What Are The Advantages Of Pleated Filters?
The staff at US Water are frequently asked about what type of filters to use. Today we are going to focus on whole-house filtration, specifically what type of filter is best for that application.
Pleated filter cartridges outperform wound, spun, melt blown, resin bonded and other ”depth” type filter elements because these cartridges are pleated to provide increased surface area and longer life. Lower pressure drop is another significant advantage of using pleated cartridges, which allows for increased flow rates and the use of smaller filter housings to reduce capital equipment costs.
Additional savings are provided because cartridges made with 100% synthetic filter media are cleanable, five micron and up, to lower cartridge replacement costs. A good pleated filter cartridge will outperform other types of cartridges because the filter media is systematically produced using 100% synthetic fibers, with no binders or additives to leave a residue, foam or contaminate. Pleated cartridges provide “depth” filtration for greater sediment removal, along with more surface area.
Pleated Filter Features
- Filter media is pleated for greater surface area.
- Synthetic filter media is cellulose-free.
- Thicker filter media has a greater capacity to capture and retain particles, compared to thin, more rigid media types, which have less void space for particle retention.
Pleated Filter Benefits
- Low pressure drop, long life, reduced filtration costs, compared to wound and spun cartridges.
- No additives or binders, which may cause foaming.
- Increased dirt holding capacity, longer life, fewer cartridge replacements needed, and reduced filtration costs, compared to other pleated cartridge suppliers.
- Increased particle removal efficiency and longer life.
- Reduced cost per gallon filtered.
It would be very unusual for there to be a situation where a pleated filter would not dramatically outperform any other filter for a whole house application. Simply put, a pleated filter works better and costs less. US Water distributes pleated filters manufactured by Harmsco, Watts, Flowmatic and Liquatec to fit most filter housings, such as American Plumber, Pentek, Ametek, Cuno and others.
12 Comments
Can you get a pleated filter for a Culligan water softener that takes a webbed or spun filter
Suzanne, Yes, you can – simply give US Water a call and tell them what size you need. 800-608-8792
Would a pleated sediment filter work well for a reverse osmosis unit. Could I use a 1 micron pleated sediment filter instead of a 5 micron polyspun filter?
Nick, You could absolutely use a pleated filters and do every well. However, if you are doing that I would certainly use a Harmsco filter because it has so much more media.
do pleated water filters vs. string filters reduce the flow of water?
Only when they plug up, because they trap a lot more than a string filter. A string filter reduces flow less because it does not trap as much sediment. If you want the best filtration, you will choose pleated. If you just don’t care how sediment you trap, then a string filter is the king.
I’ve been using a pleated 20” cartridge in my BB for many years, but accidently bought a box of polypropylene 5mic recently…city water. Any concerns about effectiveness, flow rate…or should I toss and just consider it a mistake? My AC filter next in line, but upon initial use after refilling carbon see some carbon in the water for a bit…does this have a negative affect on faucet aerators…recently replaced two after 14years…they appeared to have some black material in them. One site showed a flow rate for paper…10gpm, poly…20gpm…I figured the poly would be harder to get water through? Thanks for your time.
The poly filters have more pressure drop and won’t last as long, but if you have them… use them!
I recently had a Pentair Big Blue Water Filter system installed and am confused about what kind of replacement filter to buy. The person who installed it used a Pentek S1-BB filter (20 microns and it was pleated). I subsequently needed to replace the UV Bulb and was advised by the Water Solutions tech to replace that filter with a 10" 5 micron BB filter. I did not actually see that filter but am not certain that it was also pleated. I spoke with a Pentek rep who recommended using DGD-5005 filter. That one I gather from my research is not pleated but rather spun polypropylene. I’m getting the impression that pleated is more highly recommended than string wound or spun. Can you advise??
A pleated filter is always best for whole-house applications because it has dramatically more surface area. That means longer life, better filtration, and less pressure drop. When it comes to pleated filters, you cannot beat the US Water Systems Brand, which has several advantages: 1. It is made in the USA; 2. It has the most media of ANY pleated filter; and 3. It has a great price because we cut-out-the-middlemen and sell direct. Here’s the link to the one I recommend: https://www.uswatersystems.com/us-water-4-5-x-9-75-pleated-filter-cartridge-5-micron.html
Wonderful blog…This blog briefly explains the Advantages, Benefits, and Features of the Pleated filter cartridge it is very useful for us. keep sharing informative blogs.
Great information, Thanks for providing us with such useful information on the pleated filter. In this blog you explain the Advantages and Features. Thanks for providing us with such useful information.