| Water has been purified with activated carbon for | | | | quits working. At this point it is possible to "re-activate" |
| hundreds of years stretching back to ancient India. | | | | the carbon by reheating it and thus driving off the |
| Most of us have seen activated carbon for sale in pet | | | | impurities in the air. However, since this is a relatively |
| stores for cleaning water and have used a crude | | | | tricky process and may result in some impurities being |
| cousin, charcoal, to cook steaks in the backyard. | | | | picked up from the oven it is probably best to leave |
| As a refined version of charcoal, activated carbon is | | | | this to the experts and simply replace the carbon in the |
| made by super heating organic material like wood or | | | | water purifier. |
| coconut shells. This super heating drives out impurities | | | | Contact time is the primary attribute that determines |
| and causes the surface area of the resulting material | | | | the efficiency or effectiveness of water purifiers. |
| to become tremendous. It is this large surface area | | | | Image a flow of water that is moving at a hundred |
| that allows this substance to be used to clean water. | | | | miles per hour though a thin mat of activated carbon. In |
| For years the process of cleaning water with | | | | this scenario not much is going to happen because the |
| activated carbon in water purifiers was referred to as | | | | water is not in contact with the activated carbon for a |
| absorption. This term refers to what a sponge does | | | | sufficient period of time. Therefore the higher the |
| with water and it is easy to visualize the activated | | | | volume of water that the water purifiers is trying to |
| carbon acting like a sponge, soaking up contaminants. | | | | clean the larger the filter should be. This is why a |
| However, this is not actually how the process works. | | | | relatively small activated carbon water purifier works |
| The molecules inside the activated carbon are passive | | | | great on an ice maker in your home. Not much water |
| because they are connected to other molecules | | | | is moving though the filter's quarter inch line. This |
| around their entire perimeter. The molecules on the | | | | contact time constraint also indicates that it is better to |
| surface are not as "happy" because they are | | | | place several medium sized water purifiers around the |
| exposed on one side without another carbon molecule | | | | house than to install a water purifier for the whole |
| as company. Therefore, these exposed carbon | | | | house unless you are will to install a very large filter |
| molecules are actively seeking something to "hook to" | | | | that will have to handle showers and baths. |
| or bond with. As impurity in the water pass the | | | | Now we know that the activated carbon adsorbs |
| activated carbon these exposed molecules bond with | | | | rather than absorbs impurities and that contact time is |
| the impurities through a process of adsorption. When | | | | the most important component in the high quality water |
| the entire surface area of the activated carbon is | | | | equation. These facts indicate that it is best to add |
| covered with impurities is quits adsorbing impurities. | | | | several water purifiers where needed and to change |
| Once the entire surface of the activated carbon is | | | | the activated carbon filters on a regular basis. |
| completely covered with impurities the water purifier | | | | |