When it comes to water filtration, there are many things to consider. First and foremost, you need to understand the application you need the filter for. Once you have a grasp of that, you can determine the type and style of filter that will work best for you. In this article, we’ll review one of the options you’ll want to consider: whether you should use a disc filter or a screen filter for water filtration.
First, we’ll focus on disc filters, and sciencedirect.com explains how they work. Simply put, disc filters utilize a series of stacked discs which help in removing sediment from water as it passes through them. The discs themselves consist of a series of grooves, which are designed to trap particles and contaminants as the water flows by. The water that is filtered ends up exiting through the center of the disc.
Greenhouse-management.com provides information on when it is best to use disc filters vs screen filters. Disc filters are ideal for removing both particulates and organic matter. They are designed for removing substances such as algae, and small amounts of sand. This type of filter has a high capacity and it’s also able to handle high flow rates. This ultimately makes a disc filter suitable for use in industrial applications. Some of the common applications for disc filters include industrial water treatment, municipal water treatment, wastewater treatment, cooling tower filtration, and of course irrigation filtration, which is what Vu-Flow specializes in.
The other type of filter we want to explore is a screen filter. This type works by removing sediment from the water as it passes through a fine mesh screen. This screen ends up trapping particles and contaminants, and only clean water ends up passing through the screen in the end. A screen filter can be purchased in a variety of sizes and configurations depending on the exact application they need to be used for.
Screens are most commonly used for removing inorganic contaminants according to greenhouse-management.com. These are typically recommended for very fine sand or larger-sized inorganic debris. There are several common applications in which to use screen filters including residential water treatment, agricultural irrigation, aquaculture, landscaping irrigation, and swimming pool filtration.
There are several factors to consider when deciding whether to use a disc filter or a screen filter in water filtration. Based on the information we provided above, these would include things such as the type and concentration of contaminants in the water, desired flow rate, as well as the exact application it would be used for.
In highlighting some of the key points to consider, it’s important to know that when it comes to contaminant size, disc filters are better for handling larger sediment while screen filters are better equipped to deal with smaller sediment. As far as flow rate capacity is concerned, disc filters are generally better used with high flow rates, and screen filters are better suited for low to medium flow rates. Another point to consider deals with cleaning the filters. The cleaning process for a screen filter is usually as simple as rinsing it off or taking a soft brush to it. A disc filter can be a bit more complicated in that you have to pull each disc off to thoroughly clean everything. For most people, the cost is also an important factor to investigate, and generally, disc filters do cost at least a little bit more than screen filters.
After considering all these things and determining what type of filter you need for your application, you’ll probably want to do a bit of research into different companies that sell what you need. At Vu-Flow, we specialize in products designed for irrigation filtration. If irrigation is what you’re working with, Vu-Flow has quite a few options for you to consider.
One of the new products that Vu-Flow has introduced this year is Y-Strainers, and with these, you have an option for either a screen filter or disc filter insert. Y-Strainers are good for use in low flow rate situations and are great for household, agricultural irrigation, and municipal/garden irrigation. If the screen option is more applicable to your situation, Vu-Flow currently offers those in 150 mesh and the disc option is available in 120 mesh. These filters are available with either ¾", 1”, or 1-½" inlets and outlets. If you are looking for a disc filter, a Vu-Flow Y-Strainer could be a good option for you.
Aside from the Y-Strainers, you may also want to look into Vu-Flow's T-style filters if a screen filter is what you want or need. Where these do not come with a disc option, there are a variety of screen sizes to choose from depending on the size sediment that you’re dealing with. This style can be purchased with mesh sizes ranging from 24 up to 1000 in either polyester or stainless-steel material. A Sand Separator version of this filter is also available, allowing for extra trapping space if there is a lot of sediment in the water. Similar to the Y-Strainers, these filters are also available with ¾", 1”, and 1-½" inlets/outlets, but a 2” option is also available.
If you are looking to filter water for irrigation purposes, Vu-Flow offers options for either screen or disc filters. To find out more information about these filters, give our customer service team a call at 1-800-833-5171.
Source Notes: All information in this article relating to how disc filters work came from sciencedirect.com. Information regarding when it’s best to use either a disc filter or a screen filter came from greenhouse-management.com.
