Most of us rely on a treated public water supply, deemed safe for consumption, but it can often carry unpleasant tastes and odours due to chemicals like chlorine used for disinfection to keep the water free from germs and bacteria. Additionally, depending on your location, the mains water might cause limescale deposits, leading to pipe blockages and appliance damage. These concerns, including chlorine taste/odour and limescale formation, are just a couple of the many water issues that can be addressed through water filtration.

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In this blog we delve into a subject deeply rooted in our brand heritage, ceramic water filters. Our goal is to pass on our extensive knowledge and expertise spanning over two centuries.

Ceramic water filters, as pioneered by Henry Doulton® in the early s, indeed have a rich history and are among the oldest filtration techniques still in use today. They are made from a combination of clay and combustible materials, which are fired at high temperatures to create a porous ceramic structure. Ceramic water filters have gained widespread use around the world as an inexpensive method to treat microbially contaminated water1. But what is the mechanism behind how water filters actually work?

How do ceramic water filters work?

Ceramic water filters have a relatively high efficiency at removing bacterial contaminants from drinking water2.  The small pore size in the ceramic material prevents these contaminants from passing through, providing consumers with a reliable method of ensuring water purity. Typically, bacterial contaminants are trapped in the nano- and microscale pores of ceramic water filters when the water that has been introduced flows through their porous structure3. Research by Van der Laan showed that ceramic water filters can remove more than 99.9% of bacterial contaminants4.  

Are ceramic water filters good?

Absolutely! Ceramic water filters are highly effective, and you'll undoubtedly notice a noticeable improvement in the taste and quality of tap water when using them. Ceramic water filters offer a fantastic solution for enhancing the taste and eliminating contaminants, effectively reducing the potential hazards associated with consuming unhealthy tap water. They are not only a very efficient option, but they are an environmentally friendly one as ceramic is made from 100% natural earths.

How long do ceramic water filters last?

Every filtering system operates on a common principle: water flows through a detachable cartridge containing a filtering medium like activated charcoal. However, filters can be prone to bacterial growth, clogging, and a subsequent loss of effectiveness over time. Therefore, we strongly advise replacing the filter elements every six months to ensure your water remains free of any bacterial contaminants.

Doulton's filters boast minimal maintenance needs due to their exceptional durability and extended lifespan, which reduces the frequency of replacements. Simply conducting routine cleaning of the ceramic element is usually enough to ensure the filter operates at its best. As a result, they present an excellent solution for individuals in search of a hassle-free and effortlessly manageable water purification option.

Where to buy ceramic water filters?

The average bottled water consuming household spends about £3,114.67 per year on bottled water. Most people would guess considerably less as the cost per individual bottled is much lower. By switching from bottled water to a tap water using a water filter from Doulton, a family of four can potentially save £2,791.82 per year. Read more about the Surprising Cost Difference Between Bottled Water Vs Filtered Water!

One of the significant advantages of using ceramic filters for water is their cost-effectiveness and you can buy them from the pioneers, Doulton®. Our ceramic filters for water treatment are purposefully crafted to offer an economical and efficient solution for water purification. These filters effectively eliminate contaminants, ensuring your tap water becomes a source of pure, refreshing taste. With our water filter systems, undesirable flavours and odours from the mains water are removed, providing clean and fresh-tasting water at your convenience. The HIP Biotect Ultra Inline, among our range of domestic systems, exemplifies compactness and ease of installation, making it an ideal choice for placing under a sink or in limited spaces.

Alternatively, you have the option of utilising a British Berkefeld® Stainless Steel Gravity System. This self-contained system enables you to purify polluted or contaminated water effortlessly, harnessing the power of gravity. The gravity system consists of two chambers: the upper chamber serves as the input for pouring in your contaminated water, while the lower chamber acts as the endpoint where the water is transformed into filtered, clean water. The British Berkefeld® Stainless Steel Gravity Water Filters stand out due to there remarkable convenience, as it operates without the need for plumbing or electricity, making it an efficient and eco-friendly choice.

References:

1. Bielefeldt, A. R., Kowalski, K., & Summers, R. S. (). Bacterial treatment effectiveness of point-of-use ceramic water filters. Water research, 43(14), -.
2. Nigay, P. M., Salifu, A. A., Obayemi, J. D., White, C. E., Nzihou, A., & Soboyejo, W. O. (). Ceramic water filters for the removal of bacterial, chemical, and viral contaminants. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 145(10), .
3. Nigay, P. M., Salifu, A. A., Obayemi, J. D., White, C. E., Nzihou, A., & Soboyejo, W. O. (). Ceramic water filters for the removal of bacterial, chemical, and viral contaminants. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 145(10), .
4. Van der Laan, H., Van Halem, D., Smeets, P. W. M. H., Soppe, A. I. A., Kroesbergen, J., Wubbels, G., ... & Heijman, S. G. J. (). Bacteria and virus removal effectiveness of ceramic pot filters with different silver applications in a long term experiment. Water research, 51, 47-54.

Ceramic water filters are one of the oldest methods of water filtration on the market. In , inventor and potter Henry Doulton discovered that filtering water through porous ceramic media would remove waterborne pathogens like cholera from drinking water. Commissioned by Queen Victoria, Doulton created a royal gravity-fed water filter that joined the elegance of hand-crafted pottery with his revolutionary water filtration technology. Ceramic water filters have been a staple of the water filter market ever since. In this article, you can discover answers to common questions about ceramic water filtration.

What is a ceramic filter?

A ceramic filter uses tiny pores on a ceramic surface to filter bacteria and sediment out of drinking water. It is an affordable and versatile water filtration method that can be installed in households or used as a portable filtration device. 

A ceramic filtration system uses a natural ceramic media as the heart of a water filtration process. The ceramic filter cartridge, often referred to as a ceramic filter candle, processes the water and removes contaminants through a network of pores. Ceramic filtration systems exist in a variety of applications. They can be gravity-fed, under-sink, countertop, or in some instances, used for a whole house or even light industrial processes. 

How does a ceramic filter work?

Ceramic water filters work by allowing water to flow through the millions of tiny pores on the casing of the ceramic cartridge. These pores, one-half micron in size, trap impurities as the water passes through them. The inside of the filter is a convoluted maze of sharp angles designed to catch any particles that have penetrated the exterior surface. Because of the minute size of the pores and complexity of the filter, the water percolation through a ceramic filter is very fine particulate filtration, eliminating a host of contaminants like bacteria and sediment.

This system of filtration imitates part of the Earth&#;s natural water purification process. Just as water from aquifers seeps through layers of rock in the earth&#;s surface as it makes its way to streams, the water in a ceramic filter permeates natural media to rid itself of impurities.

What is a ceramic filter made of?

In most cases, ceramic filter candles are made with an internal activated carbon core. The carbon core increases the adsorption capabilities of the filter. The ceramic is also often impregnated with silver ions, giving the filter strong bacteriostatic and self-sterilizing properties. These silver ions repel bacterial growth, preventing mold and algae from developing on the surface of the filter. With a carbon core and silver-impregnated ceramic, you have a filter that can reduce a list of chemical contaminants as well as living organisms.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Zirconia Ceramic Filters.

Where are ceramic filters used?

Ceramic filters can be used in under-sink installations, other point-of-use applications, or as portable filters you can take on camping trips or elsewhere. The most common application for ceramic water filters is point-of-use drinking water. Because of its 0.5 micron filtration, simple upkeep, and low cost, a ceramic filter makes an excellent countertop or under-sink filter in households. The gravity-fed filters can provide you with clean water in your kitchen and be taken on hiking and camping trips. If installed with the proper cartridge, you can pour stream water into the filter and make it drinkable. Ceramic filters are also ideal for anywhere where space is limited, like an apartment or RV. A double open-ended ceramic filter can be inserted into any standard 10-inch water filter housing and used in conjunction with other filters, like a sediment filter or anti-scale filter.

What does a ceramic filter remove? 

Ceramic alone is a powerful filter and handily removes many contaminants. The extent of the filtration varies and will depend on what additional filtration media the ceramic candle contains. The main categories of contaminants that basic ceramic filters remove are bacteria, sediment, and turbidity.

• Bacteria: Ceramic filters are quite effective at removing bacteria from water. Few bacteria are smaller than one micron in size. Unable to pass through the pores, the bacteria are filtered out as the water seeps through the ceramic filter. Ceramic filters rid water of about 99% of pathogenic bacteria, including E. coli, shigella, and salmonella. Microbial cysts, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, are also too large to pass through the filters and are easily removed by the ceramic shell. The silver ion impregnation makes ceramic filtration especially advantageous to those with microbiologically unsafe drinking water. Silver ions are toxic to bacteria, further nullifying bacterial contaminants and preserving the cleanliness of the filter&#;s surface. 

• Sediment: Particulate matter like dirt, debris, and rust is effectively filtered out by the ceramic filter&#;s porous surface.   

• Turbidity: Turbidity is cloudiness caused by suspended particles in the water. This turns your water unappetizing shades of yellow and brown. Ceramic filters adeptly remove the murky coloration from water and restore its clarity. 

• Chlorine (if filter contains activated carbon): Chlorine is present in most city water because it is used in the municipal purification process. Chlorine leaves water with a bitter chemically taste and an unpleasant smell. The activated carbon reduces both chlorine and chloramines in water, restoring your water&#;s fresh flavor. 

• VOCs

   

  (if filter contains activated carbon): Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, include a wide array of chemical contaminants that make their way into water by way of everything from agricultural runoff to consumer products like paints and pesticides. These compounds are all carbon-based, and ceramic filters with carbon cores will greatly reduce the levels of VOCs in your water.

• Heavy Metals

   

  (if filter contains ion exchange resin): If the ceramic element contains an ion exchange resin, heavy metals like lead, mercury, copper, and zinc are greatly reduced in the water.

What is a multistage ceramic filter?

A multistage ceramic filter combines silver-impregnated ceramic, activated carbon, and ion exchange resin. All of these together form a comprehensive purification process. The water enters through the ceramic impregnated by silver ions, filtering particulate matter and repelling bacterial growth, then flows through a layer of activated carbon followed by the ion exchange resin.

What ceramic filters don&#;t remove

• Minerals: Ceramic is a natural media filter and does not add anything to the water during the filtration process. It also does not filter out minerals like calcium and magnesium, meaning there is no need to pair the filter with a remineralizer if you want to preserve the mineral quality of your water. If you are primarily concerned with reducing water hardness, a ceramic filter is not going to be effective. Instead, look into a water softener. 

• Viruses: Viruses can be anywhere from .004 to .1 micron in size, making them difficult to remove by mechanical filtration alone. Though viruses often travel through water on larger particles that potentially could be removed by the ceramic membrane, a UV water purifier is a much better alternative for reducing viruses in your water. 

• TDS: Though it is great at reducing particles and organic matter, ceramic filters cannot remove dissolved particles. These total dissolved solids (TDS) are best addressed by a reverse osmosis system. However, this level of filtration is not needed by everyone, especially if you are predominantly looking for a simple point-of-use system to improve the quality and taste of water from your faucet. You should first conduct a water test to determine the extent of contaminants present in your water. 

Learn more: What is a reverse osmosis system and how does it work?

How much do ceramic filters cost?

Ceramic filters are one of the most economical filtration options available. An entire point-of-use ceramic (POU) system usually falls in the price range of $100 to $200. Ceramic filters are a far more environmentally friendly option than relying on bottled water and significantly cheaper than many other filtration systems. The ceramic filters themselves can be cleaned and reused, reducing the number of replacement filters that need to be purchased. The gravity-fed models are portable and require no electricity to operate.

How to clean a ceramic filter

One of the benefits of a ceramic filter is that it can be cleaned and reused many times. As water is filtered through the ceramic, the filtered contaminants build up on the exterior of the ceramic candle, clogging the porous surface, and causing the water flow to slow down or stop entirely. When you notice this happening, clean the ceramic filter by following the below steps:

1. Carefully remove the ceramic candle from the unit&#;s housing. Handle the candle gently, as ceramic is a fragile material and can crack if dropped.
2. Scrub the filter under running water or in a bowl of water with a clean plastic brush, toothbrush, or soft scouring pad. Avoid soaps, detergents, and rough materials like steel wool.These will render your filter unusable. Brush away from the threaded mount to avoid contamination. You may consider covering the mount with plastic to protect it. 
3. After checking to ensure the sealing&#;s washer is properly seated, re-install the filter. 

When to replace a ceramic filter

Though ceramic filters can be cleaned many times before requiring replacement, it is important to keep in mind that the internal components of the filter may have a shorter lifespan than the ceramic. Carbon media is exhausted much faster than ceramic, so, to maintain an effective filtration system, do not allow the filter to run past its rated capacity. If your ceramic cartridge contains no carbon, you can continue cleaning it until water no longer flows through it. 

If you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Filters. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.