Posted by William Vander Plaats on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 @ 03:59 PM
It is easy to get overwhelmed with "parts-per-million" measurements that indicate how MANY solids and other particles are contained within a sample of liquid. But when it comes to 
filtration of non-drinkable water, it is the size of the LARGER particles and not the sheer number of all particles that should be your biggest concern. In other words, SIZE matters more than QUANTITY, or VOLUME.
Consider the water in a cooling tower basin for a large building or factory. Without filtration, a certain amount of dirt and grit will accumulate in these cooling tower basins over time, reducing their effectiveness and leading to all sorts of problems, including Legionaire's Disease. There is no need to remove particles to make this water "drinking-water" clear (no particles larger than 5 microns in size).
To put the size of particles into perspective, look at the chart showing diameter sizes of
- a human hair
- the smallest thing the human eye can visibly see
- a white blood cell
- a red blood cell
- bacteria
This chart raises the questions "How clean is CLEAN ENOUGH" for a certain application, and "How much money and energy should be spent to reach that level?"
Separators can remove larger particles more efficiently and using less energy and wasting less water than any form of barrier filter, such as bag filters or cartridges. This is because barrier filters become less efficient as they become clogged with debris, while a separator continues to operate at the same efficiency. Separators can remove larger particles and can do so without ever needing bag replacement or other maintenance.
Want to learn more?
Download the complete Particle Size Fact Sheet LS-775 and our Whitepaper on Preventing Heat Exchanger Fouling through Proper Filtration.