How Effective is Boiling Water for Purifying It
Is Boiling Water the Best Way to Purify Water?
Introduction
Do you need a water treatment system that will provide you with clean and safe drinking water? Call Heartland Plumbing today at 281-688-5627 for advice, recommendations and installation.
When you discover contaminants in your water, you naturally look for ways to make it safer and healthier. A widely accepted method of removing contaminants from water is boiling. But is boiling water enough to clean it completely?
As plumbing professionals in Magnolia, Texas who have extensive experience with water filtration systems, this is one of the questions we receive regularly from homeowners and businesses. This article tells you everything you need to know about boiling water as a cleaning method.
What Is Purified Water?
Purified water is essentially water that is free of all contaminants. The goal of any water purification process is to remove chemicals, bacteria, toxins, and pathogens. Homeowners and businesses use different cleaning approaches to remove contaminants from ground and tap water.
Boiling Water as a Method of Purification
Boiling water is one of the oldest cleaning methods. This is a common household water purification method around the world, as boiling water can actually reduce the risk of getting sick from the water.
Bacteria and parasites cannot withstand the heat at boiling temperatures. As such, decoction is usually an effective way to remove them from your water.
So, is boiling water enough to make it pure, or are other cleaning methods better?
Unfortunately, boiling water is not enough to make it pure or improve water quality. Only impurities that cannot withstand high temperatures are inactivated.
This means that boiling cannot produce potable water as other contaminants such as insecticides, pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other organic and inorganic contaminants (such as dust and sand) remain in the water. In fact, the chemical reactions that occur when certain contaminants are boiled can make the water even more harmful.
Other Reasons Why Boiling Isn’t an Effective Method of Water Purification
Even if you just want to remove bacteria and viruses from your water, the CDC says you should boil it for one to three minutes. Unfortunately, some people turn off the stove almost as soon as it starts to boil.
Second, you need to give the boiled water time to cool before you can bottle it for consumption. The whole process of waiting for the water to cool and handling it can lead to the reintroduction of harmful contaminants.
Bacteria multiply incredibly quickly, especially in warmer temperatures. So all it takes is one dirty finger to undo the work done by cooking to reduce organic contaminants.
Best Ways to Purify Your Water
If you’re looking for ways to purify your water, it’s clear that you can’t rely on simply boiling it. Therefore, you need to look at other options. Depending on the type of contamination you want to remove, you may need to combine multiple options.
Ultrafiltration
This water purification method combines the use of pressure and a semi-permeable membrane to remove suspended solids and any high molecular weight organic or inorganic compounds from your water.
The process does not use any chemicals, but it is very effective and is characterized by the complete elimination of pathogens. However, it does not remove all contaminants, so it is best combined with other cleaning methods.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis purification systems force water through a semipermeable membrane to filter out all unwanted contaminants, dissolved solids and sediment. Reverse osmosis systems have special osmosis membranes that have been specially developed for this task and an activated carbon or sediment filter. The result is high-quality water, completely free of impurities, unpleasant odors and taste. Therefore, this method is generally the right choice for well systems or severely compromised tap water.
Ultraviolet or UV Filters
Ultraviolet filtration systems effectively remove all microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, from your water. These systems can stop these microorganisms from multiplying and eliminate up to 99.9% of the microorganisms already present without the use of chemicals. However, UV filters have the same disadvantages as boiling water: they do not remove physical or chemical contaminants.
UV cleaning systems come in a variety of sizes and shapes so you can find the right one for your home or business. For best results, it is best to combine them with reverse osmosis purification systems.
Micro Filtration Systems
Microfiltration systems filter your water with pore-sized membranes between 0.05 and 10 μm in size.
Thanks to the combination of membrane and sufficient operating pressure, microfiltration systems can remove all harmful microorganisms and suspended particles.
Ionizer Systems
These systems raise the pH of the water to alkaline levels to remove contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, chloramine, chlorine and other heavy metals. Ionizers can also remove stubborn contaminants like arsenic and chromium VI.
Some people believe that alkaline water boosts the immune system and slows down the aging process, but there isn’t any proven research to support these claims yet. If you intend to use these systems, it should only be for contaminant control.
Should You Keep Boiling Water to Eliminate Microorganisms?
Since we’ve found that boiling water only kills microorganisms, it seems like a good idea to boil your water and then use another effective purification method to remove non-microbial contaminants.
However, this is not a cheap solution. Think about what would be needed to cook, then filter all the water you need for drinking, cooking, washing, etc. Aside from the amount of time required to complete the task, it’s also a surefire way to increase your utility bills. Therefore, it is better to settle for a more convenient and profitable option.
Find the Perfect Water Purification System for Your Home Today!
Is boiling water enough for cleaning? NO. However, deciding on the best methods to remove contaminants from your home or business water requires water analysis and testing to determine the type of contaminant you are dealing with. Here we can help you!
Call Heartland Plumbing today at 281-688-5627 to find the perfect system for your Magnolia, TX property.
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