Water Filters

[iamsmu]

Does anyone have any recommendations for water filters. The city water here tastes like it's from an old pond. It kind of is. They have periodic algae blooms. . . . Right now it tastes awful.

This filter seems to be pretty well reviewed on Amazon and it's not that expensive:



There's something of a printer or razor things going on here, I suspect. They get you to buy the system for cheap so that you'll be locked into buying their filters. The filters aren't that expensive though. I'm not one to throw good money after bad, so I'd just trash it before I bought filters for a system I didn't like.

In any case, I need something more than a mere pitcher with a filter.

The price is good right now according to camel camel camel.

[Chebass88]

That seems like a pretty decent filter, and should produce some very clean water.

If you can, find out what is in your water. There is no need to purchase a fancy filter if you can get away with a cheaper one. Since you are using tap water, from a surface source, they probably chlorinate it quite a bit. Chlorine is a big contributor to water tasting bad. Similarly - if you don't have lead or arsenic contamination, there is no need to buy a filter designed to remove those contaminants.

It seems pretty much on par for the types of filtration involved (compared with other filter systems). The biggest difference I see with this one is adding minerals back in to the water after reverse osmosis. You may also find you enjoy the taste of water produced by reverse osmosis. If you don't want the added minerals - save yourself a few bucks and buy one without the re-mineralizer.

I wouldn't say it is a razor blade / printer ink issue - sure, you'll have to replace filters periodically, but they are only designed for a certain lifetime, and will need replacement. In the system you picked out, the activated carbon filters are essential, especially if your tap water comes from a surface source and is chlorinated. Chlorine destroys RO membranes.

it also claims to be WQA certified, which means it was tested and it actually removes what it says it will remove. NSF certification is another test lab that tests water treatment products.

Hope these help.

[Cinic]

Also - the filters for those canisters on the unit you linked and even the RO membrane are fairly standard. You're not brand limited on that style of manifold like say this one:



This one has some sort of proprietary filter mechanism. If you look at a lot of the systems, they mostly look the same.

Like mentioned above, the filters do need periodic replacement. I think it was 6 months for the sediment and carbon filters and 12 for the finishing filter. The RO membranes also have finite life and are the most expensive part of the system.

You can get a TDS meter to see how well your system is working.

We had an RO system in our last house and I liked it. Current house doesn't have one and the tap water has been fine. Good enough that I haven't felt the need to install one. Although, this house has a water softener and I really like that.

[Skid]

I would get your water tested first to see what you are up against. I used to live in a place that fluoridated and chlorinated the very hard water water. It tasted so bad I used a distiller to get rid of all the junk.
I now live in a high rain, mountainous area and get my water unfiltered from a well. It is the best, sweetest water I have ever tasted. I had it tested and most things tested for were not measureable. There's nothing like good fresh water...

[iamsmu]

Hope these help.

Yes. Thanks.

Also - the filters for those canisters on the unit you linked and even the RO membrane are fairly standard. You're not brand limited on that style of manifold like say this one:

You can get a TDS meter to see how well your system is working.

Good to know. I have a TDS meter on my old zero something pitcher. It's in a box somewhere. . . . I'll dig it up.

I would get your water tested first to see what you are up against. I used to live in a place that fluoridated and chlorinated the very hard water water. It tasted so bad I used a distiller to get rid of all the junk.
I now live in a high rain, mountainous area and get my water unfiltered from a well. It is the best, sweetest water I have ever tasted. I had it tested and most things tested for were not measureable. There's nothing like good fresh water...

My main concern isn't about toxins, though someone local tested the water and posted some results on Nextdoor. It wasn't good news. . . My main concern is that the water tastes like something that's been sitting in a turtle's bowl for a week or two. It's got a nasty funk to it.

It's not my pipes. Nearly all the supply lines inside the house are new. And everyone around here complains.

[iamsmu]

I have clear PEX in much of the basement. It's turned brown from all the rust and brown crap in the water in less than a year. I'm going to have to get a whole house system.

I'm going to install it myself. I'm thinking about getting a PEX expansion tool. The expansion joins that my plumber did look really good and they are supposed to be really strong.. I don't want to have to solder a complicated setup for bypassing the filters and I don't want to go the sharkbite route.

Has anyone used those expansion tools? DeWalt has a nice looking battery powered one for a little over $200. (My plumber charges $90 an hour. . . .) You can get a mechanical one for about half.

I have some old brass lines going to the washing machine that I need to replace too. . . .

[broseph]

I have clear PEX in much of the basement. It's turned brown from all the rust and brown crap in the water in less than a year.

Are we sure it isn’t just a biofilm like diatoms (brown algae) since the tubing is clear?

-I know almost nothing about anything

[iamsmu]

I have clear PEX in much of the basement. It's turned brown from all the rust and brown crap in the water in less than a year.

Are we sure it isn’t just a biofilm like diatoms (brown algae) since the tubing is clear?

-I know almost nothing about anything

No. Hmmm. Could that be it? How could I figure that out?

I think there is probably dirt in there. The hot water pressure is lower than the cold. And the tank is only a year old. I fear that dirt is building up in there.

Found a guy online saying that the Uponor PEX turns brown with hard water.

https://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/mecha ... post540569

[MPhelps]

It could be what's called iron bacteria. Common in areas with lots of iron deposits and slow moving water tables. Its slimy, brown and smells like iron. It's pretty much impossible to get rid of without a constant flow. I had to have a daily flow through floor drains in my old house to keep the stuff from forming. It would clog floor drains and the sump pump, flooding my basement.

As for water filters, don't use a Brita faucet filter. They are fucking junk. They filter water just fine for my purposes (mostly just getting rid of the chlorine taste), but the product quality is terrible. The last one I bought leaks out of the faucet when you use the filter side and vice versa.

[iamsmu]

It could be what's called iron bacteria. Common in areas with lots of iron deposits and slow moving water tables. Its slimy, brown and smells like iron. It's pretty much impossible to get rid of without a constant flow. I had to have a daily flow through floor drains in my old house to keep the stuff from forming. It would clog floor drains and the sump pump, flooding my basement.

That sounds nasty. I'm seeing the most brown in the areas with the most flow. A section right off the meter is the brownest. Some lines that don't see much traffic are much less brown.



I'm going to put in a 3 stage whole house filter with a spin down sediment filter in front of it.

I found that I can get the Dewalt pex expander tool only. I don't have their batteries, but I can get a Chinese knock off for $15 on Amazon and a Chinese charger for $25. . . . I have a lot of Chinese fake Makita batteries that are just fine. . . . That will cost about as much as 20 sharkbite fittings or 3 hours of my plumber's time.

If the brown stuff doesn't show up in front of the filter, I'll wait and see if it goes away in the existing lines. If not, I'll just replace them. I only have about 25 feet that I'd have to replace.

[broseph]

It sucks because I think whatever mineral salts you pull out in the filter will look like diatoms (brown)- we'll never really know what was in the clear PEX tubing.

Also, I have 1 battery from Dewalt and 1 Chinese copy battery. I get noticeably better performance out of the real one. But like you said, the Chinese ones are fine, especially if you have a lot of backups.

[HenryHokie]

Does anyone have any recommendations for home kits to test water?

[ryanc]

Local health departments may be able to help in some areas. Labs that do the required testing for public water systems could definitely do it, too.