With so many different water treatment products and processes on the market, including bag, depth and surface filtration, the use of filtration systems is becoming increasingly prevalent and manufacturers are able to design highly specific models that are designed to suit exacting applications and the particular needs of industries, such as medical, beverage, food, engineering and chemical processing.
But when you use a filter cartridge in an industrial grade system, how can you make your cartridge last longer? The trick lies in firstly selecting the correct cartridge and processing system for your application, protecting the final more expensive cartridges with lower cost rough filtration and the second is to monitor its use carefully and fully maintain the system to ensure complete efficiency and adherence to usage instructions. Let’s take a closer look.
1. Which type of filter cartridge?
Water filter and treatment technologies are now highly advanced and can be selected to offer exacting results of up to 99.99% reduction of certain contaminants if they are correctly selected, applied and managed within the process.
It is vital that a water treatment specialist carries out a full diagnosis of your needs and the operation before making recommendations about the right type of process and cartridge that will give the results you need.
Often, cartridges are used alongside other water treatment and filtration processes and will need to sit holistically within a larger system. Your technician will review inputs such as the following:
The process you are using
From the removal of dirt from borehole water through to the removal of bacteria from water used in food manufacture, the broader water treatment and filtration process needs to be considered along with the necessary outputs and results.
The temperature
Cartridges are designed to withstand temperatures that can rise as high as steam sterilisation level (for example, where bacteria and viruses are being removed.) Each cartridge will be designed to operate within a certain temperature band and will work at its optimum when this is maintained.
The liquid flow rate
Additionally, some cartridges are designed to work with high liquid flows and others with lower flows. The right choice will again maximise working lifespan and integrity of the delivery mechanism within.
The micron rating
From Cryptosporidium, Giardia cysts and yeast cells through to granular sand particles and paint residue, each filter must be carefully matched to the material that is being removed from the water.
An incorrect selection will naturally mean that the results of the process are compromised and the cartridge blocks faster if it is overloaded.
2. Monitoring and maintenance
Once the correct cartridge is selected, it is then essential that it is used strictly in line with the user guidelines which are provided.
Each cartridge will be supplied individually labelled and boxed for ease of installation and it is essential that the maintenance team – whether in-house or outsourced – regularly review the operation of the cleansing and filtration system to ensure that it is being optimised and adjusted where needed, factors such as pressure drop, flow rate and liquid quality can be measured.
Again, this maintains the maximum working lifespan and efficiency of the cartridge and other parts, in the same way that smooth driving of a car will preserve the lifespan of its engine.
Regular servicing, cleaning, checking and replacing of parts within the broader water treatment system is also essential to ensure that stress isn’t being unduly placed on certain elements of the system where others are beginning to fail.
The field of water treatment and filtration can be complex, particularly in industrial applications, and this specialist area requires knowledge, experience, technology and the right service support to get right.
When best practice processes are followed, however, equipment lifespan can be maintained to 100pc efficiency and the overall integrity of the system will be preserved for the best possible treatment outcome.
