Comparison Atoll A-550m STD vs Atoll A-550p STD

The amount of water that the filter is able to pass through itself per unit of time (of course, effectively purified in the process); usually stated in liters per minute. This parameter is largely related to the type (see above): for example, in jugs, the filtration rate usually does not exceed 0.5 L per minute, while for main devices that supply entire apartments, a throughput of tens or even hundreds of liters is required.

Note that it does not always make sense to pursue a high filtration rate. After all, other things being equal, finer cleaning takes more time; accordingly, the faster the filter works, the higher the chance that the quality of such cleaning will be relatively low. And devices that purify water efficiently and quickly usually have an appropriate price. Therefore, it is worth considering the purpose of the filter and, on the basis of this, determine the balance between the filtration speed and its quality when choosing. It is also worth keeping in mind the conditions of use: for example, if you need to filter low-quality tap water for drinking, it is better to sacrifice speed in favor of efficiency.

The highest inlet water pressure at which a filter connected to a tap or water supply can operate indefinitely (at least until the resource is exhausted, see above) without breakdowns, failures, etc. In other words, this is the ultimate strength of the filter. Therefore, this parameter has a great importance, and when choosing a filter, you must make sure that it meets the characteristics of the connection point. In this case, it is best to choose a model with a margin: although the device will not break from short-term pressure surges in excess of the working device, but this will create off-design loads and can lead to early failure.

When buying a filter for ordinary domestic use, it can be assumed that the maximum pressure in the water supply, provided for by the housing and communal services standards of most post-Soviet countries, represents 6 atm, but its actual value is usually lower. Therefore, 6 atm filters are quite suitable for the definition of a “model with a margin” for apartments with medium and especially low water pressure.

The presence of a water mineralizer in the filter design. The mineralizer is usually a container filled with a special slowly dissolving mixture. Thanks to it, filtered water is saturated with various micronutrients: calcium, potassium, fluorine, ferrous (of course, not harmful colloidal ferrous, but another easily digestible form) and others. They have a positive effect on the human body and improve the taste of the water itself compared to completely purified water.

Mineralizers are found mainly in filters equipped with reverse osmosis systems (see above): the fact is that during the operation of such systems, not only harmful impurities are removed from the water, but also the mentioned micronutrients that got there naturally.

Models of replaceable cartridges for which the filter is designed. Knowing the names of models, it will be much easier for you to find a replacement for an exhausted cartridge. In addition, the options directly named by the manufacturer are fully compatible with the filter and correspond to official specifications, while there is no such guarantee for "non-native" cartridges.

Several names in this paragraph are usually indicated for filters with multi-stage filtration (see "Stages of purification") — a cartridge for each stage.

The filter has its own pump. This feature is found mainly in two types of filters. The first is reverse osmosis systems (see above): the operation of such filtration requires high pressure, but it is not always achieved at the inlet, and a pump, usually electric, is provided to increase the pressure. The second option is tourist filters (see "Type"), where the pump is designed to draw water from natural reservoirs; they have to be pumped manually.