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Micron might be an unfamiliar measurement unit to you. But if you have ever purchased any water filtration system, you might have brought it back in your mind that the unit was once mentioned by a salesman or highlighted on the package a filter. To help you better understand the meaning of the micron, we will offer you a thorough introduction about a micron in this article, and make it clear that how it affects your choices on water filtration systems.
What is Micron
Micron, a short of the micrometer, is a unit for measuring length. There are one million micrometers in one meter, in another word, a micron is equivalent to one millionth of a meter. It is a common unit of measurement for the sizes of biological cells and bacteria.
We often use this measurement unit to describe an item that is “invisible” –too small to be seen by human eyes. Normally, our naked eyes can only spot things with a size down to 0.1 mm (millimeters), which is 1000 times bigger than one micron.
Let’s see how big is a micron.
- 1 Micron = 1 Millionth of a Meter
- 1 Micron = 1 Thousandth of a Millimeter
- 1 Micron = 39 Millionth of an Inch (0.000039)
- 4 Micron = 1 Thousand of an Inch
- 40 Microns = Visible with Magnification
- 40 to 90 Microns = Diameter of a Human Hair
If you are still at a loss to make sense of how small of a micron. Get a better idea through the comparison below.
| Material | Size (Approximate) |
|---|---|
| Beach Sand | 0.3 to 60 microns |
| Corn Starch | 0.1 to 0.8 microns |
| Dust Mites | 100 to 300 microns |
| Smoke (Wood) | 0.2 to 3 microns |
| Sugar (Powdered) | 60 microns |
| Pet Dander | 0.5 to 100 microns |
| Coffee (Ground) | 5 to 400 microns |
Microns Play an Important Role at Every Step of Filtration
To determine whether a water filter works as expected, check out the micron rating that is usually printed on the packaging or on the filter body. Micron rating makes up an essential part of any filtration system. It decides a filter’s capacity of how big and how many debris can it remove. From the value alone, you can easily get important information and make the right option, even before the hoax of a confident salesman.
For industries, there are several common micron ratings:
- 5 Microns: Food and beverage industry often use filters of 5 microns to deal with juice and liquid. The 5-micron filters work great in removing tiny debris from liquid, but they can easily get clogged or debris buildup.
- 10 Microns: This rating is more commonly used in oil or chemical plants. It removes some tiny materials that cannot be seen by naked eyes, but at this level, microbes like bacteria and viruses still can proceed without unimpeded access.
- 25 Microns: Filters of 25 microns are usually for chemical processing industries. They can filter out anything larger than the size of a white blood cell without clogging issues.
- 50 Microns: This rating is popular in many industries. Filters of 50-micron level only filter out particles that can be seen with the human eye, such as human hair and larger debris. And clogging issues is not a problem.
For household use, it is necessary to make clear your needs—clean water for washing vegetables, fruits, or pure water to drink? Find out what you need is the only way to purchase the exact water filters.
To help you make a quick option, here is the list of the sizes of contaminants often found in drinking water. Find out what you don’t want in your filtered water, then choose its size as the standard for choosing the micron rating of the water filters.
| Impurities | Size |
|---|---|
| Bacteria | 0.3-60 microns |
| Atmospheric Dust | 0.001-40 microns |
| Bromine | 0.1-0.7 microns |
| Smoke From Natural Materials | 0.01-.01 microns |
| Carbon Dioxide | 0.0065 microns |
| Household Dust | 0.05 microns |
| Dust Mites | 615 microns |
| Mold | 3-12 microns |
| Pollen | 10-1000 microns |
| Pet Dander | 0.5-100 microns |
| Lead Dust | 0.1-0.7 microns |
| Pesticides & Herbicides | 0.001 microns |
| Silt, Fine | 8-13 microns |
| Silt, Very Fine | 4-8 microns |
| Chlorine | 0.000175 microns |
Whole-home filters often have a filtration structure of pre-filter and main filter. The multi filtration process allows you to enjoy more secure drinking water. The pre-filter is for removing larger particulates such as impurities, contaminants, and other debris larger than 1 micron, while the main filter focuses on dealing with smaller impurities like chlorine, chloramines, and bacteria. Therefore, when you choose a whole home filter, keep an eye on the micron rating of its multi-filters.
There are some other efficient water filtration systems for you to choose from, too.
Indoor & Outdoor Drinking Water Filter System 3.25 Gallons
This outdoor and indoor water purifier system can effectively remove harmful chemicals, bad tastes, odors. It filters out 99.99% bacteria, heavy metals,100% particles larger than 0.9 microns, and prevents Cholera, Typhoid, Salmonellosis, Leptospirosis, Dysentery, E.Coli infections, and many more from getting into your water glass.
Featuring state-of-the-art technology, this water filter EDR1RXD1 replacement can greatly remove chlorine, lead, mercury, cadmium, and thallium that are harmful to our human’s health. It also reduces odor, chlorine taste, dirt, dust, and other harmful sediments in the water.
In the End
Now that you have learned one of the most important tacks to choose the best water filters—check out the micron rating to decide the filter’s filtration capacity. Practice it right now by ordering refrigerator water filters, outdoor water filtration systems, faucet water filters, and more on Clatterans.com.
