(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best home water filtration systems

Kombucha is fairly forgiving, but the following might help:

• The biggest thing you can do to improve your kombucha is to use filtered water. Buy it filtered in bulk or install an inline filter.
  
• I find it easier to buy loose-leaf tea and a kitchen scale to measure our tea than to count tea bags, but YMMV. The loose leaf can go into a nylon mesh bag like a giant tea bag.
  
• Keep an eye on the temperature of the water that you use to brew your sweet tea - it should be well below boiling to avoid burning the tea leaves. With the 80/20 mix of green/black tea, I try to steep it at 170F for 10 minutes.
  
• Start 1F with a lot of kombucha starter - almost 1 gallon for the 5 gallon batch is a good place to start to make sure the scoby is nice and active. At a minimum, you should be using a half gallon of starter for that size batch.
  
• I like keeping track of the progress of my batches over time (pH, brix, and total acidity). If you feel similarly, get a pH meter, brix refractometer, and a total acidity titration testing kit (I just use some NaOH solution and the pH meter). I'm still trying to figure out a convenient setup for testing that provides a reasonable estimate of alcohol...
  
• Depending on the temperature in your brewing area, you may want to invest in a heating mat and thermostat that can keep the 1F at a consistent temperature. If you use one, wrap it around the sides of the bucket to make sure that both the yeast (which tends to sink) and the bacteria (which tends to float) benefit from its effects. Placing the bucket on top of the heating mat may lead to a kombucha batch that tastes heavily of yeast.
  
• When it comes time for 2F, there are a few options for moving your batch:
  
  • Pour it out: simple, but potentially messy
    
  • Ladle it out: simple, but time-consuming
    
  • Install a bottling spigot: very useful, but it creates the potential for leaks and it can get plugged up with yeast
    
  • Use gravity and an auto-siphon: a little difficult to understand the first time, but after that it's the best solution
    
    I hope that helps :)

any proper one will work. by which i mean with a good sediment filter, carbon, deionizing etc. a proper 4-5 stage system.
i recommend portable type systems, no tank and they use standard membranes you can replace when it starts putting out water too dirty for you. that'll take a long time for a home grower.
something like this https://www.amazon.com/LiquaGen-Reverse-Osmosis-Deionization-Portable/dp/B00LKF09IW/, i've bought dozens of them from a few different sellers on amazon over the years.
the higher GPD will output faster, but it's all so slow i just let it trickle into a tote for a few hours, if you wanna save money get the lowest gallons per day (gpd) one. just match it with a same GPD membrane when you replace it. i use DOW filmtec about 27$. lasts forever. but you won't need to do that for many many harvests.

this one is good with water pressure from 50-100psi, which any normal plumbing should be within. if you get a different one, check it's max psi. 100psi, no house runs that high, so you're fine. if you buy a 50psi one, you'll probably need a flow reducer, which is just a few bucks. but the one linked can just hook up to your line directly.

sorry, i'm a little chatty, trying out some new gg4 wax. (it's nice !) but yeah, RO can be affordable. giving you a clean slate to start with. spread the word, hydro doesn't have to be hard.

good luck, hmu if you need

Lifestraws are pretty short term. Very low capacity and can't be cleaned to extend their life.

> remove heavy metals

Distillation or reverse osmosis. Maybe some specific chelating agent for specific metals. Not really feasible for most purposes.

> Are there heavy metals in ground water or streams in the central USA

It mostly depends on very local historic industries. The worst of them were superfund sites and have hopefully been cleaned up. But check your area to be safe.

> is there something more I need to prepare for?

Viruses in water aren't that much of a problem in the US. It is more of an issue when untreated human waste is dumped in rivers. So it might be worth worrying about in a major SHTF situation. From my research the most effective way of dealing with them is germicidal UV. Not the little things like a Steripen but the whole house size models. Of course these need good pre-filters because they don't work if the water is cloudy.

For serious long term use I'd consider using Doulton ceramic filter "candles" instead of the Sawyer. They are very popular in the off-grid community. Cleaning them is a lot simpler but gradually wears down the filter.

edit: Lol you can just buy heavy metal water filters on amazon. The "KDF" module appears to do the heavy metals and it uses Copper Zinc Filtration. Wikipedia makes it sound like it is only so-so at doing the job.

Im into my DIY but also painting, found 'Plastikote clear sealer' is pretty good, you can get a big can of the stuff for around £4.99 (thats like 8$) and just spray it on. Its scratch resistant and water/hotwater resistant I believe, so its worth a look? Iv found it works wonders on sealing acrylic paintings, flexes too

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plasti-kote-1138-400ml-Super-Clear/dp/B002SP7YZE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407168814&sr=8-2&keywords=plastikote+clear+sealer

(its gone up in price -_-)

The dishwasher leaves tons of marks on the glasses, the washer smells funny after a wash, my soap does not foam up well. I used a test kit the other week, but I forgot what the results were. Would a system like this be well effective?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005A3WPA0

What exactly is the difference between that and this?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045LQTNC

Also, would I benefit from a "water softener" before the filtration system? Or is that potentially a waste of money?

I greatly appreciate the assistance, I am a first time homeowner, just moved in last June, and still figuring things out!

Depends on how good the filter is, they will tell you in gallons per day.

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I found this just by searching amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NWZ1RCK/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 the best the hydro shop by me had was a 3 stage no remineralizer and the price was doable for me, i've been very very happy with it.

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Has the remineralizer and everything it's a little more than 3 gallons per hour produced (and 6 waste). It has a pressure tank... i have it hooked up in my bathroom upstairs and then the grow room is down the hall so kinda of a similar situation.

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I'll eventually put a barrel in the grow room and fill it up once a week and then disconnect the water line otherwise to avoid a potential catastrophic flooding of my upstairs lol, maybe keep 20-25 gallons of filtered water stored ready to go with a sump pump in the reservoir to automatically top off with nutrient / fresh water.

​

I have done something similar, bought this unit https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MYGNGKK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 then installed a float valve in the tank off the back using something like this https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Adjustable-Aquarium-Reverse-Osmosis/dp/B00FCKR5EC/ref=sr_1_16?keywords=float+valve&qid=1575047890&s=home-garden&sr=1-16 and connected it to as 5 gal home depot bucket using a bulkhead connector like this https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Buddie-Bulkhead-Connect/dp/B00EPV4AHE/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=push+fit+bulkhead+1%2F4&qid=1575048024&s=home-garden&sr=1-1

I chose the humidifier due to capacity, program-ability and tank size so I could install the float valve in the tank. just raise the bucket above the humidifier level so it gravity feeds it. This setup give me 6 gal of water if I fill the tank first.

I installed the float valve close to the top of the tank, you can add a on/off valve inline as well. I think most of the parts can be had a home improvement store as well (Home Depot etc.)

My pleasure - I love talking about water.

The Elkay filtration units spec sheet here look like they're just a standard Activated carbon/Activated Charcoal cartridge. You should be able to achieve similar results with most Activated Carbon units - getting anything fancier (i.e. any "multi-stage" "microfilter" marketing jargon or any RO/DI systems) would be unnecessary (and a waste of money).

The Elkay systems look good for institutional use, but if you want a system for home - and I don't recommend any specific brand/product, i just want to illustrate options you can consider a simple pitcher like this or an undersink system like this paired with this to achieve similar results.


I'm willing to bet that most of your taste related issues are due to the chlorine residual present in your water (it's by far the most frequent cause of complaints).

I got mine for about $160 I believe. Mine included the PH+ mineralization stage. This one in link doesn’t have that but I guess price might of went up. Either way there’s one I see for $50. Get that one... at end of the day it’s gonna be much more cleaner than any other home filter and you probably won’t need the mineral stage

Reviews look good:
Aquatic Life RO Buddie Three Stage Reverse Osmosis, 50-Gallon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DOG63OY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_LWjvCbAV91QC1

APEC Top Tier Alkaline Mineral pH+ 75 GPD 6-Stage Ultra Safe Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System (ESSENCE ROES-PH75) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NWZ1RCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_fXjvCbJNVNDBP

This is WAY easier than you think. I did it.

First you need a moderately high-output RO system, like this one: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HRHHFPW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You'll need the insta-hot device. I used this one:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DIYZEGA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

You'll need a two-lever faucet for it:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NHXHH62/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The RO system comes with a single-lever faucet. Feel free to use it wherever.

The RO system out of the box will come with 1/4" plastic tubing for the water. I used that, however, if you want more flow you can plumb the system with 3/8" tubing. After the RO storage tank, you can use T's and in-line valves to split the output off to your various devices. A manifold would probably be better, but I didn't use one. In your operational setup, I would plan to replace all the tubing with 3/8" to ensure fast delivery.

Pressure is supplied via the storage/pressure tank, so you should not need a pump for anything. It's going to push the water at a given pressure, so the way you get more water through the system is by increasing the diameter of the delivery tubing. You can also add a larger storage tank if you feel you need one, but I needed something that would fit easily under the sink. There's also a way to use multiple storage/pressure tanks.

In my case I've got the RO drinking water tap, the hot tap and two ice makers plumbed into it.

Bluetooth running headphones. Inexpensive, easy to use, excellent sound quality and they stay put. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B074DW84BQ?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title


Table top water purifier. The filter should last about five years (two person household) and it drastically improves the taste of our water (and tea!) without the hassle of being a pitcher that needs to be refilled. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00IYT2E12?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

The leaching of lead from systems is relevant in Prince George Rupert because of the acidic water. Our water chemistry is going to be very different. GVRD water reports are here.

If you're worried about water quality, run your water for a few min. And/or put in an under-counter filter like this one.

On a side note: My father was involved as an elected board member on a small water system. In their case, the water system was functioning fine and providing safe clean water. But the provincial government - in what amounted to a cover-their-ass move - mandated that every system meet some incredibly high standards that were absolutely unaffordable for small systems to implement. We're not talking lead here, but going from something like 99.9999% to 99.99999% which was overkill and millions of dollars of costs onto ~300 users. Downloading of costs and shifting of responsibility for a negligible benefit.

Chloramines, heavy mineral content, plus electrically unstable water as were getting water from so many different sources (biggest water heater manufacturer did a study 20 years ago on this as water heaters in San Diego were failing faster then the warranty compared to anywhere else. So they rented a warehouse out and put 30 water heaters in and ran them to figure out wtf was going on. They concluded that the water in San Diego was electrical unstable as the water was coming from so many different sources and fed into the system and different spots vs like most systems their is a central treatment that all water goes through before entering into the distribution network. Since this time water departments have switched from chlorine to chloramines. I could go into the issues with these but really who cares besides chemist, botanist, or people who operate in the work of microorganisms.

Ultimately bottled water services such as sparklets just pull tap water and filter.

Seriously all you need is something basic like this. water filtration system

Find a cheaper source but you got the idea of what you are looking for.

You essentially just want a two filter system a pre sediment filter. Catches the sand and other bits of debris floating through the system or flakes of pipe lining from the distribution network and a activated charcoal filter. Get one that just uses the generic industry filters so you don’t get scammed into buying proprietary filters. Call up a plumber if you are not a solid diy. Have them install on the line coming into your home (before the water heater). Change filters every 6 months at total cost of $20-30. You have amazing water and none of the BPA (doesn’t matter if BPA free there are other chemical compounds in plastic that are similar) in those plastic jugs. Plus the amount of contaminates you are drinking will be cut by 3/4 or more.

Funny thing on demand water heaters are having the same problems now.

I don’t have one but you can buy them on amazon for around $60 for a cheap one from what I understand. I know about them because I have aquariums and some animals can only be kept in RO water. I’m pretty sure that the cheap ones are annoying if you’re trying to fill a big tank but totally fine if you’re filling a bucket.

I’m from Canada but Here’s a link from amazon.ca. It looks like you need a filter too and the combo comes to $62CAD

Get a filter for at home. I like the ones that mount on your sink, that way it's easily available for cooking, and not in the way of the faucet like the faucet mounted ones. Plus, the sink mounted ones generally have more filtering. You can then get a dispenser to keep in the fridge and fill it from the filter.
Yes, you should only use filtered water for cooking, if you can taste it when you drink it, it's affecting your food's taste as well. Especially for a water heavy, mildly flavored food like paste, rice, or bread. With bread and cakes, it may even affect your results, depending on what is in it.

For when you're out, try to stop at places that have filtered water. Most fast food places should, I know McDonald's in particular has reverse osmosis water filtering at all their restaurants.

Doesn’t taste like Dasani to me. More like Kirkland brand RO water. Tastes like delicious nothingness to me. Comes with everything you need to install, plus spare filters. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D2OF7YO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_P2fACbWV34WT7

It's an addiction, and just like getting over any other addiction the first step is becoming aware that there is a problem. Pay attention, stay aware, ask yourself why you are eating whatever it is you are eating. Then slowly make changes. It can start with small steps like...today instead of drinking a Large Coke with my dinner, I'll have a small one. Every day for a week, bring that soda consumption down just a bit.

Once you've settle into that, decide that you will have a banana 15-30 minutes before you have a fast food meal. This will serve to do three things: 1) stabilize your blood sugar 2) partially fill your stomach with something nutritious 3) since your stomach already has a bit of food, you may decide you don't need to eat quite as much of the crap food.

Be kind to yourself when going through this process. Go easy on yourself. You are human, we all get stuck in traps of some kind or another, you can find your way out. You have to want it. You have to make it happen. You can make it happen.

Every day make an effort to drink a glass of water. If you can't stand water I recommend getting a water filter. It seems pricey up front, but this will take the bad taste out of water and make water much more appealing to drink. Drinking water will help your body overall to feel better and to work better. That's science. ;)

Stick with this.

It's never easy to make a change, at least not in the beginning. You have to work against habits that are ingrained. The good news is that once you replace those old habits with new habits, those new, healthful habits become ingrained!

All you have to do now is just keep moving.

I live in one of those areas now.

Do whatever you can to get a reverse osmosis filter. Out the door you're looking at around $300, then a recurring cost of around $60/yr in filter replacements.


It might be hard to find that money up front, but if you're buying small bottles of water you'll break even really quickly. You also might find yourself drinking more water when you no longer have to open and throw away another bottle.

EDIT: I linked this in some replies but just to save people some time,this $229 6 stage RO and remineralization system is what I use. Not affiliated with amazon or APEC, just really happy with what I have and was as surprised as some of these replies have been about how affordable it is.

15 years here and I still can’t even swallow a glass of tap water. Installed an RO system under my sink with a remineralization stage. The end result is silky soft, slightly alkaline water that is better than bottled waters. Amazon Link

It also has a 1:1 waste ratio which is the highest efficiency on the market, making it eco friendly as well. I have very little plumbing skills and it was not difficult to install at all.

I've used the $190 system linked below for ~3 years and have been very happy with it's water quality and minimal running cost. Filter cost is $30 a year when buying the $90 / 3 year kit linked below.

This unit is also an alkaline / mineralized system. Normal RO systems don't have this and ironically make the water so pure that it pulls the healthy minerals out of your body which are then peed out - which is bad. This linked system creates completely pure water then has an extra canister that adds back the healthy minerals to the water that your body needs.



https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-Alkaline-Reverse-Filtration/dp/B00MU20LN2?ref_=ast_sto_dp.

https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-Replacement-Membrane-Sediment/dp/B01LR8312W/ref=pd_aw_fbt_328_img_3/146-5640012-4590858?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01LR8312W&pd_rd_r=6ac6d1d5-cfa1-4112-8592-9ecc7f0cd754&pd_rd_w=2iB2w&pd_rd_wg=wHJdH&pf_rd_p=6e6afc8a-fbbd-4649-97cf-4e08f5113612&pf_rd_r=8HYG7C2F0SZ1R8BWAKWX&psc=1&refRID=8HYG7C2F0SZ1R8BWAKWX

RO water systems.. do you guys have a clean looking system that includes a water storage tank and is installed similar to this?

I recently got a deal on a Hydro-Logic 31040 200-GPD
Stealth-RO200 Reverse Osmosis Filter and I want to know if it can be used in conjunction with this water tank and a faucet from home depot to make a clean looking sink to get brewing water from.. Or would I need to look for a Hydro-Logic tank?

Or do you just have a hose adapter for the inlet and get the water you need on brewday just pumping it through the filter?

Dude you gotta bail the drinking water and get this. https://www.amazon.com/APEC-Water-Systems-RO-90-Certified/dp/B00HRHHFPW/ref=mp_s_a_1_5?keywords=ro+system&qid=1566481638&s=gateway&sprefix=ro+sys&sr=8-5

I have this for like 3 years now and it’s amazing.
Nice garage and subie

First walk into a couple of your local filtration shops as they are used to dealing with your local water and they know the problems.

You can also just have a look at amazon and get something like this- https://www.amazon.com/APEC-Certified-Drinking-Water-RO-90/dp/B00HRHHFPW That is rated for 90 gallons a day. Realistically 60 is probably pushing it but whatever. Use a toilet tank float valve on your reservoir or barrel to auto shut off when it is full.

But you don’t need the faucet or the pressure tank. Just run continuous flow.

You may want to buy a much higher rated system so you are not constantly changing filters or maybe also add a very large 5 micron pre-filter before this system to catch more crud and particles before these small filters do. Many stages of progressively finer filters is smart.

If you have a little more budget look at something like this- https://www.amazon.com/Hydro-31023-Evolution-RO1000-system/dp/B004LNUNKE

I have so many ideas! No idea what the weather is where you live!

To start with .... composting toilet (keep it simple) with outdoor shower .... Provide Berkey or similar for water in kitchen. French ditch drain for sink/shower. Maybe a hot tub or a Japanese soaking tub Have a view? Throw an easel upstairs with skylights and big windows. Put it on Airbnb advertised as rustic artist get away.

Just a few thoughts. Swing / hammock would be nice too.

I prefer Pur, and if you're feeling like dropping some money on the big guns, get a Berkey

I do believe there are some systems that add back minerals to the water. Here is one. I don't know how effective it is compared to what comes from the plant/natural occurring? Do you have two separate faucets, one for drinking and one for regular use, or did you just connect the filter to the main faucet? Thank you!

adding pressurized storage tank would help give better pressure in oulet (RO product) if upgarde pump couldn’t solve problem

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00439MYYE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_vYB0BbB5YGVTT

I know it's solved and the answer is correct, but just throwing it out there that it could have been for an under the sink reverse osmosis system for cleaner drinking water.


https://www.amazon.com/Home-Master-TMHP-HydroPerfection-Undersink/dp/B00N2941N8/ref=mp_s_a_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1542197223&sr=8-9&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=reverse+osmosis+under+sink&dpPl=1&dpID=51kGrTY9-lL&ref=plSrch

bottled water is also bad.

There are ways to test your water if you are concerned. A brita filter can reduce lead levels as well.

In case you are still looking, you can always go with something like...this.

Sits on your countertop, attaches to your faucet with a valve, and doesn't require any tools.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MU20LN2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_mouSCbBQ95J4F?pldnSite=1

This is the model I have and am looking to install in my home. About how long did the project take you?

I got it from Amazon.

What about this bad boy with a UV filter stage?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N2941N8

Here's a better idea- APEC RO-90 filter system

That's one of the better small home RO systems on the market. It's a 5-stage system:

1. particulate mesh prefilter
   
2. Combo particulate mesh / 5 micron carbon block
   
3. Combo particulate mesh / 5 micron carbon block
   
4. DOW Filmtec high rejection RO membrane
   
5. Granular activated charcoal polishing filter
   
   Unless your water is totally fucked up, that'll give you some pretty good water. I have the older version of that and it takes my water from around 120 ppm TDS to under 5 ppm TDS.
   
   Get one of those or something like it, and you have as much RO water as you want for drinking and for your fish...

I've been maintaining a 75 gallon with this for over a year. Just now replacing my filters and di resin. Even though it still runs my 180~tds to 0. For $69.99 cant really understand why people pay 100s of dollars for units. 0tds is 0 tds.

http://www.amazon.com/Watts-500313-Undercounter-Reducing-Drinking/dp/B0018MXH04/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_5

There are cheaper single filters or more expensive reverse osmosis systems, but they are much cheaper than buying water, even cheaper than buying gallons by the pallet, which I used to do. I picked up a Whirlpool brand at Lowes for a similar price, for the convenience of buying filters, which can be confusing with all the third party Amazon sellers.

Edit: Speaking of which, Lowes has a 'share' icon bar for every single review now, and that includes the option to submit review to reddit, what the fuck is this shit

I think a standard home water filtration system is actually a better deal, even with a water pump.

Pump ($60), filter($80), pre-filter($30). Add 5$ of PVC pipe.

Ovr the long run,this should be less expensive. Almost nowhere in the US is ground water unsafe to drink. Not that I would put that to the test, but unless you are in some strange circumstances you shouldn't need ultra high levels of filtration. You can buy a UV filter if you are really paranoid, you can add a UV filter ($150).

I don't need a video about the basics of water purity. I'm aware that impurities in water are what makes it fully stable but RO systems don't do this. In fact most consumer grade systems have remineralization to prevent the issues that come from filtering too much.

https://www.home-water-purifiers-and-filters.com/reverse-osmosis-filter.php

Look at the asterisk. Yeah, some viruses or bacteria can be, yet industry wide RO systems tell you not to rely on your filter alone for bacteria or viruses and there's probably a good reason for that. Like being sued or killing people. The FDA article specifically talks about use in hospitals or in patients with immune suppression issues. I'm going to take the industry's word and the FDA's word on the fact that RO systems don't filter out all bacteria and viruses and shouldn't be considered a method of killing microbes in water.

Back to remineralization:

https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-RCC7AK-Capacity-Drinking-Remineralization/dp/B005LJ8EXU

This one does it.

https://www.amazon.com/Home-Master-TMAFC-ERP-Artesian-Undersink/dp/B00N2941T2

This one does it via water softener methods(calcium and potassium chloride)

https://www.amazon.com/APEC-Alkaline-Drinking-Water-ROES-PH75/dp/B00NWZ1RCK

Adds calcium.

https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-5-Stage-Prestige-Drinking-Certified/dp/B003XELTTG

Has an attached water softener aka adds minerals back in the water.

These are the most common home units on Amazon, so my guess is that a lot of folks have something similar and all of them add some mineral back in post-filtration. You know why? Distilled water isn't good for us in the reasons mentioned in the video you linked.

That doesn't in any way mean that the average consumer RO system is somehow unhealthy or 'bad water' because the systems by design add back to the water post filtration. You are not drinking 100% pure water and if your TDS is that low my guess is your water softener/remineralizer is probably not working. That doesn't make all RO filtered water unsafe. It makes your RO filtered water unsafe.