Ultrafiltration involves using hydrostatic pressure to push water through a semipermeable membrane to trap suspended particles, viruses, bacteria, and other contaminants. The UF membrane has a pore size of 0.01 microns and falls between microfiltration and nano-filtration.
What can ultrafiltration remove?
The ultrafiltration water purification process can remove suspended particles like plastics, silt, silica, and smog. It can also handle end toxins, bacteria, and viruses.
Advantages of UF water purifiers
- The ultrafiltration water purification process does not use chemicals like disinfectants, coagulants, flocculates, or pH adjustments.
- UF water purification is environmentally friendly.
- This process works on the size-exclusion filtration method instead of media-depth filtration.
- The UF water purification process is consistent in the quality of treated water.
- The UF process is compact and does not occupy much space.
- Simple automation is sufficient to force the source water through the UF membrane. However, the RO water purification process requires a more robust pressurizing method.
Disadvantages of UF water purifiers
- The UF water purification method cannot trap dissolved impurities like salt and TDS, including heavy metals. Therefore, it requires additional filtration methods like active carbon filters, etc.
- The UF water purification process requires using electricity.
- Water recirculation is necessary to ensure maximum water purification because some impurities can penetrate the ultrafiltration membrane.
- UF water purification is not recommended as a standalone filtration process. It works best with other technologies like UV and RO purification.
How do UF water purifiers work?
UF water purifiers are similar to RO water purifiers because the procedures used in these purification methods are similar. The source water is forced through a semipermeable membrane using hydrostatic pressure, leaving behind suspended particles and other contaminants over 0.01 microns in size.
How is UF water purification different from RO water purification?
RO and UV, water purification processes, are similar, but RO membranes have a pore size of 0.0001 microns compared to 0.01 microns in UF membranes. Therefore, RO water purification is superior to Ultrafiltration.
Besides, UF can handle suspended particles alone. However, it cannot deal with dissolved impurities like TDS. On the other hand, RO membranes can trap dissolved impurities with a molecular weight of over 20. Hence, RO water purification is better suited to handle heavy metal impurities.
Where do you use UF water purifiers?
UF water purifiers are helpful when the source water does not contain high TDS levels or heavy metal impurities. This process can handle water with TDS levels less than 300 ppm. Ultrafiltration water purification is ideally suited when the source water contains suspended contaminants like sewage and other organic impurities.
UF water purifiers can reduce the load on RO membranes when you place these filters before the RO membrane in the water purifier. They complement RO water purification by extending the RO membrane’s lifespan. These water purifiers work well with UV filtration systems by trapping dead bodies and residual bacteria after UV purification.
UF Water Purifiers – Frequently Asked Questions
UV and UF are different water purification processes. UV is excellent for eliminating bacteria, viruses, and microorganisms by killing them. UF traps these microorganisms in its membrane and prevents further water contamination. So they complement each other well.
UV and UF water purification combined produces high-quality pure water that is good for health.
The UF membrane pore size is 0.01 microns, whereas the RO membrane pores are smaller at 0.0001 microns. Secondly, RO water purification can trap dissolved substances, whereas the UF process cannot.
No. Ultrafiltration cannot remove heavy metal impurities if dissolved in the water. But the UF membrane can remove rust and other suspended heavy metals in water.
UF water purifiers are safe to use if the source water has TDS levels of less than 300. This process can handle suspended impurities and remove bacteria and viruses.
MF, also known as microfiltration, can trap contaminants with a size of 0.1 microns or more. On the other hand, UF is a superior water purification process because it can trap contaminants up to the size of 0.01 microns.
Yes. UF membranes require replacement usually after one year, depending on the water source quality.
Ultrafiltration can remove bacteria up to a specific size of 0.01 microns. As a result, smaller bacteria and viruses can sneak through the UF membrane.
It depends on the source water quality. If the water contains TDS less than 300 ppm, UF is an ideal water purification method.
Since the membrane pore size is around 0.01 to 0.02 microns, a pressure differential of 15 psi across the membrane is necessary.
Whether UV +UF water filter waste water ?. If TDS level of municipal water changes from 140 to 240 , then what brand water filter is suggested? TDS of supply water is less , within 200, but TDS level of water from overhead tank is more than 200. Whether UV +UF changes the taste of water ?
UV + UF Water purifier does not waste water. Only RO water purifiers waste water. The TDS levels in your Municipal water and Overhead tank both are in the excellent range. The UV + UF water purifiers only remove dust, chlorine, suspended impurities, bacteria, virus, and microbes from the water. Minerals and Salts will not be removed and there is no water wastage.
You can go with Kent Maxx UV UF or Aquaguard Aura UV water purifier.
I stay in sector 57 Gurgaon. I have checked the tds level of water, it’s around 207. I’m confused whether I should buy either ro or uv or uf. As TDs level is less than 300 and I have done some research, I think ro is not required. Kindly suggest the best option of all
I want a suitable water purifier which can remove the viruses …here water TDS is 300…
Help me what should I purchase?
Thanks
Hi,
i have got a Nero product RO UV UF TDS technology water filter, warranty period is over for the product. supplier is requesting for AMC in the process the engineer says they use some kind of chemicals for water purification and which need to be replaced in the due timely manner. please do let me know what kind of chemical they use and what would be the pros and cons of it.
I have not heard of the water purifier brand you have mentioned. For Top brand water purifiers like Kent, Aquaguard, Pureit, LG, Livepure, there will be filter change alarms that will notify you if there is a need to change the filter. As far as I know, only RO membrane, UV Bulb, UF and Activated carbon filters are replaced during the Annual Maintenance.
Hi
Need your inputs on Kangen water filters. We get municipal water of Godavari with very low tds levels- suggest me best filter.
I also heard that we should not use RO water filters as it will remove necessary minerals. Please advise.
I have no idea about Kangen water filters. For Low TDS water, you can opt for UV UF water purifiers like Kent Maxx or Aquaguard Superb. Unbranded or Local RO water purifiers remove all the minerals from the water. But, Branded RO water purifiers like Kent, Aquaguard, Pureit, LG, Livpure, AO Smith, BlueStar come with a TDS Controller that retains the natural minerals in the water. Some of the top RO water purifiers also has a Mineralizer that adds natural minerals to the water post-purification. But, In your case, a simple UV UF water purifier will be good.
Hello,
Kangen water is not really that effective. It’s no good, of not bad. There is no need for buying such an expensive water purifier. They claim to make your body alkaline by drinking alkaline water which is completely flase. Blood and all other systems have a mechanism known as buffer system which maintains the normal pH of the body. If you drink alkaline water, the only things that will become alkaline are : urine, sweat and saliva. The body tries to excrete the alkalinity. This is a marketing strategy and there are no studies showing that it is good. I’d rather suggest you stick to regular water purifiers which are in use since years.
I’m a doctor if it’ll help you believe what I just wrote.
Anuj Patel
Hi Sir, firstly thanks for the very informative and detailed blog/post
1. I live in Blr and getting kaveri water tds checked around 140ppm…Normal uv uf should suffice but taste is the problem so any alternative for taste with uv uf or for that i have to go for Ro ?
2.If Ro then please help me decide between Livpure Liv Glo with Mineraliser and no UF on Amazon or Livpure Pep Pro Plus on flipkart with UF and no Mineraliser and extra anti scalant catridge. Please refer the descriprion of both.
3.If i go with glo den no Uf so wat will filter the killed virus and bacteria killed by Ro and Uv and if i go with pep pro den no Mineraliser den post RO how do i get essential minerals. Very Confused
3. DIfference between Mineraliser and Taste enhancer
4. If i go with pep pro with UF ans 7 stage purification den will it be retaining required minerals or not post all purification
Please help decide.
For Low TDS levels, UV UF is enough. You are confused between Livpure Glo and Livpure Pep Pro . If there is no Mineralizer, the TDS reduction is done only up to 90%. If the TDS levels in your water are low, don’t go with RO that does not have a TDS Controller. There will be no problem even if there is no UF. Normally, Reverse Osmosis will remove all the bacterium and dissolved salts. UV, UF is employed for additional protection.
I stay in Mumbai Suburban town limits and the drinking water is Muncipal corporation Water supply normal , 24 hours supply except for two months – when it is regulated by time. Worst case for few days – Tanker supplied Well water in case of acute water shortage. Kindly let me know if an UF technology base Water purifier would be sufficient for family 5 members
Thanks
UF water purifiers are good for Low TDS water. In Most Places, water supplied by Municipal corporation contain low TDS levels. Tank Supplied well water might have high TDS. If you are not sure about the TDS levels, It is better to opt for RO water purifier. If you are looking for a UF water purifier, check out – Kent Maxx. It comes with UV UF Combination.
Kent Maxx
Chaitanya, Thank you for your reply.
Hello,
I am using HomePure water filter which is UF based. I stay in Bangalore where the source of water is only borewells. Although HomePure boasts of a 7-stage water filtration system, I am not sure if this would be filtering the dissolved salts. Could you please advise if we need to go for an additional filtering system (RO) as an input to the HomePure water filter. Thanks.
UF is good for Pre-Treated water but the Ultrafiltration based water purifiers are not capable of removing the dissolved salts. RO is required when the TDS levels (level of salts) in your water source is high.