Water Filtration Basics for Bars and Restaurants

One of the most important components when running a bar or a restaurant is the water. It makes up 98% of daily operations. Despite its importance, many restaurant owners oversights this stage of preparation.

We all know that water is important in our daily life. However, not all water is safe to consume unless it’s filtered. There may be amounts of dissolved minerals, sediments, or even chemicals that may come with it.

Drinking high-quality water is vital in our daily life, so it is critical for bars and restaurants to produce one as it can affect the quality and flavor of the beverage.

If the restaurant and bar owners failed to consider water streamlines into consideration it can lead to serious business damage and can affect the equipment and pipes and may incur large repair costs. For this reason, having a good water filtration system is a good idea to consider. 

This filtration system blocks sediments, mineral deposits, scale, and other contaminants that can get from your water and equipment. Blocking these contaminants helps with purifying water as well as keeping the equipment run smoothly. It also helps in preventing beverages to have an odor and taste like chlorine.

What is Water Filter?

A water filter is like the strainer of the bars and restaurants. It allows water to pass through and blocks various contaminants.

Water is not simply water. It has different substances like sediments, dissolved minerals, and chemicals. The level of contaminants depends on the water source. It also varies on the way the water is delivered to the establishments. If the water goes through old pipes and plastic containers, the business is at risk for more contaminants.

Choosing a Water Filtration System

There are several water filtration systems to choose from, the situation of your business will determine which type will suit your bar or restaurant. However, you need to consider two things when looking to address water composition: the quality of water from your municipal area and the specific equipment you wish to use for your day to day operation. 

For you to get the best treatment for your application, first is you need to understand the chemicals present in your water. Determining these chemicals will help you avoid harmful effects on your equipment and produce high-quality water for your operation.

If you disregard this step, you could spend a large amount of money in the wrong filtration system and end up creating more issues that can be resolved in a much earlier stage. 

If you were able to determine the composition of your water, the next thing you need to do is to choose the right water filtration system that fits your needs. You need to keep in mind that not every situation is the same–read the QWL guide to learn more.

Types of Water Filtration

There are different basic types of water filtrations widely used in bars and restaurants. 

Mechanical Filtration

This is the most basic type of water filtration. Whether at home or in a bar or restaurant, water has unwanted sediments and particles such as dirt and rust. With the help of Mechanical filtration, it will utilize a media filter to remove contaminants such as dirt and sediments up to the microscopic level.

This type of filtration system is being applied to protect the primary filters from getting clogged by small particles. 

Carbon Filtration

This type of water filter uses a mechanical filter that activates carbon to reduce the level of chemicals such as chlorine, lead, PCBs, and other organic particles that cause odors and bad taste to the water. One of the major benefits of this type of water filtration is that it helps remove toxic chemicals without removing the minerals that are best in creating beverages.

However, this also has a downside. They struggle with removing chlorine and chloramine. If this is a big concern for you, you’ll have to take advantage of other filtration systems.

Scale Inhibitor

The next filtration system that can be useful to your bar or restaurant is the scale inhibitor. This water system uses an inhibitor for hard minerals and reduces its ability to form a scale and crystallization. This type of filtration is very helpful for filter drinking water and dishwasher.

However, this is not an applicable choice for steamers and ovens because these kinds of equipment produce high heat causing the inhibitor to fail. 

Ion Exchange

If your concern is about hard particles, the best water filtration for you is the Ion Exchange. This filter removes all hard minerals from water. It has a specific chemical process in which magnesium and calcium are exchanged for sodium ions.

Ion exchange is perfect for restaurants and bars that have dishwashers and espresso machines. It also makes water drinkable. It has resins specialized to treat different contaminants including perchlorate and uranium, which is toxic to the human body.

R.O

The last type of water filtration that you can use as an option for your bar or restaurant is the reverse osmosis. This filter forces water slowly through a valve to remove 95% of the total dissolved solids. The minerals are being discarded while the water is then going directly to a tank, where it is available to be consumed.

Since the reverse osmosis system removes all dissolved solids, it must have mineral addition to produce high-quality water perfect for any beverages the bars and restaurants offer to their customers. This type of water filtration is ideal if the water quality in the location of the restaurant is bad. 

The difference between reverse osmosis to other water filtration is that it is big in design and requires a lot of space. It needs electricity to be able to pump faster and a big space to store the tank. Mechanical filter, scale inhibitor, and ion exchange on the other hand has line filters and can be installed directly under the bar or restaurant’s countertop or in a wall. 

Looking for the best water filtration system for your restaurant and bar may be tough at first. However, choosing the right one is based on your location as well as your existing water lines. Consequently, it is important to test the quality of your water first before applying any system. Keep in mind that water is not just water, it more than meets the eye.