Borehole water treatment: automatic filtration, a simple and effective solution

Borehole water treatment automatic filtration, a simple and effective solution
Hectron has developed an automatic filter specifically designed for borehole water treatment. The Prago filter is a very economical and fully automatic solution for borehole water filtration. It has different filtering screens that can operate at different filtration thresholds: 100, 200 or 300 microns. This equipment, very effective in the presence of sand, is ideal to protect a domestic installation, a watering network or even a heat pump. This model is completely designed in Hectron's design offices in Nice and is assembled in its own workshops.

Characteristics of automatic borehole filters: the example of the Prago from Hectron

The Prago automatic filter is primarily manufactured with a stainless steel casing and PE parts. It admits a maximum pressure of 6 bar. It has a filtration threshold starting at 100 microns and 200 and 300 micron filter screens are available. Finally, it has a maximum flow rate of 10 m3/h. The inlet and outlet of the Prago automatic filter is tapped at 1''¼. The power supply of the device is made with 230 V at 50 Hz and the total power of the equipment is 50 W. Finally the empty weight of the Prago automatic borehole filter is 6 kilograms.

How does the Prago automatic borehole filter work?

The operating principle of the Prago automatic filter is quite simple. The filtration phase is carried out via a cylindrical screen. The device is equipped with a differential membrane pressure switch which measures the pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the filter. It therefore easily detects the clogging of the filter. The washing can then be carried out at a frequency that is perfectly adapted to the water load. This results in reduced water consumption. When the filter is clogged, this information triggers a backwash system. This means that the water flow is reversed in the machine for a certain period of time to remove the material from the filter and to evacuate it. The washing is driven by a motor located in the upper part of the machine. The outer casing is equipped with an indicator light that shows the washing phase. In fact, the motor activates the opening systems for the filter washing. A side outlet allows the main discharge of the liquid and a bottom outlet allows the discharge of several liters of water loaded with suspended matter. The Prago automatic borehole filter is equipped with a stainless steel bracket that allows the filter to be easily fixed to a wall.

What are the differences with other Hectron automatic filters?

There are two main differences between the Prago automatic borehole filters and the other automatic filters of the AG and AS ranges of the Hectron brand: The filtration threshold:  where the Prago filter starts at a threshold of 100 microns, the AG range allows for lower filtration thresholds (0.5 to 1 micron) and the AS range starts at a filtration threshold of 6 microns The flow rate: Prago filters can only go up to a flow rate of 10 m3/H while the AS range has maximum flow rates ranging from 45 to 340 m3/h. As for the AG range, it goes from a flow rate of 8 m3/h to 340 m3/h as well. These ranges are therefore more adapted to industrial type applications.

Application areas of the Prago automatic borehole filter

Prago automatic filters from Hectron are particularly suitable for the treatment of borehole water in private and commercial installations. For example, if sand is suspended in the water, a filtration of at least 100 microns will protect the plate heat exchangers. This filtration will avoid costly maintenance interventions to clean these exchangers regularly. For irrigation installations, the solenoid valves and micro-irrigation nozzles are rather fragile parts and easily clogged. This is annoying because the system works less efficiently, has to be stopped for maintenance or even for changing parts. With a Prago filter, you avoid the clogging of the solenoid valves as well as the micro-irrigation nozzles in automatic without any human intervention. This means that you have a more efficient installation with lower maintenance costs.  There are of course several possible applications for these Prago automatic filters, but we can mention two examples of installations such as :
  • A car wash installation in Draguignan in the Var region of France where a Prago filter is installed on the borehole water that is used to supply the car wash.
  •  A geothermal heat pump installed in Châlons en Champagne in the Marne region of France for the company Hervé Thermique and which is protected by a 100-micron sieve filtration system on an automatic Prago filter