The 6 Types of Commercial Water Filters And How to Choose the Right One for Your Business
Choosing the right water filter for your business can feel overwhelming. You know how crucial clean, filtered water is for your food and beverage services, but with so many options, where do you even start?
Let’s break down the six most common types of commercial water filters so you can make an informed decision. Not all commercial settings are the same, and your water filter should reflect your business needs. Let’s look at each type and guide you in picking the best one to meet your needs. But first, what exactly are commercial water filters, and why are they so important?
What Are Commercial Water Filters?
Commercial water filters are specialized equipment designed to purify large volumes of water in commercial or industrial settings. They ensure water used for cooking, drinking, or beverage dispensing meets high-quality standards by removing contaminants, impurities, and odors.
Whether you run a restaurant, hotel, or any food or hospitality-based service operation, having the right water filter is crucial for maintaining the taste and safety of your business's water supply.
How Do Commercial Water Filters Compare to Home Water Filters?
Commercial water filters differ significantly from home water filters in terms of scale, capacity, flow rate, and filtering needs. In a business setting, especially in food service and hospitality, water filters must meet specific regulatory standards (such as health codes) to ensure water quality and safety.
Given the demands of these settings, commercial filters need to offer higher throughput, greater durability, and absolute reliability. While home filters are designed to handle daily personal use, often catering to small households, commercial filters are built for high-volume, continuous use.
Restaurants, hotels, and industrial facilities require systems that can efficiently process large amounts of water daily without compromising quality or performance.
Relying on a home water filter in a commercial setting is not only inefficient but could lead to non-compliance with industry standards, putting your business at risk.
Different Types of Commercial Water Filters
As each business is not the same, each type of commercial water filter is not either. Each water filter type has its pros and cons, which can help you determine what your business needs. Below is a breakdown of the most common commercial water filters available:
1. Sediment Water Filters
Sediment water filters are designed to remove larger particles from your water supply, such as sand, dirt, and rust. They work as a first line of defense by trapping these contaminants before they reach more advanced filtration systems.
One key benefit of sediment filters is that they help protect other filtration components from damage, prolonging their lifespan. They are also relatively cost-effective, making them an affordable option for businesses.
However, sediment filters have limitations—they do not remove chemicals, bacteria, or dissolved solids. As a result, they are often used in combination with other types of commercial water filters to ensure comprehensive water purification.
2. Carbon Water Filters
Carbon water filters use activated carbon to absorb chemicals, chlorine, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from your water supply. This type of water filter is highly effective at improving both the taste and odor of water, making it a popular choice in restaurants and hospitality settings where high-quality water is essential.
One of the main advantages is that carbon filters reduce harmful chemicals, helping to deliver safer, better-tasting water. However, they do require regular replacement to maintain their effectiveness, and they are not designed to remove heavy metals or minerals like lead or calcium.
As a result, carbon filters are often combined with other commercial water filtration methods to achieve a more comprehensive purification process.
3. Reverse Osmosis (RO) Systems
Reverse Osmosis (RO) water filters use a semi-permeable membrane to remove dissolved solids, bacteria, viruses, and other impurities from water. This makes RO filters one of the most effective methods for delivering highly purified water, ideal for commercial settings where water quality is critical.
However, the filtration process is slower compared to other methods, which can be a drawback in high-demand environments. Additionally, RO systems tend to have a higher waste ratio, meaning they produce more wastewater during the filtration process. They also cost more upfront and require more maintenance, making them a more significant investment for businesses.
4. UV Purification Systems
UV purification water systems use ultraviolet light to kill bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms, making them a powerful option for chemical-free water disinfection.
This method is particularly attractive for businesses prioritizing eco-friendly solutions, as it doesn’t introduce any chemicals into the water. UV systems are also relatively low maintenance, with few parts requiring regular replacement.
However, UV purification has limitations—it does not remove sediments, chemicals, or heavy metals from the water supply. As a result, UV systems are often paired with other filtration methods, such as sediment or carbon filters, to ensure complete water treatment in commercial settings.
5. Ion Exchange Water Filters
Ion exchange water filters work by swapping undesirable ions, such as calcium and magnesium, with less harmful ones, typically sodium or potassium. This process effectively softens water, making it an excellent choice for businesses dealing with hard water. It also helps reduce scaling in pipes and appliances, prolonging their lifespan and improving efficiency.
One major advantage is that ion exchange systems are great for softening water, which can prevent costly maintenance issues in a commercial setting.
However, a downside is that the process adds sodium to the water, which may not be ideal for all applications. Additionally, ion exchange filters are less effective at removing other contaminants like bacteria or chemicals, so they often need to be paired with additional filtration methods for more comprehensive water treatment.
6. Sub-Micron Water Filters
Sub-micron water filters are a more advanced type of sediment filter designed to capture much smaller particles than standard sediment filters. While regular sediment filters remove larger particles like sand and rust, sub-micron filters target micron-sized particles and suspended solids, making them far more efficient at removing contaminants.
These filters are highly effective at capturing bacteria, viruses, aerosols, and even oils, ensuring your water is as clean and pure as possible. One of the most significant advantages is that they don’t reduce water flow or pressure, which is especially important for businesses that rely on consistent water flow and serve high volumes of water and carbonated beverages.
Sub-micron filters are also easy to clean and replace, and with their extremely high efficiency, they offer superior protection for your water systems. As for drawbacks, there are none—these filters remove even the smallest particles, making them a top-tier option for commercial water filtration.
How to Select the Right Type of Commercial Water Filter for Your Business
Selecting the right water filter for your business involves several key considerations to ensure you meet both your operational needs and regulatory standards. Here are some questions to ask when making your decision:
1. What do I need to remove from my water supply?
Assess your specific water quality requirements by testing your water supply for contaminants.
Different set-ups and cities (even different parts of cities) have different contaminants in the surrounding area. By testing your water supply, you’ll know exactly what is coming out of the city-treated water and exactly what you don’t want to go into your establishment.
2. How much water will you be using daily (and how much of that will need to be filtered)?
Understanding the daily volume of water used is critical to deciding what filter type will work best for your business. For restaurants, bars, and hotels, prioritize systems that provide high throughput and can handle peak demand without sacrificing quality.
3. Where will the water filter be installed?
As a smaller business, you may need something that can cover your entire plumbing rather than something under a specific machine/faucet, which will impact the types of commercial water filter options you have.
4. How will your establishment be using water?
Consider the unique needs of your business. How will you provide water, and when will you provide it? How many guests do you expect to see in a day? Fine dining restaurants may require more advanced filtration methods, like reverse osmosis or sub-micron filters, to ensure the highest quality water for cooking and beverages. And even then, a high-end hotel that houses 100 guests and provides fine dining vs. a hotel that sees hundreds of guests and includes breakfast will use water in different ways.
5. How long will the filter last until it needs to be cleaned or replaced?
Durability and ease of maintenance are also crucial. You want a system that can withstand heavy use and won’t disrupt your operations with frequent replacements or repairs.
In larger hotels, restaurants, bars, and hospitality-based businesses, you can’t stop everything or impede the customer experience frequently to replace water filtration systems.
Also, if your water filters are harder to clean, you could spend more time cleaning the filter of your water dispensing system.
Both considerations could become a reality with a cheap system that can’t handle large volumes.
6. Will this system comply with local health codes?
Finally, always look for systems that comply with local health codes to avoid any regulatory issues. A qualified water filtration expert can provide tailored recommendations based on your business needs and help you navigate the best options.
Why Micro Matic’s Hydro Water Dispensing Systems
Investing in Micro Matic’s Hydro Water Dispensing Systems offers an innovative and efficient filtration solution for commercial settings.
Utilizing advanced microfilter technology, this submicron filter effectively removes impurities while maintaining water quality. Coupled with its advanced recirculating cold-loop technology, the system keeps water perfectly chilled right up to the point of dispensing, ensuring that every glass is refreshing and pure.
One of the standout features of the Hydro system is its high-volume output, making it ideal for busy environments like restaurants, hotels, and healthcare facilities. It is also cost-efficient and emphasizes sustainability and easy maintenance.
Another unique feature is that the system maintains pressure during filtration, which is crucial for carbonated beverages and beverage dispensing systems. This allows cocktails and other beverages to be offered straight on tap.
Plus, the cartridge replacement process is straightforward, with all components contained within the cartridge to minimize the risk of contamination during changes—an advantage over many other filtration systems.
By choosing Micro Matic, you’re ensuring that your business delivers the highest quality water while enjoying reliability and efficiency benefits.
The Right Type of Commercial Water Filter Is the One that Fits Your Business Needs
To select the right system for your business, you need to understand the various types of commercial water filters—sediment, carbon, reverse osmosis, UV purification, ion exchange, and sub-micron filters. Each type has its unique strengths and limitations, highlighting the importance of aligning your filtration choice with your specific operational needs and water quality requirements.
Micro Matic’s Hydro Water Dispensing Systems stand out for those seeking versatile and reliable solutions. These water dispensing systems offer advanced filtration technology and efficient water delivery.
Don’t compromise on the quality of water for your business; explore Micro Matic’s solutions today to ensure you provide your customers with the best possible experience.
Contact us now to learn more about how our Hydro Water Dispensing Systems can meet your commercial water filtration needs!