Water Filters

[Nadine]

I am looking for recommendations on reasonably priced water filters. Can anyone here help? What brand works for you?

[ldmaster]

I have an Aqua Rain, and I have a couple of issues with it. If I had my way I'd have a plastic bodied filter (they don't dent or rust) but the key item in any gravity filter is the filter itself, also known as the "candle". You can buy the filters separately and MOST gravity filter resellers do not make their own filters, they buy them. There are other systems, but some depend on water pressure (like the reverse-osmosis types) to create a flow, and others are too proprietary to allow you to use replacements elements from other manufacturers. MOST gravity filters will let you use up to 4 candles in the process, BUT you can get plugs so that you only have to use one - which has limited production, but will keep most small families in filtered drinking water easily. The good filters are NOT cheap. Lots of info floating around out there about gravity filters.

[Fetthunter]

We're probably going to get a Berkey (probably the "Big Berkey"):
http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/ber..._purifier.aspx

Not cheap, but these are Log 7 purifiers as opposed to Log 4 filters. a Log 4 filter filters out 99.99% of impurities. A Log 7 purifier does 99.99999% by EPA requirements. Amazing products, and when you consider the importance of water, not *really* that expensive. You can put rain waiter, pond water, pool water, whatever in it and have safe, drinkable water. That idea really appeals to me, especially in the event of a disaster where water may be scarce or "sketchy" when eventually located.

[Dean]

Are the filters reuseable Fett?

[Fetthunter]

Originally Posted by Dean

Are the filters reuseable Fett?

Berkey apparently makes a "black" filter element and a "white" filter element. These purifiers comes with the black one, and it is rated at 3000 galllons of water filtering. Naturally, the dirtier the water, the shorter the lifespan. If you're filtering rain water or something relatively clean, probably 3000 gallons. If you're filtering brown water, maybe 1000-1500 gallons? After that, you just change out the filter element.

[JeepHammer]

Originally Posted by Nadine

I am looking for recommendations on reasonably priced water filters. Can anyone here help? What brand works for you?

For my city supplied water, and since it's a VERY old city system, we have everything from farm runoff (animal feces/farm chemical)
AND,
It's coming from heavy concentrations of lime stone, so we have lots of minerals,
Add in the rust and heavy metals from 100 year old piping system, and you have some pretty heavily contaminated water for what's supposed to be a 'Clean' system.
-----------------------

I start with two oversized whole house filters...
Particle filters, one for really large particles, one for medium sized particles.

If you use super fine filters right off the bat, the plug up REALLY QUICKLY!
So it's better to filter out the particulate a little at a time unless you want to change filters in the middle of the night so you can flush the toilet!

Then my water DRINKING water goes through a 5 stage reverse osmossis filter system...

One Very Fine filter for the small 'CHUNKS',
One carbon filter for chemicals,
One carbon removal filter, since all carbon filters leak debris as they work,
Then through the reverse osmoses membrane and a chemical removing finish filter.

Drinking water is supplied by a small spigot on the back of the sink,
That same line also supplies the refrigerator ice maker and the 'Water Through Door' on the Fridge.

Kitchen sink 'Cold' and bathroom sink 'Cold' water are both run through the two main filters, and the first three filters of the RO system, so it's fitered 5 times (but not RO) water to brush teeth with, or if someone drinks for the kitchen 'Cold' tap, they stand a pretty good chance of not getting 'Contamination' from the city water system

One outside 'Utility' water spigot for garden, washing car, ect.
One outside 'Filtered' water spigot for rinsing car, filling kiddie pool, ect.

The RO system is a Honeywell, and I'm VERY happy with it's function over the past 6 or 7 years.
The basic 5 stage RO was about $135 from 'Home Depot' 6 or 7 years ago, and you can pick up the extra filter housings for under $20 each.

Everything mounted very compactly, and takes up about a spot on the basement wall about 18" wide and about three feet tall, but I have things pretty spread out so all the fitlers are easy to service, and I added extra shut off valves so you don't have to shut off and drain the entire house to service the filters.

Want pictures?

[nine]

We use brita filters, seems to make the water taste less funky or maybe the water being colder does that...

[Fetthunter]

I've used PUR and Brita filters before, and they're fine for filtering city water and making it taste better, etc. I think in a disaster situation, I'd like something a bit more robust that can filter to a higher degree. You never know where your next water may come from - rain water, your neighbor's pool, a pond... I'm going to invest in a something that will allow me to use any source to acquire my water. That's why I'll probably get a Berkey. Of course, people have different situations, and you have to do what makes sense for you and your family.

[nine]

How well does boiling it work for removing contaminants, couldn't something be devised with coffee filters, metal screens and boiling that would make it drinkable?

[Fetthunter]

Originally Posted by nine

How well does boiling it work for removing contaminants, couldn't something be devised with coffee filters, metal screens and boiling that would make it drinkable?

I'd also add 8 drops of bleach per gallon of water AFTER you boil it. It'll taste a bit like pool water (chlorine-y), but between boiling and bleach, just about anything living in it should be removed/killed. It should be at least safe to drink at that point, or at least better than Mexican water.