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I looked for the filter but couldn't find it. I think I am going to have to get another brand instead and remove this whole system. Which water filtration system do you recommend? This is in the basement right below my sink.
Other filters of the same dimensions will work as well.
The purpose of 5 micron filters is to reduce sediment and prevent any shmutz or sand or filings coming in from a water supply. The amount of carbon in them and the contact time makes the carbon filtration minimal. Keep the one you have, and let it continue to save you from plumbing repairs.
If you want other filtration, the choices get complex and the cost much higher.
Other filters of the same dimensions will work as well.
The purpose of 5 micron filters is to reduce sediment and prevent any shmutz or sand or filings coming in from a water supply. The amount of carbon in them and the contact time makes the carbon filtration minimal. Keep the one you have, and let it continue to save you from plumbing repairs.
If you want other filtration, the choices get complex and the cost much higher.
Ok got it. The seller of the house installed this. So this isn't for filtering the drinking water?
I have similar, filters only the water to my kitchen sink and fridge (drinking water), carbon only and it does a fine job at removing the chlorine that my town adds. That's really all I wanted it to do, and with ~16 month replacement intervals I'm happy.
What do you WANT a filter to do? Cheap and simple does simple stuff, like reduce/remove the chlorine taste/smell. You want to remove all fluoride and impurities? You're going to need a $$$ RO system. There are steps inbetween those 2, just depends on what you want out of the filtration system.
Ok got it. The seller of the house installed this. So this isn't for filtering the drinking water?
It does filter drinking water a little bit, and may be all you need. Reverse osmosis is good if you keep up with it and don't mind the wasting of water. Filter pitchers are simpler and do ok for taste issues. One micron filters are a whole different ball of wax, offering some real protection against giardia and other pathogens, but they clog up and need cleaning. I am a kidney stone former, so I distill my water and use carbon post polishing to stop stone formation. For cooking water, I use a one micron ceramic filter, as I am not on a municipal supply.
Typical cheap filter is going to have one or two filters similar to the housing you have. There is a cotton filter that may be first, this is just to filter out the big stuff before it gets to the smaller filter and if the source of the water is really clean you may not even need it. The second will have carbon filter, this will remove a lot of the chlorine and smaller particles.
For example my parents have well water and the water is fantastic right out of the pipe. It does have some sediment so they use a cotton filter to prevent the sediment from making it's way into the plumbing. My Grandmother on the other hand has really clean piped water however there is lot of chlorine, she uses just the carbon filter. Water pressure will start getting low right around the time you have to change it. However if the water is dirty for short time if for example they are working on the pipe somewhere it will clog quickly, typically right after you installed new one.
In both case the water is perfectly safe to drink, if you are looking to remove contaminants or condition hard water there are other options.
You can get these at box box store for like $20 and they include two filters which might cost like $10.
It does filter drinking water a little bit, and may be all you need. Reverse osmosis is good if you keep up with it and don't mind the wasting of water. Filter pitchers are simpler and do ok for taste issues. One micron filters are a whole different ball of wax, offering some real protection against giardia and other pathogens, but they clog up and need cleaning. I am a kidney stone former, so I distill my water and use carbon post polishing to stop stone formation. For cooking water, I use a one micron ceramic filter, as I am not on a municipal supply.
I was thinking of going with Express Water Alkaline Ultraviolet Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System – 11 Stage RO UV Mineralizing Alkaline Purifier with Faucet and Tank – Mineral Antioxidant pH + – Under Sink Filter – 100 GDP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2GJMSS..._aPtuBb2J17WFB
Or
iSpring RCC7AK-UV DELUXE Under Sink 7-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System with Alkaline Remineralization and UV Sterilizer - WQA Gold Seal Certified https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006T3HYQ0..._CWtuBb0EGZGQN
I have to read up on the waste water situation. I read somewhere you can reroute the waste water. If so I would use it to water plants.
I was thinking of going with Express Water Alkaline Ultraviolet Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System – 11 Stage RO UV Mineralizing Alkaline Purifier with Faucet and Tank – Mineral Antioxidant pH + – Under Sink Filter – 100 GDP https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2GJMSS..._aPtuBb2J17WFB
Or
iSpring RCC7AK-UV DELUXE Under Sink 7-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filtration System with Alkaline Remineralization and UV Sterilizer - WQA Gold Seal Certified https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006T3HYQ0..._CWtuBb0EGZGQN
I have to read up on the waste water situation. I read somewhere you can reroute the waste water. If so I would use it to water plants.
Either of those would be fine, provided your water pressure is above 40 PSI.
I'm going to make a change of my general attitude that municipal drinking water is "safe." Pro-publica is currently one of the few sources of news that isn't strongly influenced by big business, government, or special interest groups. This article from them gives me cause for concern.
After considering the ramifications, a minimum of carbon BLOCK filtering (not granulated carbon) of drinking water is prudent, especially if there are children.
Reverse osmosis is fine *provided the RO membrane is not breached* (which can happen from excessive chlorination that overwhelms pre-filters). I would also be cautious, in an excess of paranoia, to limit using the waste water only for ornamental plants and not a food garden.
Some reality on the 11 stage filtration:
1st stage is a Sediment filter which helps filter dirt, dust, sand, and rust.
This is common to limit the dirt coming in contact with the RO membrane, degrading or clogging it. It has no health benefit, but is a measure to increase cost effectiveness (RO membranes are costly)
The 2nd and 3rd stages are Carbon Block and Granular Carbon Filters which focus on pollutants like chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, and odor causing compounds.
This is primarily to limit chlorine (commonly used to treat water) from puncturing microscopic holes in the RO membrane. ALWAYS change this filter on schedule or even before required.
These early stages help extend the life of the 4th stage, the Reverse Osmosis Membrane. The Membrane focuses on the most difficult to remove contaminants like lead, arsenic, chromium, fluoride, TDS, and radium.
It really is the heart of the system, and the one filtration that is by far the most important.
The 5th-9th stages are our Alkaline Filter which adds 5 stages of mineralization, antioxidants, and oxygen to your water. One for each Active Mineral stage your water flows through.
This is blah-blah to overcome the spurious claims that "pure" water will kill you. (I have been drinking distilled water for about twenty years, and am living proof that "t'ain't so.")
The 10th stage is the Ultraviolet Sterilizer. The UV removes up to 99% of E.Coli, Coliform, Cysts, Bacteria, and Microorganisms even from well water or natural water sources.
A properly functioning RO filter has already done this. IMO, this is primarily a stop-loss to protect the company in case the RO filter is breached and the customer either doesn't realize it or doesn't bother to replace it. The actual worth of it is minimal if the system is working. I suppose that it might break apart some molecular chains if a pesticide somehow made it through the filter.
The 11th stage is a Post Activated Carbon Filter which does a final pass on your water, right before it comes through the faucet, removing any possible taste or odor.
This is called polishing. There is contention on what it actually does, but it does make water taste better and may make it less reactive.
RO filters are NOT "install it and forget it" systems. You must keep up with the filter replacements, and from experience, having the system under the sink is an utterly lousy place to put one. Better to find an open spot in a basement or utility room at table height or slightly above and run a line from it to the point of use.
Also, no matter how clean the environment, any carbon filtration that is doing its job builds up a layer of organics on the surface of the carbon. As that build-up gets greater, it becomes like a petri dish promoting the incubation of even the tiniest amounts of pathogens. Carbon filters - especially granulated carbon filters - must be changed on schedule.
Either of those would be fine, provided your water pressure is above 40 PSI.
I'm going to make a change of my general attitude that municipal drinking water is "safe." Pro-publica is currently one of the few sources of news that isn't strongly influenced by big business, government, or special interest groups. This article from them gives me cause for concern.
After considering the ramifications, a minimum of carbon BLOCK filtering (not granulated carbon) of drinking water is prudent, especially if there are children.
Reverse osmosis is fine *provided the RO membrane is not breached* (which can happen from excessive chlorination that overwhelms pre-filters). I would also be cautious, in an excess of paranoia, to limit using the waste water only for ornamental plants and not a food garden.
Some reality on the 11 stage filtration:
1st stage is a Sediment filter which helps filter dirt, dust, sand, and rust.
This is common to limit the dirt coming in contact with the RO membrane, degrading or clogging it. It has no health benefit, but is a measure to increase cost effectiveness (RO membranes are costly)
The 2nd and 3rd stages are Carbon Block and Granular Carbon Filters which focus on pollutants like chlorine, volatile organic chemicals, and odor causing compounds.
This is primarily to limit chlorine (commonly used to treat water) from puncturing microscopic holes in the RO membrane. ALWAYS change this filter on schedule or even before required.
These early stages help extend the life of the 4th stage, the Reverse Osmosis Membrane. The Membrane focuses on the most difficult to remove contaminants like lead, arsenic, chromium, fluoride, TDS, and radium.
It really is the heart of the system, and the one filtration that is by far the most important.
The 5th-9th stages are our Alkaline Filter which adds 5 stages of mineralization, antioxidants, and oxygen to your water. One for each Active Mineral stage your water flows through.
This is blah-blah to overcome the spurious claims that "pure" water will kill you. (I have been drinking distilled water for about twenty years, and am living proof that "t'ain't so.")
The 10th stage is the Ultraviolet Sterilizer. The UV removes up to 99% of E.Coli, Coliform, Cysts, Bacteria, and Microorganisms even from well water or natural water sources.
A properly functioning RO filter has already done this. IMO, this is primarily a stop-loss to protect the company in case the RO filter is breached and the customer either doesn't realize it or doesn't bother to replace it. The actual worth of it is minimal if the system is working. I suppose that it might break apart some molecular chains if a pesticide somehow made it through the filter.
The 11th stage is a Post Activated Carbon Filter which does a final pass on your water, right before it comes through the faucet, removing any possible taste or odor.
This is called polishing. There is contention on what it actually does, but it does make water taste better and may make it less reactive.
RO filters are NOT "install it and forget it" systems. You must keep up with the filter replacements, and from experience, having the system under the sink is an utterly lousy place to put one. Better to find an open spot in a basement or utility room at table height or slightly above and run a line from it to the point of use.
Also, no matter how clean the environment, any carbon filtration that is doing its job builds up a layer of organics on the surface of the carbon. As that build-up gets greater, it becomes like a petri dish promoting the incubation of even the tiniest amounts of pathogens. Carbon filters - especially granulated carbon filters - must be changed on schedule.
I just read and seen that RO waste a lot of water. So I am going to continue to look for other options. Maybe just but water filter that changes alkaline level from amazon
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