A reverse osmosis system is an excellent way to get rid of your water supply of dangerous chemicals and impurities. However, if you have copper pipes or copper tubing, your system has several limits that you should be aware of. You can erase some of the benefits of your reverse osmosis system if you utilise copper pipes with it. Here's all you need to know about reverse osmosis systems and how they affect copper pipes.
What Makes the RO Water Different from Normal Raw Water?
Because it has gone through the rigorous reverse osmosis process, reverse osmosis water is extremely pure. Your reverse osmosis system will produce water with low TDS levels, which can be up to 95 percent lower in some situations. However, as previously stated, if the total dissolved solids (TDS) level is too low, the water may absorb some metals. This is why it's so important to pay particular attention to the metals utilised in the pipes, fittings, and faucet.
Water can include a wide variety of dissolved compounds, and the more it contains, the less it will try to absorb as more contaminants are introduced. Total dissolved solids, or TDS, is a method of determining how many pollutants are present in water. Water with a high TDS level is unable to absorb as many chemicals and compounds as water with a low TDS level. This means that the water going through your pipes may try to absorb part of what is passing through them in some circumstances.
What Happens When Copper Pipes and a Reverse Osmosis System Are Used Together?
Copper is a metal that easily leaches into water with low total dissolved solids levels. This is problematic since excessive copper levels can cause copper poisoning in people. Worse yet, the low TDS water can cause pitting in copper pipes. This can lead to minor pinhole leaks that are costly to repair over time. For reverse osmosis water, polyethylene tubing should be used instead of copper pipes. It will not leach, and it is also very simple to install beneath walls and in crawlspaces without having to worry about leaks.
Copper leaching from copper pipes into your reverse osmosis system will result in excessive copper levels in your water. When the piping that the water is flowing through begins to “dissolve” into the water, it is known as leaching. Copper is only required in a balanced diet of 2-3 milligrams per adult per day. Food will account for 90% of that, with drinking water accounting for 10% or less. You may get gastrointestinal side effects such as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and more if you drink water with high copper levels. Long-term exposure over months or years can result in severe liver damage and death.
What is the best pipe material for RO water?
The ideal material to use for RO water is polyethylene tubing. It is not only resistant to leaching, but it is also simple to run into crawlspaces and under walls without causing leaks. Installing RO systems in houses, or businesses or industries is effective for good water quality and contamination free water.
