Water filter cartridge: the need for regular replacement and the considerations behind it

In the pursuit of healthy drinking water, water purifiers have gradually entered thousands of households, becoming an important device for many families to ensure water safety. However, with the increase in the use of time, a have to face the problem in front of the user: water purifier need to regularly replace the filter element? This issue is not only related to the normal operation of the water purifier, more directly related to the quality of our daily drinking water. In-depth discussion of this issue will help us better understand the working principle of the water purifier and maintenance points, so as to protect the family's healthy drinking water.

The working principle of the water purifier and the importance of the cartridge
To find out whether the filter cartridge needs to be replaced regularly, we must first understand the working principle of the water purifier. Simply put, the water purifier is mainly through a variety of cartridges on the raw water filtration process, to remove impurities, pollutants and harmful substances in the water, so as to get in line with the drinking standard of purified water.

Different types of cartridges play their own unique role in the water purification process. The common ones are as follows:

PP cotton cartridge: it is located in the first pass of water filtration, usually responsible for the initial interception of large particles of impurities in the water, such as sediment, rust, etc.. This process can effectively reduce the burden of the subsequent cartridge and extend its service life.
Activated carbon cartridge: activated carbon has a rich pore structure, the residual chlorine in the water, organic matter, odor and some heavy metals have a certain adsorption capacity. It is like a “cleaning guard”, can effectively improve the taste and odor of water, and provide a better foundation for subsequent filtration processes.
Ultra-filtration (UF) cartridge or reverse osmosis (RO) membrane cartridge: both are key components of deep filtration. Ultrafiltration membrane can filter out bacteria, colloids and other macromolecules, retaining some beneficial minerals; and reverse osmosis membrane filtration precision is higher, almost all the impurities in the water can be intercepted, allowing only water molecules to pass through, so as to get more pure water.
Filter element in the water purification process assumes such an important role, so its working condition directly affects the quality of water. With the passage of time and the use of water increases, the cartridge will gradually be clogged by impurities in the water, and its filtration performance will also decline.

Negative effects of clogged cartridges

Reduced water output
This is probably the first problem that users will notice. As the use of time increases, impurities continue to accumulate on the cartridge, resulting in a narrower water flow channel, the water flow is impeded, the water purifier's water output is significantly reduced. Originally, when you turn on the faucet, the water can flow out quickly to meet the needs of daily use; but after the cartridge is clogged, the water flow becomes weak when you turn on the faucet as well, and the time to wait for a full glass of water may also become longer. This not only brings inconvenience to the user's daily water use, such as cooking, dishwashing, washing clothes and other daily activities, but also may affect the water pressure, which may lead to interference with the work of other water appliances.
Poor water quality
The filtering capacity of the cartridge will gradually decrease over time. When the cartridge is severely clogged, it is unable to effectively remove impurities and harmful substances from the water, and these pollutants may flow into our domestic water through the water purifier. Specifically, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, chemicals and other harmful substances in the water may remain, thus jeopardizing human health; the increase of rust, sediment and other impurities visible to the naked eye in the water will make the water cloudy, which will seriously affect the appearance of the water, and may carry other pollutants. In addition, the taste and odor of the water may again deteriorate, making it difficult to drink with confidence.
Increase the burden on the equipment and shorten its service life
After the cartridge is clogged, the water purifier will automatically increase the working pressure in order to maintain the normal water flow. This will make the entire equipment components, including water pipes, connectors, pumps, etc., to withstand a greater pressure and load than normal operation. Long-term in this high-load working condition, these parts are more likely to wear and tear, damage and other problems, which in turn affects the overall performance and stability of the water purifier. Frequent breakdowns will not only bring additional maintenance costs, but also increase the frequency of equipment repair and replacement, which may ultimately lead to a significant reduction in the service life of the water purifier.

The need to change the cartridge at regular intervals
From the above analysis, it is easy to see that there are numerous negative effects of clogged cartridges, and in order to avoid these problems, it is vital to replace the cartridges in a timely manner.
It varies from type to type and brand to brand. Generally speaking, the service life of PP cotton cartridge is 2 - 3 months, activated carbon cartridge is about 3 - 6 months, ultrafiltration (UF) cartridge is about 1 - 2 years, and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane cartridge is relatively long-lived, about 2 - 3 years. However, this is only a general reference, the actual service life will be affected by water hardness, water consumption, use and other factors.
For example, in areas of high water hardness, the water contains more calcium, magnesium and other ions, more likely to form scales on the cartridge, thus accelerating the clogging of the cartridge, its service life may be much shorter than the theoretical value; on the contrary, in the areas of good water quality, the service life of the cartridge may be appropriate to extend. In addition, if a family has a large amount of daily water consumption, such as more than one person at home and often use the water purifier, then the filtering load of the cartridge will be higher, and the corresponding service life may be reduced.
Therefore, in order to ensure that the water purifier can always be in good working condition, to provide users with continuous, stable and healthy drinking water, regular replacement of the cartridge is very necessary.

In addition to regular replacement, what other considerations
Although the regular replacement of the cartridge is a key link to ensure the normal operation of the water purifier, but we can not completely ignore the impact of other aspects.
Reasonable to avoid long-term overuse of the water purifier, the water purifier can be appropriately turned off during the low water use period, in order to reduce the working time and pressure of the filter cartridge. At the same time, pay attention to gently open and close the faucet to avoid the sudden impact of the water flow on the cartridge causing unnecessary pulling and damage.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Regularly clean the shell of the water purifier, can be gently wiped with a damp cloth. For the internal water tank, water pipes and other components, you can also under the guidance of professionals to carry out appropriate cleaning. If you are using a water purifier with a backwash function, follow the instructions for regular backwash operations to further remove dirt and impurities from the filter cartridge.
Choosing the right product
When purchasing a water purifier, choose the right product according to your needs and water quality. For example, in a more polluted water environment, you can prioritize reverse osmosis water purifiers to ensure better purification.

Regular replacement of water filter cartridges for the protection of water quality and extend the service life of the equipment plays a vital role. We can not ignore this important link because of momentary negligence. Only regular replacement of the cartridge, and other related use and maintenance work, in order to let the water purifier really escort our healthy drinking water. Let us start from the focus on filter replacement, care for every water-related details, for themselves and their families to create a healthier, safer living environment.