When it comes to water filtration and treatment systems, there are a lot of industry terms the average Joe might not be familiar with. Terms like “backwash” and “side stream filtration” and “particulate” probably seem like a foreign language to most people. At Diamond Water Systems, we use these terms often, so communicating with our customers about our complex systems in a way that’s easy to understand way is crucial. To lend a helping hand, here are some common industry terms you will come across in the world of water filtration and treatment.

ASME: Abbreviation for American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a professional association that “promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe” via “continuing education, training, and professional development, codes and standards, research, conferences and publications, government relations, and other forms of outreach.”

Backwash: A method of running clean water in reverse through a filter media bed and down a sanitary drain to flush contaminants and prolong the life of the media.

Condensate: Water which has liquefied from steam.

Contamination: The addition of any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance to water which reduces the value of the water or interferes with its intended use.

Filter Media: A mixture of materials designed to improve the quality of the water flowing through it. Filter media can be customized for the specific needs of the application to remove a variety of particle sizes and/or compositions. 

Flow Rate: The volume of water flowing through a system’s piping each minute.

Heat Transfer: The movement of heat from one substance or material to another.

Hydronic or Hydraulic Balance: The process of optimizing the distribution of water in a building’s hydronic heating or cooling system by equalizing the system pressure so it provides the intended indoor climate at optimum energy efficiency and minimal operating cost.

Micron: A unit of measurement equal to one-millionth of a meter. Used to describe particle size.

NSF: Abbreviation for National Sanitation Foundation Testing Laboratory, an independent agency of the United States government, that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering.

Operating Pressure: The range of pressure, usually expressed in pounds per square inch, over which a water conditioning device or water system is designed to function

Particulate: A term used to describe visible sediment particles, used as both singular and plural.

Sand Filter: A treatment device or structure for removing solid or colloidal material of a type that cannot be removed by sedimentation.

Side Stream Filtration: A method used to filter a portion of the systems circulating water, removing debris and particles that are adversely affecting the cooling loop and its components (heat exchangers, chillers, and more).

Softened Water: Any water that is treated to reduce hardness minerals to 1.0 GPG (17.1 mg/L) or less, expressed as calcium carbonate.

Suspended Solids: Small solid particles which remain in suspension in water as a colloid or due to the motion of the water.

Water Softening: The reduction or removal of calcium and magnesium ions which are the principal causes of hardness in water.

For more information, contact Diamond Water Systems today.

Diamond Water Systems