Sediment Filters

We stock a wide range of sediment filters in three standard sizes. 

2.5" x 10", 4.5" x 10" and 4.5" x 20", with micron ratings ranging from 0.2 micron to 50 micron.

Each sediment filter is individually wrapped. We do our best to stock the Watts brand, but on occasion have to substitute for a comparable brand. 

Sediment water filters with a micron rating of 5 or above can be washed and reused, thereby reducing filtration costs. For best results spray water directly into the pleats to dislodge any sediment. Or, leave to dry and then brush off the sediment from the cartridge surface.

For more information about washing sediment cartridges read our Q&A below. 

How do sediment filters work?

Sediment filters block unwanted particulate matter from getting into your water supply through a process known as mechanical filtration.
It's a bit like a screen door that you'd install in your house to stop bugs getting into your house. You want the lovely breeze flowing into your home, but not the bugs. So the screen door is the mechanical filter.  A sediment filter allows water to flow through it but captures the dirt, sand, and any other particulate matter the water is carrying. 
 

What do sediment filters remove?

Sediment filters remove particulate matter such as dirt, sand, dust, and debris that can be captured by its micron-rated capacity. Sediment filters also remove turbidity from water; the yellow, orange or brown cloudiness that can appear in water due to the presence of suspended solids.

Sediment filters don't remove chemicals, heavy metals, or dissolved particulate matter. Nor do sediment filters improve the taste or smell of water.

Sediment filters tend to be installed as prefiltres before water passes through a UV or Reverse Osmosis system.
 

What are sediment filters made of?

There are three main types of sediment filter; Pleated, Melt-Blown and String Wound.

Pleated sediment filters such as our NanoCeram cartridges look a bit like an accordion with thin sheets of filter media like polyester or polypropylene. The large number of pleats gives this sediment filter much more dirt holding capacity than other types of sediment filters. As the filter’s pleats take on dirt, a layer is formed on the filter that amplifies the filter’s efficiency. Pleated sediment filters that are 5 micron or above can be washed and reused.  

Melt-blown sediment filters are made up of layered fibres, where the inner core of the cartridge is denser than the outer core. As the water passes through the filter walls, the filter is able to clarify increasingly finer particulates. They're also often referred to as spun polypropyelene filters and are very good at filtering particulates of varying micron sizes because of the graduated layers. 

The third type of sediment filter is a variation of the melt-blown. String Wound sediment filters are made of tightly wound cotton, polyester, or polypropylene string. This string is wrapped firmly around a core, creating a graded density that will trap particulate matter. As water travels through the layers of string, finer and finer particulate matter is removed. The strings can begin to loosen when the filter becomes overloaded with sediment and you'll need to replace it.  

Can sediment filters be washed?

Yes they can and it will extend the cartridges life span. 

Washing the sediment cartridges is best done with the jet of water at an angle to the cartridge, up or down, not directly onto it.

However, the pores in the filter medium get blocked with tiny particles that can't be dislodged; so washing only extends the life a certain amount - usually enough for you to get by until you receive new cartridges.

If you've got high water pressure that can cope with a higher pressure drop then you could consider a spun filter cartridge that has a higher dirt holding capacity.

Although these do last longer the downside is that you get a higher pressure drop and also they aren't washable at all.

Please note that only 5 micron or above are washable. 

What is NanoCeram?

The NanoCeram pleated water filter cartridge acts as a broad spectrum particle magnet. They feature a thermally bonded blend of microglass fibres and cellulose infused with Nanoalumina fibres in a non-woven matrix. By using the scientific principle of electropositive attraction / capture, NanoCeram NASA derived technology leads to a rapid and highly efficient adsorption of virtually all particle sizes. When assembled into a pleated cartridge, NanoCeram offers a unique combination of efficiency, capacity, flow rate and low pressure drop at levels unmatched in today's filtration marketplace. 

NASA derived and patented technology to satisfy the most difficult needs in water treatment and purification.

NanoCeram filters use a highly electropositive filter media that rapidly adsorbs particles, no matter how small. As a result, each NanoCeram electropositive water filter has a high capacity for particles as large as tens of microns or as small as a few nanometers (sub-micron and colloidal).

What are the key features of NanoCeram pleated filter cartridges?

NSF / ANSI 53 certified
Reduces or removes bacteria, virus, and cysts.
NASA derived technology
Pleated construction yields high flow rates and low pressure drop.
Fits standard 2.5 x 10" residential and industrial housings.
Assembled using only FDA-compliant materials.

What are the benefits of NanoCeram pleated filter cartridges?

Reduced Costs & Enhanced Operations
Prefiltering fine and coarse particulate from water sources leads to dramatically improved performance and cost reductions.

Reduce capital intensive backflush, chemicals, and membrane replacements.
Increase reverse osmosis, carbon, ozone, and ultra violet filter performance.
Reduce spray nozzle micro-abrasions in finished goods manufacturing.

Greater Dirt Holding
Capacity
NanoCeram® is a broad spectrum particle adsorber that provides a DHC that is a hundred times greater than conventional filters.

Fewer system replacement elements.
Lower maintenance and operational costs.
Less system downtime and increased production.

High Flow Rate & Low Pressure Drop
NanoCeram® provides efficiency, capacity, and flowrate with low pressure drop for particulate, chemical, and soluble contaminant adsorption.

Less energy consumed resulting in lower operating costs
Reduced wear and tear on system components
Freedom from pressure constraints in a treatment system

Independent 3rd party testing verifies that NanoCeram® technology removes or reduces Virus and Bacteria.

Where can you use NanoCeram pleated filter cartridges?

Potable water - residential point of use / under counter / counter top water filtration systems
Potable water - point of entry (POE) systems
Food and beverage
RO filtration - silt density index (SDI) reduction 0.5-1.0
Process water - turbidity, particulate, colloidal suspensions
Waste water - biologicals, proteins, dyes
Cooling towers, chill water loops (iron removal)

Technical information about NanoCeram pleated filter cartridges

Media retention characteristics
Silt density index (SDI) 0.5-1.0
>99.99% efficiency at 0.2 microns
>3 LRV cyst retention (LRV is log reduction value)
>5 LRV Klebsiella terrigena retention (is a rare gramnegative organism, mostly found in soil and water)
Dirt holding capacity: 82g/ft squared which is superior to microglass, meltblown, and membrane media.
>99.99% Endotoxin removal (a toxin present inside a bacterial cell that is released when it disintegrates.)
Effective at high / low pH and in Presence of Salt Water.

Operating conditions
Temperature: 39-140 F (4-60 C)
High Temp: 39-190 F (4-88 C)
pH Range: 5-10
Terminal pressure drop: 35psi (2.4 bar)
Maximum Salinity: 200,000 ppm

Flow Rate
2.5-10 Nominal 4 Maximum 10
4.5-10 Nominal 10 Maximum 25
4.5-20 Nominal 20 Maximum 50