Best Tap Water Filter On Demand System?

[LuxLuthor]

I'm about 6 weeks into using this RO setup. We have had about 50 people here since I installed it, including 5 from NYC which claims some of the best tasting water.

So far everyone has said this is the best tasting water they have ever had. Funniest are the people after drinking from it that say something like: "I don't taste anything so it's hard to compare it."

At this point, I would have to give highest possible marks to this setup. I'll try to remember to comment on this in 6-12 months.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Setup still working perfect. Very happy with how invisible it has become.

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Sounds like you found a setup that works. I was going to suggest a Big Berkey filter system. I've heard nothing but good things about these filters. Unfortunately, do to a new law in California, I'm not allowed to get one. See for yourself: http://www.directive21.com/california.html
I'm not sure how any water filtration system is still being sold in California with this new law since they banned one of the best ones.

 

[Kremer]

I didn't have enough room under my sink at all, so I put the system in my basement below the sink area. That turned out to be convenient for a couple reasons -- I can get to the housings easier and I was able to run a tapped feed over to my refrigerator for the ice maker. Clearest ice I've ever had!

I started out with one of those PuR deals that attaches to the sink faucet, never liked it.... Then a few years ago I bought a standard cartridge type undercounter unit and installed it under the sink. It worked well but took up a lot of space. It was there about a year before I decided to move it to the basement like you did. I also ran a tee off it and send filtered feeds to both the little faucet at the kitchen sink and over to the fridge. There is actually a 2nd tee in the basement that runs to my utility sink, where I can purge out a new filter or use the water for my brewing or other bulk fill purposes. I am super happy with the set-up, I have space under the kitchen sink and the filters are easier than ever to change.

I'm running the Culligan D-30 .5 micron filter. I picked up about a dozen of them at a local hardware that was going out of business a few years back for about $7 each (I cleared out all they had left), Woo!

 

[Sub_Umbra]

Sounds like you found a setup that works. I was going to suggest a Big Berkey filter system. I've heard nothing but good things about these filters. Unfortunately, do to a new law in California, I'm not allowed to get one. See for yourself: http://www.directive21.com/california.html
I'm not sure how any water filtration system is still being sold in California with this new law since they banned one of the best ones.

Oh, man, that's horrifying.

The Berkey(s) are sold by many, many vendors. Do some searches and you will almost certainly find one who will still ship to CA. As the old military adage goes, "...Somebody never gets the word."

If that fails I would run out and buy a Katadyn Drip Filter pronto if you still can. It is a system very similar to the Berkey. My wife and I have use the KDF every day for over ten years now for all of our drinking and cooking water. I can personally vouch for it's quality. We have enough filters and parts stashed to keep us in clean water for the next twelve years...

 

[Hooked on Fenix]

Oh, man, that's horrifying.

The Berkey(s) are sold by many, many vendors. Do some searches and you will almost certainly find one who will still ship to CA. As the old military adage goes, "...Somebody never gets the word."

If that fails I would run out and buy a Katadyn Drip Filter pronto if you still can. It is a system very similar to the Berkey. My wife and I have use the KDF every day for over ten years now for all of our drinking and cooking water. I can personally vouch for it's quality. We have enough filters and parts stashed to keep us in clean water for the next twelve years...

In anticipation of this lousy new law, I purchased a Katadyn Pocket filter, a Saywer Gravity Filter with a 4 liter water bag, a Steripen Adventurer, a Steripen Voyager, and two Steripen Solar charger cases. I realize that none of these are made for hooking to the tap, but in an emergency, they will do fine, will work for backpacking, and will be useful if I have to bug out. Southern California's water supply isn't that reliable these days, and if I run out of water, I need to have a portable system to take with me. I got the Steripen Voyager with a Nalgene bottle and prefilter for half off ($65) as well as the Saywer filter ($67), and two Steripen Solar charging cases with batteries for $20 each. All these deals were from Adventure 16's recent sale. I got the Steripen Adventurer at an REI sale for around $75. I got the Katadyn Pocket filter for around $220 online. The Pocket filter is rated for 13,000 gallons, the Saywer Gravity filter has a million gallon guarantee as you can backwash it to make it like new, and each steripen will purify up to 2,000 gallons. If I use a steripen in combination with one of the filters, just about any water should be safe to drink. I just hope none of them fail early.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I feel bad for the sane people who because of their economic circumstances remain trapped in California.

Kremer, I thought about installing the filter system in the basement instead of under the kitchen sink, and could still do that. We never kept that much stuff in this cabinet, and there has been no problems so far with space.

I did leave enough extra slack with the tubes, that I can remove the entire 3 stage filter canister system out of the cabinet to work on it though. I kind of like having the pressure guage right there to check for drops indicating time to replace the filters if they block up before the 1 year.

 

[Kremer]

I did leave enough extra slack with the tubes, that I can remove the entire 3 stage filter canister system out of the cabinet to work on it though.

Excellent idea.

 

[theberkeyguy]

Sounds like you found a setup that works. I was going to suggest a Big Berkey filter system. I've heard nothing but good things about these filters. Unfortunately, do to a new law in California, I'm not allowed to get one. See for yourself: http://www.directive21.com/california.html
I'm not sure how any water filtration system is still being sold in California with this new law since they banned one of the best ones.

I just wanted to thank the person who mentioned our site on this forum yesterday. I did all i could to let people know before the first of the year about the change to California, but i understand it was hard to tell everyone. The new laws in CA are directed toward water softeners, but are written so generally, they can apply to may different products.

theberkeyguy

 

[LuxLuthor]

Wanted to give a 1 year report on my Reverse Osmosis setup I installed under the sink, as I just finished changing the 4 filters 13 months after initial install.

It was extraordinarily easy to unscrew and replace the filters. First is fine particles/rust, next two are charcoal, then it goes through RO filter, stores 1.5 gallons in pressurized tank, then out through a 5th charcoal finishing filter to the tap.

After changing filters, tightening fittings, I had no leaks. Total job took 15-20 mins, and I'm done. I empty the first two fillings of reservoir tank to get rid of initial activated charcoal particles, then I'm right back ready to go for a whole year.

At the two year change, I will also replace the RO filter which will add another 5 mins.

This was without a doubt the best decision I could have made. The easiest, cleanest, best tasting water that anyone has sampled...and I have shown it to hundreds of people over the last year visiting from Maine to Florida and some from the midwest, Colorado & California.

 

[UberLumens]

Thanks for the Update Lux! great info here.

Do you know if this system has any kind of cold/chilled water attachment

Thats the one thing i see missing from the stand alone cooler, water colder than tap

 

[LuxLuthor]

Not that I know of, but have not checked back at their site.

However I have 3 of those Poland Springs 3 Liter bottles, one of which is kept in the fridge.

When I had the previous 5 gallon bottled water jugs delivered every 2 weeks before this RO system, I also filled the Poland Springs bottles, but noticed after about 3 months that the P.S. bottles would always start growing some green algae, and I would throw them out and buy a new set.

With this RO system, I have not had to replace the Poland Springs bottles in 13 months! The water is so purified that there is never any growth in the refilled P.S. jugs....even in the hot summer.

 

[Random Guy]

Lux, I don't know if this would work for you (as you mentioned you are sensitive to the taste of chlorine), but what I usually do when my 1L Nalgene bottles turn into biology experiments (don't leave them somewhere for 3 months with bug juice in them), I just put a 10% bleach/water solution in them. Come back a little while later, the bottle is clean. Rinse it out a few times, and it is good to go!

 

[LuxLuthor]

Lux, I don't know if this would work for you (as you mentioned you are sensitive to the taste of chlorine), but what I usually do when my 1L Nalgene bottles turn into biology experiments (don't leave them somewhere for 3 months with bug juice in them), I just put a 10% bleach/water solution in them. Come back a little while later, the bottle is clean. Rinse it out a few times, and it is good to go!

I think that is an excellent suggestion which I had not thought of doing, but it always left me wondering about the source quality of the 5 bottle "spring" water purity, regarding other possible contaminants. I had started writing the date when I first opened a new Poland Springs bottle, and made sure to toss it before 3 months. The other freakout thing was looking down inside of the spring water dispensor reservoir. :green:

One of the most satisfying things about this RO system is how there is no longer any need to clean/replace the Poland Spring 1 liter bottles.

 

[LuxLuthor]

For those who are still here, and/or interested, I just did my 2 year change of the filters, and included the RO filter which is an every other year replacement. Everything continues to work perfectly. Never have had to replace the original 1 Liter Poland Springs jugs that I fill from the R.O. tap to keep by my desk, TV room, Frig, and coffee stand. No growth seen in final finishing filter. We use this every day.

 

[daimleramg]

If your reusing your bottles, it is highly recommended you invest in glass.

 

[LuxLuthor]

Why? You don't like plastic bottles? The entire city water system has switched over from lead/steel pipes to white PVC piping. I'm picturing 1 Liter Glass bottles vs. marble floor.

 

[iapyx]

I guess he means that plastic is not good for your health. I think it's called a plasticizer, that is not good for your health.
I guess if you drink 24/7 from a plastic bottle that is has any infuence. But then if you have 24/7 a plastic bottle to your mouth I think you have another problem than being concerned about your health.

 

[UberLumens]

There are differing opinions on the reuse of plastic bottles.

The most concern is when using disposable bottles over and over, the plastic weakens and leaches various nasty compounds in to what ever is in the bottle.

The most recent news about this is the BPA (Bisphenol A) free bottles all over the place if you want an example to get some hard facts from.

What it boils down to is this:
-plastic can leach chemicals no matter how safe we say it is or what its made from.

So in general, do not reuse disposable plastic bottles, and if you are a more safe than sorry guy, select a glass or metal container that is more chemically stable for your main vessel.

Personally the best solution for me is a nice vacuum insulated "thermos".
Not only can you get them with glass or metal inside, but they maintain the temp of your drink and can withstand the average accidental drop on the floor.

 

[LuxLuthor]

I have not really looked into plastic bottle concerns, but looking at this link reports that HDPE are safe, so I'll change over to those now. The big 3L Poland Springs are a bit hard to handle and transport, so these 2 or 2.5L JerryCan shape bottles will work better. Thanks for feedback.