid
• Food Industry: Food, beverage, domestic water, wine and so on

v. Sediment Water Filter Cartridge

Sediment water filter cartridge is specialised in removing all particulate matter from your water, it is also ideal to serve as pre-filters. It is compatible with most liquids and is highly effective for sediment, rust, sand, silt, and algae removal.

Pros and Cons of Sediment Water Filter Cartridge

By filtering large particles of impurities, sediment water filter cartridge can protect downstream water treatment equipment, such as reverse osmosis membrane, ultra-filtration membrane, etc. However, it has limited ability to remove small molecules and harmful gases.

Applications of Sediment Water Filter Cartridge

• Household Water Filters: Sediment water filter cartridge is often used in household water filters to remove impurities and odors from tap water and provide clean potable water.
• Industrial Water Treatment: In the field of industrial water treatment, it also plays an important role in protecting downstream equipment from impurities and particles.
• Agricultural Irrigation: In agricultural irrigation, it can filter impurities and particles in water source, improving the quality of irrigation water and protecting crop growth.

vi. PP Water Filter Cartridge

PP water filter cartridge replaces the traditional filter cartridge, which is a new generation of filter components. The filter material is polypropylene particles that are melted, sprayed into fine fibers and tightly wound into a white tubular filter cartridge.

Pros and Cons of PP Water Filter Cartridge

With quality polypropylene (PP) material, it has good chemical stability, acid and alkali resistance, corrosion resistance, large filtration flow, small pressure difference and low cost. But limited high temperature resistance and filtration accuracy make it suitable for general industrial environment and special conditions with low requirements.

Applications of PP Water Filter Cartridge

PP water filter cartridge is widely used in filtration of various liquids, including water, oil, acid and alkali, emulsion, suspension emulsion, fruit juice, edible oil, sugar water, pickles, medicine liquid, etc.

vii. Membrane Filter Cartridge

Membrane filter cartridge is constructed with membrane and polypropylene support multi-layers and components. It has large surface area for maximum throughput and high dirt holding capacity. Advanced membrane materials include Nylon, PTFE, PES, Fiberglass, PVDF, etc.

Pros and Cons of Membrane Filter Cartridge

With high filtration precision, membrane filter cartridge can effectively remove viruses, bacteria, microorganisms and suspended matter in water, while retaining trace elements and minerals. It is generally used under 60&#; and easy to be corroded and destroyed by strong acid and alkali.

Applications of Membrane Filter Cartridge

Due to high filtration accuracy and chemical stability of membrane filter cartridge, it is widely used in portable water, medicine, food, electronic products, chemical industry, home water dispenser, tea machine, water heater, hotel, sauna club, fast food restaurant, etc.

viii. Stainless Steel Water Filter Cartridge

Stainless steel water filter cartridge is used in various industries for filtration of different types of liquids. It is made of a variety of metals, such as stainless steel, aluminum and titanium, and is designed to remove impurities in your liquids.

Pros and Cons of Stainless Steel Water Filter Cartridge

The excellence of stainless steel water filter cartridge is its high strength and resistance to high temperatures of up to 480&#;. At the same time, it is also resistant to corrosion and has a long service life. But it is less suitable for handling high viscosity liquids.

Applications of Stainless Steel Water Filter Cartridge

Stainless steel water filter cartridge is widely used in many fields such as medical liquids, wines, beers, potable water, oil field water, high-level pure water, organic solvents, acid and alkali and more because of its excellent chemical compatibility, filtration efficiency and service life.

ix. Pleated Water Filter Cartridge

Pleated water filter cartridge is designed to trap sediment particles on its surface. With a wide surface area, it has good dirt holding capacity. It is typically used until its outer surface is completely covered by particles and then disposed of, but some can be reused.

Pros and Cons of Pleated Water Filter Cartridge

With large filtration area, pleated water filter cartridge has high filtration efficiency up to 99.99% and can remove fine particles and harmful matter. It is suitable for a variety of applications. Due to its structure, it can not filter soluble substances and needs to be replaced regularly to maintain filtration effect.

Applications of Pleated Water Filter Cartridge

• Industrial Production: In liquid filtration equipment in chemical, pharmaceutical, food and other industries, pleated water filter cartridge can filter out impurities and particles, such as suspended solids, sediments,etc.
• Water Treatment: It can remove suspended solids, particles, colloids and other impurities in water, improving the cleanliness and safety of your water. Meanwhile, it also plays an important role in household water purifiers, commercial water purification equipment, and industrial water treatment systems.

x. Ceramic Filter Cartridge

Ceramic filter cartridge has a ceramic surface that consists of tiny pores filtering water to remove sediment, turbidity and bacteria. Its filtration process mimics the natural purification process on the earth&#;s surface. It can be used alone or in combination with carbon or ion exchange resins to remove a wider range of harmful toxins.

Pros and Cons of Ceramic Filter Cartridge

Mainly used in potable water, Ceramic filter cartridge has good filtration performance, does not produce secondary pollution and can adapt to poor water quality. It is not easy to block and can be used repeatedly. But you need pay special attention on its fragility when cleaning.

Applications of Ceramic Filter Cartridge

It is specifically used in filtration of hot gas, compressed air, coalescing, recoating, process, dust, fume, viscous liquids, water and so on. It can effectively remove contaminants such as residual chlorine, suspended solids, organic matter and heavy metals in your water.

xi. Reverse Osmosis Membrane Water Filter Cartridge

Reverse osmosis membrane water filter cartridge is the essential part of reverse osmosis water purifier. It filters ions, heavy metals, microorganisms and other impurities in tap water through the function of a semipermeable membrane.

Pros and Cons of Reverse Osmosis Membrane Water Filter Cartridge

With high filtration accuracy, it can completely remove bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and other harmful substances in water. It also has a long service life, generally up to 5 years or more, reducing the frequency of replacement. However, filtration performance of the RO membrane may be reduced by water quality and water temperature.

Applications of Reverse Osmosis Membrane Water Filter Cartridge

It is widely used in household potable water purification, seawater desalination, industrial sewage treatment and municipal sewage treatment. For example, in industrial and municipal wastewater treatment, it removes harmful substances to comply with discharge standards or for reuse.

xii. Ion Exchange Filter Cartridge

Ion exchange filter cartridge is the most commonly used filter element for softened water. It uses ion exchange resin to replace hardness ions (such as calcium ions and magnesium ions) in water with sodium ions to achieve the effect of softening water.

Pros and Cons of Ion Exchange Filter Cartridge

Ion exchange filter cartridge can effectively remove impurities, soluble ions and harmful substances in liquids, and improve water quality and purity. It has a remarkable softening effect and long service life of 3-5 years. However, it will increase the content of sodium ions in water, making it unsuitable for people with high blood pressure or kidney disease.

Applications of Ion Exchange Filter Cartridge

Ion exchange filter cartridge has remarkable effects in water treatment, industrial wastewater treatment and potable water purification. It is also used for purification and catalyst recovery in the fields of medicine, bio-pharmaceuticals and chemical industry.

3. Signs That Water Filter Cartridges Needs to be Replaced

After determining the right water filter cartridge, you may bother when you should replace it. &#;How do I know when my water filter needs to be changed?&#;This is a question people ask many times.

Some very obvious signs will tell you when you need to replace your water filter cartridge. Ignoring these common signs will mean that your water filter will not be able to effectively filter your water the way you want.

• Water Flow Rate Drops

First of all, your water will go from a good flow rate to a poor flow rate, which will probably annoy you intensely. This is because that invisible microscopic particles block your water filter cartridges up over time. As flow channels get smaller, your water flow reduces.

If your household does not use enough water, it will affect many of your household activities, such as cooking, bathing, cleaning and so on. At the meantime, if there are no adequate water used for your industrial production, it leads to a decrease in production and a longer production period.

This is one of the most clear signs of when you need to replace your filter cartridge. This annoys you so much that you will be prompted to buy a new water filter cartridge to restore your water flow.

ZHUAN LV supply professional and honest service.

• ChangedTaste and Smell of Your Water

Secondly, when your filter cartridge does not effectively remove impurities from water, the taste and smell of your water will revert to the level it was before your water filter was installed, which is not only undrinkable, but also unpleasant.

This poor quality water can not only harm your physical health, also ruin your mood, reducing your quality of life. Especially for industrial production water, bad water quality will cause a decline in product quality, decreasing its sales and band reputation.

However, fortunately it is amazing that you get used to filtered water, and when the taste and smell change, you notice it immediately. This clearly indicates that you need to replace the water filter cartridge of your system.

• Murky or Discolored Water

Thirdly, your filtered water probably appears cloudy, discolored, or contains visible particles. This is because your filter cartridge may no longer be able to effectively remove sediment, dirt, or other impurities.

Such particles can worsen water taste and they can even show up on your clean clothes, which cause trouble in your life. What&#;s more, for industries that require high-level of pure water to manufacture electronic products or precision instruments, these impurities can make their products scrap, causing serious loss.

Therefore, it is time for you to replace the water filtercartridgewhen your water become cloudy and discolored.

• Increased Frequency of Filter Changes

Thirdly, most water filtration system do not have just one type of water filter, but include several different types of filters, such as pre-filters or sediment filters to remove large particles of impurities, and fine filters to capture small contaminants.

If you find yourself replacing other components of your filtration systemmore often than before,  it may be a sign that your main water filter cartridge is no longer in optimal condition. This can cause your water filter system to increase overall operating costs and downtime, and reduce filtration efficiency, which is not acceptable for most.

So you have to change your main water filter cartridge to ensure your water filtration system is cost-efficient.

• Physical Defects or Damage

Fifthly, if your water filtration system does not have the above problems, you still find yourself asking, &#;How often should I change my water filter cartridge?&#; You should consider whether your filter cartridges have any signs of physical defects or damage.

Cracks, fractures, obvious wear and tear can affect effectiveness of water filter cartridge. Especially for ceramic filter cartridges, physical defects or damage can seriously reduce their filtration performance, impacting water quality.

If you findout such problems, it is recommended to replace the filter cartridge immediately to ensure optimal filtration.

• Exceeded Recommended Usage Time

Finally, there are specific recommended lifespan for Different types of water filter cartridge. It is like foods have a shelf life, during which they are normal, but once they go beyond that, they can cause bad effects.

If your water filter cartridgehas been used for longer than the manufacturer&#;s recommended use time, it is necessary to change the filter cartridge to maintain effective filtration. You can find this information in product manual or on cartridge packaging.

4. 10 Easy Steps to Change Your Water Filter Cartridge

Clean water is not only essential for maintaining good health, but also for efficient industrial production. To always use clean water, you need to replace the water filter cartridge regularly. Water filter cartridge contributes to your water free of harmful contaminants such as viruses, bacteria, chemicals and heavy metals. Here, we will guide you through the step-by- step process of replacing your water filter cartridge in 10 simple steps, so that you can get clean, healthy and refreshing water, whether at home or in factories.

Step 1: Determine the Type of Water Filter Cartridge You Require

Before replacing your water filter cartridge, you need to know what type of cartridge your filter system uses. You can consult user manual of your filter system or contact the manufacturer to find out which filter cartridge is suitable for your system.

Step 2: Turn off the Water Supply

The first step in replacing your filter element is to turn off the water supply. Locate the valve that controls the water supply to the filtration system and close it. This will prevent water from flowing through the system when replacing the water filter cartridge.

Step 3: Release the Pressure

You need to release the pressure in the system before replacing the filter cartridge. Find out the pressure release button or valve on your filter system and press or turn it to release the pressure.

Step 4: Remove the Old Cartridge

Once the pressure is released, you can remove the old filter cartridge. Depending on the type of filtration system you are using, this may require unscrewing the filter housing or releasing a latch to remove the filter cartridge. It is essential to follow the manufacturer&#;s instructions carefully to avoid damage to your system.

Step 5: Dispose of the Old Cartridge

After removing the old filter cartridge, you should dispose it in accordance with local regulations. Some filter cartridge can be recycled, so you can check with your local regulations to see if this is a choice.

Step 6: Clean the Filter Housing

It is advisable to clean the filter housing after removing the old filter cartridge. Wipe the inside of the housing with a damp cloth and remove any debris or buildup. This will ensure the new filter cartridge can function properly.

Step 7: Install the New Cartridge

Now you can install a new water filter cartridge. You should have the correct replacement cartridge for your filter system and follow the manufacturer&#;s installation instructions. This may involve screwing the cartridge into place or inserting it into the housing and locking it into place.

Step 8: Prime the Filter

Before turning the water supply back on, it is necessaryfor you to prime a new filter cartridge. This includes allowing water to pass through the system and fill the new filter cartridge. Follow the manufacturer&#;s instructions to start the filter, which may require letting water flow through the system for a while.

Step 9: Turn on the Water Supply

With the new filter cartridge installed, the water supply can be turned back on. This will allow water to flow through the new filter for proper function. Then you should check for any leaks or abnormal sounds, which may indicate that the cartridge has not been installed correctly.

Step 10: Check the Flow Rate

After flushing the system, you should check the flow rate to ensure that water is flowing through the system properly. If the flow rate is slow, this may indicate a clogged filter or some problems with your system.

Conclusion

Do you want to enjoy clean, safe, refreshing water always? At Filson, we offer a wide range of premium water filter cartridges for different types of filtration systems. Our products are manufactured to the highest standards to ensure effective removal of harmful contaminants, providing you with clean, healthy drinking water.

Browse our range of water filter cartridges to find the right one for your filtration system. If in doubt, our team of experts are on hand to answer any questions you may have and offer advice on maintaining your filter system.

For instance, polyester (PE) filter cartridges offer a wider range of chemical compatibility compared to polypropylene (PP) filters, but PP filter cartridges work better for oil filtration applications. Additional factors you might need to determine about the material you wish to filter include:

• Temperature
• Solid % Weight and % Volume
• pH of the liquid
• Concentration

Once we have a complete understanding of what you need to filter, we can direct you to the best style and material industrial filter cartridge for your application.

2) How fine do you need to filter?

To find the best industrial filter cartridge for your application, you must determine how fine you need the filter cartridge to filter. As our liquid filter cartridges provide physical filtration, you must select the filter with the micron size to capture your contaminants without unnecessarily slowing down your flow rate.

All filter cartridges have a micron (µm) rating and efficiency to ensure they will provide adequate liquid filtration. A micron is a unit of measurement equivalent to one millionth of a meter. We sell industrial filter cartridges with micron ratings from less than 1 micron up to 200 microns. How big is a micron exactly? Well, just for reference the average human hair is 90 microns and a white blood cell is 25 microns!

Industrial filter cartridges also have varying levels of efficiency. Nominal filtration means that the filter cartridge can trap particle sizes down to the listed micron rating. Nominal filtration cartridges may only have an efficiency of 75% of sediment capture at a specific micron rating. If you need more thorough liquid filtration, absolute rated filter cartridges filter to a higher degree of accuracy with efficiencies often close to or above 99% at their listed micron rating. Many filtration systems will use nominal filters earlier in the filtration process with absolute filtration at the end to ensure no contaminants are missed.

End Cap Options: SOE or DOE

Single open ended (SOE) cartridges have a side of the cartridge sealed to ensure filter bypass is impossible on one side of the cartridge. The seal is typically a polypropylene cap. SOE filters are often used in sanitary applications but are associated with a higher cost. Double open ended (DOE) cartridges do not have a seal on either side of the filter cartridge. This option tends to be more common of the two types as eliminating sediment bypass can still be accomplished by relying on the filter housing.

End Cap Configuration Types

Type 226 have double gaskets and locking fins to ensure the filter cartridge is properly installed into the cartridge housing as it must be twisted as it is installed. The double gasket will prevent containment bypass by sealing against the housing. Type 226 is often used in sanitary applications.

Type 222 are often used with single open end cartridge filters. Double gaskets will seal the filter against the cartridge filter housing to prevent bypass.

Double open end (DOE) gasket filters have openings on both ends of the filter cartridge. This end cap option features gaskets to aid in sealing the filter against the housing.

When used in a multi-cartridge filter housing, the fin end cap sits inside the top retaining plate. However, these end caps are also used in singe cartridge filter vessels as well.

Commonly referred to as flat end filter cartridges, the closed end cap is a flat disc with no opening that is attached to one side of a filter cartridge. This end cap seals one side of a double open end filter cartridge allowing it to function as a single open end cartridge.

The spring end cap will collapse with pressure allowing for easy installation into housings. Spring end caps are often used with string wound cartridges, but can be used with other types of filter cartridges.

Filter Cartridge Core Material

Not every filter cartridge has a core. Often used for low micron ratings, the filter cartridge core provides support and prevents cartridge collapse. An inner core is particularly useful for additional support in high pressure applications.

Common materials for the inner core of filter cartridges include polypropylene, tinned steel, type 304 or 316 stainless steel and even glass. The inner core material is dependent on filtration temperature, chemical compatibility and application type.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of stainless steel filter cartridges. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.