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Cartridge filters have the advantage of being low cost, easy to install, use no electricity, and generate no wastewater.
However, the disadvantages of cartridge filters are that eventually, sediment will plug up the Water Filter Cartridge membrane's pores, cause pressure drop, and result in a loss of water pressure in the home or business.
Cartridge filters, however, are easy to change and, in the case of some pleated cartridges, are easy to clean and re-use.
Cartridge filters for sediment removal come in many sizes and types but generally fall into two kinds: Surface Filter Cartridges and Depth Filter Cartridges.
Cartridge filters are often installed in series with a larger micron-rated cartridge filter first, followed by smaller micron-rated filters, down to 1 micron.
Filtration with surface filters takes place only on the surface of the filter membrane.
Sheets of polypropylene, nylon or Teflon, etc., are pleated and bonded on ends to provide a high filtration area. The contaminants are trapped on the sheet's surface, forming a layer that will eventually aid filtration in itself.
As the pressure drop increases, the filter cartridge can be removed from the filter housing and washed off at some point.
One advantage of surface filters is they can be washed off, and the cartridge can be reused.
While pleated filters are often used as coarse pre-filters, usually in the range of 30 500 microns, they can also be used in sub-micron applications. They provide finer and consistent filtration due to their definable pore size and structure.
Filtration ratings for pleated surface filter cartridges can be anywhere between 50-micron down to 0.04-micron absolute, generally used in semiconductors or pharmaceutical water filtration.
Compared to a depth filter, a surface (pleated) filter will have a much higher filtration area to compensate for the absence of depth. Filtration areas can go as high as 11 square feet in a regular 10 x 2.5 cartridge or higher.
Depth filters are commonly seen as wound string, spun, or melt-blown cartridges that trap particles of larger size on the surface and smaller particles under the surface down to the center core.
They work best when a variety of particle sizes are being filtered. Depth filters remove more sediment and hold more sediment in general, without losing pressure, than a surface filter cartridge.
Filter cartridges for sediment removal are rated in microns. A micron rating for a water filter indicates the ability of the filter to remove contaminants by the size of the particles.
A marked 5 microns filter has some capability in capturing particles as small as 5 microns.
Filter micron ratings for water are usually Nominal or Absolute.
For sediment removal, nominal-rated cartridges are more common.
Absolute ratings are needed to remove Giardia, a type of parasite when it becomes important that the filter cartridge absolutely must be rated at 1 micron.
A. Nominal Micron Rating
NMR usually means the filter can capture a given percentage of particles of the stated size. For example, a filter might have a nominal rating of 90% at 10 microns.
B. Absolute Micron Rating
Absolute Micron Rating or AMR is a single pass test obtained by passing fluid-containing glass beads through a flat sheet of filter material. Any beads that pass through are captured and measured. You want an AMR filter for removing parasites and cysts if you are filtering lake or creek (surface water or your well water is under the influence of surface water
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One advantage of the whole house filter housings is that you can experiment with different water filter cartridges to see what works best for your application.
Generally, we recommend pleated 50-micron filter cartridges followed by a dual grade 25/1 micron depth filter.
For very fine sediment in the range of 1 to 5 microns, we recommend dual-grade depth filters.
Dual grade depth filters start at 50 on the outside and filter down to 5 microns on the inside, which is very effective over a wide range of sediment particles.
Dual grade filter cartridges will remove 2.3 times the amount of sediment that standard spun or string wound filters remove.
For more information on removing sediment from your water, visit our Sediments page on our Water Problems tab.
See the CDC page on filters
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An optimized filtration process is key for process efficiency, safety and productivity in upstream, midstream and downstream oil & gas and refining applications. Not all cartridges are created equal. Relatively small changes in filter characteristics (also called cartridge or element) can have a big impact on process efficiency and output. In this article we have listed some key questions to help in selecting the right cartridge for your filtration application.
What are you filtering?
The type, size, volume of contaminants has a major impact on the type of cartridge. Also, based on where the element is in the process, it maybe used to filter specific contaminants ranging from solids, liquids, or semi-solids. Do you have a wide micron size spectrum of contaminants, semi-solids, or shear sensitive solids? For example, waxy or paraffinic semi-solids can wreak havoc on surface loading (pleated) elements, causing frequent changeouts and higher operating costs.
What is the chemical compatibility?
Another big factor to consider is the chemical compatibility of the media with the process feed. The obvious problem with compatibility is the media and filter components can be destroyed by a chemical attack. An issue that we have observed is the cartridge media can have an affinity towards a product and swell up making it less effective causing premature high differential pressures and lower filter run times.
Where in the process is the element being used?
Cartridge selection is determined by evaluating the entire process. A filtration system upstream of the heat exchanger would protect it from fouling and efficiency losses but temperature constraints may make some filter options unviable. Each filtration media type and components used to manufacture the elements have temperature constraints, and limited options work effectively at high temperatures. A filtration expert can work with you to ensure all filtration components are suitable for your application.
Do you have an existing vessel?
Existing vessel design should always be evaluated for proper operation. Are the cartridges creating a positive seal during operation and is your filter designed to minimize the number of possible leak paths? For example, many small diameter filters have a double open end or DOE configuration that utilize a separate cap and spring which provide multiple bypass points if not installed correctly. Contact your filter expert to see if the same cartridge is available with an integral cap and spring. Typically, there are several options available on the market from different manufacturers. Another option is to check with suppliers to see if there is a more effective way of utilizing the existing vessel by reconfiguring the internals.
Is your current cartridge media being used to its fullest extent?
A cartridge should not be evaluated on surface area alone. Bridging is a scenario which is caused by overcrowding media in an element compromising the effective surface area. It is also possible to have too much filter media in a cartridge causing the filter to be less effective. In some applications depth style elements are beneficial, and in others pleated style elements are more appropriate. Additionally, a used filter analysis is a very good way to determine if your existing element is performing properly and to its fullest capability.
Selecting the right cartridge is critical for filtration success. Read this Twist-LOKTM case study to see how changing the elements can improve the overall filtration process.
Explore our extensive range of filter cartridges or get in touch to organize an obligation-free filtration optimization consultation today!
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