Inexpensive, Effective, And Easy Diatomaceous Earth Filtration

Back during WWII, a substance was needed to use as a filter for drinking water for the troops. Many of them were finding themselves in parts of the world where they had no access to the water they needed for drinking and basic sanitation. The filtering device also needed to be lightweight enough for soldiers to carry with them wherever they went. In answer to this need, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Laboratories created a filtering system made from diatomaceous earth (DE) which fulfilled all of the criteria required. After the war, the production of DE filters continued.

So what makes diatomaceous earth work so well for filtration? To start with, it’s naturally-occurring, and there is an almost unending supply of it available. Made up of the fossils of tiny algae called diatoms, it has no odor or taste. It is also chemically inert which means it adds no active ingredients to drinking water and other liquids. Chemically it is comprised of 85% silica plus small amounts of sodium, magnesium, and iron. The tiny fossils it contains are small enough to filter out very tiny microorganisms, chemicals, and even bacteria from water leaving it safe for human consumption.

There are actually two different types of DE filters available: pressure and vacuum filters. With a pressure filter there needs to be a pressure chamber which encloses it as well as a pump or another high pressure water source at the point of inflow. Vacuum filters, on the other hand are quite inexpensive to install and use no chemicals at all. They are open to the atmosphere with a pump on their effluent sides. Besides drinking water, DE filters are used in swimming pool and fish tank filtration as well as numerous other industrial applications.

Although diatomaceous earth filters are quite durable and hold up very well to a great deal of use, a time will still come when they will need to be replaced. After all, they work like they do because the small particulates in the water catch in them passing only the clean water through the filter, so eventually the filter will fill up to the point where water is unable to flow through. At that point some filters can be cleaned while others will need to be replaced. Fortunately, DE is inexpensive enough to be cost effective for most applications.

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