Reddit mentions: The best replacement under-sink water filters

I have a feeling the water change is going to shift your experience with fasting significantly :)

>Do you enjoy using the Alkalized RO water? Does it last for a long period?

Yes, I really like this water, and the system is easy to install (if you have a bit of DIY knowledge, youtube is helpful as the included instructions are limited); I've done around a dozen of the installs for my own and friends/family's houses that I've clued into the benefits of healthy water.

The filters will last anywhere from 6 months to a couple years, depending on how good your tap water is to start with as well as how many people live with you and drink it. I can usually notice when the taste gets less appealing, and that is when I change them. The replacement filters are for sale on amazon too. Bear in mind to save a few bucks, you may only need the filter set for the 5-stage system; the 6th stage is the alkaline filter and if you do the math the is rated for 1500 gallons - this could last a while depending how much it is used.

I would never trust tap water in a reef/SW setup. I currently don't have one because I'm out of work and also don't have an RO/DI unit at the moment, but I recently found this unit on Amazon. Pretty cheap and looks really easy to configure, and the brand has a good past.

If you keep the water currently in the setup (stored in like 5 gallon buckets or something for transfer) and only need water for top offs, you could temporarily use distilled water from a grocery store or buy the huge jugs for the RO machines they have there.

My pleasure. Most people don't seem interested in fussing with it. I, for one, don't want to be pH-ing my water and worrying about impurities/heavy metals. Glad to share the info with someone who's interested in using RO/DI.

ps if you're not excited about the slow production rate (it's not actually going to make 50GPD), just get a better RO membrane. That specific one is pretty much the best you can get. For all the bells and whistles you get in 'fancy' RO/DI units, the RO membrane itself is really the greatest determining factor in production.

Water catch from roof or spring into:

• DIY In-ground cistern (hole + EPDM fish pond liner) $500
  
• Buried commercial plastic cistern $1200 - 8000, depending on size
  
• Above ground plastic cistern "
  
• DIY Above ground cistern made by riveting metal sheets into circle, then using pond liner. $1300 - holds A LOT
  
• Make a pond and build a big filtration system
  
  As far as filters, through trial and error, and much research between 2 people, we've found that this setup of a series of 3 filters from largest screen to smallest works really well. You can't really use 1 for a well, it's not enough for well water that has a lot of particulate matter of various sizes, so the sieve approach works best like so:
  
   
   
  Well --> Filter1 --> Filter2 --> Filter 3 --> House
   
  
  Backflush <------------------------------
  Out
  
   
   
  I recommend these filters because you twist them to backflush. You connect all the backflush ports together and pipe them to the outside so you can twist them in series from 1 to 2 to 3 and you've flushed all the filters in like 5 seconds. With this system I only have to do this weekly or 2 wks. From largest to smallest:
  
  
• [TwistII Clean -- Brown] (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CS95LLY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
  
• TwistII Clean -- White
  
• TwistII Clean -- Black
  
  I bet you could get away with just the Brown and Black (large and small) one actually. Keep in mind if this is a spring, you may want to treat the water afterwards, but while this approach will make the water sparklingly free of particles, it would still let through microorganisms. Without this filter you'd clog any RO system every hour (with my water)

Replace the cartridge filter with a granular activated carbon filter. It looks like your housing is a 20" BB housing, but confirm the actual size before ordering. Carbon filters for it are kinda pricey. https://www.amazon.com/Pentek-GAC-20BB-Carbon-Filter-Cartridge/dp/B0014C067K.

Some generic instructions:

Cartridge Filter Replacement Guidelines

Have handy: a spare o-ring, paper towels, bucket, regular chlorine bleach, Silicon lube.

Slowly close the inlet and outlet valves (by turning clockwise).

Place the bucket under the housing.

Depressurize the housing by opening the spigot or by holding down and wiggling the red pressure relief button until water stops flowing (may take 20 to 30 seconds).

Using the supplied wrench, loosen and remove the sump.

Remove the old cartridge and clean out the sump.

Clean groove and o-ring (set aside and save if stretched) using paper towels and then lubricate the o-ring with a thin coating of silicon lube.

Add a teaspoon of regular chlorine bleach to the sump.

Unwrap and install the new cartridge in the sump. Some cartridges need to go in with one end up toward the threads of the sump (i.e. GAC-BB).

Thread on the sump, be careful not to over tighten it. Normally it only needs to be hand tight. If necessary tighten it slightly with the wrench. It typically takes twice the force to loosen the sump as is used to tighten it.

Slowly open the inlet valve slightly and let the housing pressurize.

Close the inlet valve and (be careful to shield your eyes) hold down the red button to bleed the air trapped in the housing or open the spigot.

Slowly open the inlet valve completely and then slowly open the outlet valve completely and check for leaks.

Run the cold water at the kitchen sink for a few minutes to flush out the bleach, any air bubbles, foam, etc. until it runs clear.

Do not leave a cartridge in service more than (1-3 typical) 6 months.

I bought and installed this one from 3M. Works great if you're on city water. Not good if you're on well. I live in southern California and it works great. My dishwasher works like a champ compared to others. Bonus: no salt required.

3M Aqua-Pure Whole House Water Filtration System - Model AP904
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00F48M1JG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_WX3MybZ0P4W9D

Even 1ppm TDS in your RODI water can contribute to dinoflagellate outbreak like that. THIS is the TDS meter I use, and have used for YEARS. It's simple to use. Doesn't require calibration. Batteries last for frikkin ever. Always test your RODI water.

Ever wonder why people who have bulkreefsupply RODI systems never complain about their water? The BRS units use DOW Filmtec membranes. It's the best RO membrane out there. Pair that up with a fresh change of resin in your DI chamber; backflush your system properlt; test your clean water to make sure it's at 0ppm TDS.

I would also strongly recommend only using food grade buckets for your clean water. This, or atleast another container that is thoroughly clean, and has never been used to hold anything BUT clean RODI water.

Cover all your bases on your water production, and I'll bet that after a water change or two, your dino outbreaks will fade.

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!

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).

My replacement is something like $35 CAD on amazon. Since your tank is so small you'd be fine with a 50gpd unit. I keep a few 5 gallon water jugs filled for water change time, for your tank you'd probably only need one, and it would take ~2.5 hours to fill for your weekly water change on a 50gpd unit.

Something like this would be a great for cost-of-entry: https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Reverse-Osmosis-100-Gallon/dp/B00DOG63OY/

Membranes are inexpensive at 50gpd as well: https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Reverse-Osmosis-Membrane/dp/B00DOG656K

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Sediment-Membrane-Deionization/dp/B01HRDE170/

is a good priced style system to get. you can't use your softened water as you know. if you had normal tap that might be an option, but with well you'd likely benefit from cheap clean water.

I am trying to connect an RO type faucet like this
to a standard sink supply line. Id like to tee off of the sink supply line to provide the faucet with its own water supply (it will have an inline filter). I am not sure of the correct reducers to get for this. I ordered this
but the male end is just a touch too large. I am obviously not the most knowledgeable when it comes to plumbing sizes, but I would greatly appreciate any help!

There's a lot of things the LifeStraw won't catch (any dissolved chemicals, fluoride chloroform etc.), but it is a very good start.

Reverse osmosis is about as pure water as you can get without distilling. One of these under the kitchen sink would be great if you can swing it (water that you cook with is always overlooked):
https://www.amazon.com/Express-Water-RO5DX-Drinking-Reverse/dp/B00J2DGTD8

And get one of these for your shower:
https://www.amazon.com/Replaceable-Cartridge-Handheld-Removing-Chlorine/dp/B01M2C2MB6

The filter for your shower probably isn't a softener. It's a carbon filter. If you want a point of use filter for your lav faucet this is good as you can turn off and not waste the filter when you don't need to or this for full time filtering. Would need 2 tho. One hot and one cold. Make sure the one for hot is rated for high temp. I think the best bet for your application is the first style.

I heard about not using regular garden hoses for filling kettles. So, I went ahead and bought an inline water filter and the white Camco drinking water hoses, which come in 25' and 4' lengths. This setup is actually for an RV. One 5 micron filter does 250 gallons.

The whole setup (with Amazon Prime) was just under $50. They also have a ground spike/filter stand for the main unit to keep it upright if you so desire. I just sit it in a bucket.

So far, I have not noticed any off flavors or odors. The system seems promising. Also, you can get better filtration systems, but I chose this one because it connects directly to the hose spigot without need of an adapter.

One other thing I should mention is that I use well water which was the initial reason to filter my brew water. This system makes it faster and easier so far.

I'd start here:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L0ADH3K/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1

Easy set up and while not whole house, it can get your drinking water sorted. $40, Cheap enough to put in two. Runs to a water spout on my sink and to my fridge with good flow rate. Lasts 6 months, Maximum type handles lead.

A reverse osmosis system will start you at $200 minimum, costs more with filters, but will definitely do a better job

Next...Replace that lead line. Its toxic, and not just to you and your family. Lead from that pipe is in the communal water supply and your family will be exposed everywhere else. Long run this is far cheaper than the annual cost of filters or healthcare.

Bite the bullet (pun intended) and just do it.

I just finished installing a reverse osmosis last night and under sink canister filter last week (different houses) so this is timely, but I can tell you $5300 is crazy unless you have some serious water issues. Do you know what contaminants you are trying to filter? A water test will determine what type filteration you need. If you just want a britta-like filter for taste, you can install a canister like this for about $40. If you have other contaminants you can install a pretty stout reverse osmosis system for <$300. Again, it's going to depend on the water test.

As for sink, it's not difficult to drill a hole for a dedicated faucet. For granite you just need a specialized tile hole bit, for a steel sink you can pick up a hardened steel hole saw for about $10 and drill with a standard battery drill.

I use the Filtrete under-sink filtration system. I just buy a $15.96 (Subscribe and Save + Amazon Mom) replacement filter every 6 months. I also have a smaller one that fits on my refrigerator line for the in-door water/ice dispenser. I love it.

Jacksonville's water, whether on a well or not, has always been funky. I grew up with it and I think it's alright. Still, I installed this under-sink filter to appease certain people I live with. Pretty simple to install and makes a difference in taste as long as you replace the filter every 6-8 months. You could go all out and get an RO system, but they are pricey and take up a good bit of space under the sink.

My method?

I spray with a normal pressure garden hose and nozzle at a narrow setting and spraying from a top to downward direction - coupled with an RV canister graphite filter, one you can recharge the filter material inside.

Then I sponge bucket soap her down and give a spray again. Use a cordless leaf blower to blow most of the water off before wiping up with a soft cloth the rest of the spots.

I don't use abrasive chrome polish - which may take off material instead. Since I have my cast wheels chromed, this wash method makes the wheels much more easier to clean.

After, I apply S-100 corrosion protectant to some of the engine nooks and fork crannnies, as well as the forward foot control nooks.

Quick, easy, and gets off most if not almost all debris without more scratching. And in a more effortless manner for spotless washing. And motorcycles aren't immediately or even sometime a bit after harmed by a drenching - evident with some of my wet rainy rides.

Edit: I also sponge soap her down starting from the top of the bike to the bottom of the bike, just as I would an automobile. The reason being so that I do not accumulate more debris to add to the soap down sponging as I wash the bike as I go.

A permanent faucet filter such as: (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J2DGTD8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) is overkill but was surprisingly easy to install and you can't put a price on piece of mind.

This is the one I purchased a few years ago. Very simple to install. Swapping filters is super simple as well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DVW0PI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_-G49AbDFJM30Q

RO is Reverse Osmosis. Most of those machines include an RO mechanism that'll ensure that's it's just pure water, without anything else in it. So, it's like distilled water, but just a different process.

Next time, try your tap water. Unless it tastes bad to you. If it does, maybe invest in a charcoal filter like this one. If it tastes good, hit it with a campden tablet to eliminate the chlorine and you're good to go.

^ Basically this.

I bought this Reverse Osmosis system:

http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Reverse-Osmosis-System-Water/dp/B00J2DGTD8

While it may seem expensive, prices have dropped about in half in the last 5 years. It's also great for drinking-water, cooking, coffee, tea, aroma-vaporizers, water tooth-flossers, and more.

If you do purify water, beware that many nutrient formulas are designed for tap-water, which contains calcium and magnesium. So you'll probably want to either get nutrients designed for R.O. or supplement the Ca/Mg. Tap water also contains chlorine, and chloramine which is bad for the roots. Flouride is also not healthy. Or if your water-provider happens to fuck up (see: Michigan), you have an extra layer of safety.

My current hydro system is DWC, about 50 gallons capacity overall. I'd estimate I use about 16 gallons of water per week. The only down-side of my (current) R.O. system is that it fills at a rate of about 2-gallons per hour & the reservoir is 3.2 gallons. So my Saturday often has an timer every hour to refill another 2 gallons. Once I move, I intend to get more storage tanks, or possibly an additional RO system.

To make R.O. Systems more efficient and faster, you can attach a pump to the inlet side.

Anyway, highly recommend reverse-osmosis.

---

edit:

I also modified a water pitcher; which is about 2 gallons. (1) I drilled a hole in the handle to make filling easier, (2) cut off the front for pouring, (3) and another hole at the water-line because I've forgotten it several times and had water spill all over the floor.

http://i.imgur.com/G2qSew6.jpg

Thanks! It doesn't seem much easier to find 1 micron, though. Seem most of them are 5 micron.

Edit: found one half the price of the one I got at lowes to boot.

Thanks again.

I installed a water filter in my kitchen and bathroom on the cold water. It definitely improves the taste and it's rated for lead (if there is any, my understanding is this is much more dependent on pipes on your property and any nearby road work than the citywide system).

The filters are $30-40 and last 3-6 months unless there's a boil water advisory (which is guaranteed to happen right after you change them).

Use this filter: https://www.amazon.com/KX-MATRIKX-Pb1-Extruded-Cartridge/dp/B008A9P5DK with the cheapest (but well rated) 10 inch filter housing you can find. Your water will be significantly better than anything else for a lot cheaper!

Get a filter. This one is $40 and works really well. Save some cash, better for the planet, yada yada bottled water is a scam.

We use this but tbh we are making assumptions that it'll be adequate for a reef environment based on how well it is working for our freshwater environments.

>We only put filtered water into the espresso machine

What kind of filtration are you using? The only way to remove 99-100% of hardness is distillation or RO, both of which have significant drawbacks. I have had luck with using the larger, single-stage filters like the Filtrete Maximum in reducing the PPM from ~80 to ~40 but I haven't tested it a high-PPM environment.

I bought this about 4 months ago. I am very pleased.
5 Stage Home Drinking Reverse Osmosis System PLUS Extra Full Set- 4 Water Filter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J2DGTD8/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_cJ6KxbH6GT8E7

I use this 5 stage filter with my crappy tap water. Works great and is going on a year on its second set of filters without any sign of slowing down.

Whatever you do, I recommend getting a cheap chlorine test kit and TDS meter to spot check the performance of your filter over time.

Here, you're welcome:

http://www.amazon.com/Reverse-Osmosis-Undersink-Filter-Storage/dp/B000HBC53C

It's just $200 bucks for a reverse osmosis filter.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/ISPRING-6-Stage-Under-Sink-Reverse-Osmosis-Water-Filter-with-Alkaline-Remineralization-RCC7AK/206467327

If you want a UV light filter for viruses it's like another $100 (7 stage instead of 6 stage)

Replacement filters: https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-F9K-Replacement-6-Stage-Filtration/dp/B00BOASJ1M

You could do it for much cheaper with something like this http://amzn.com/B00BA9DE94, which has a 1500 gallon lifespan. You need to T-off from your existing plumbing and add a spigot/valve to dispense the water.

https://www.amazon.com/Aquatic-Life-Sediment-Membrane-Deionization/dp/B01HRDE170/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523498172&sr=8-1&keywords=aquatic+life+rodi

These are the filters I buy:


https://www.amazon.com/iSpring-7PK-GAC-Replacement-5-Stage-Filtration/dp/B004HL32EE/ref=sxin_2_ac_m_rm?ac_md=1-1-aXNwcmluZyByZXBsYWNlbWVudCBmaWx0ZXJz-ac_d_rm&keywords=ispring+reverse+osmosis+water+filtration+system&pd_rd_i=B004HL32EE&pd_rd_r=d799e71d-945c-43c2-8760-8fe7c54539aa&pd_rd_w=eUm0K&pd_rd_wg=UuOPU&pf_rd_p=d1a6ea92-24ed-409e-8e33-97dc5a8de815&pf_rd_r=4HR5J71QQA11NS24YJR2&qid=1566570307&s=gateway&sprefix=ispring+r

A bit overkill but I flush the rads with a pond pump + filter using distilled water for 6 hours.

Almost all the "bad" tasting water is caused by extra metals or minerals, and almost always is harmless. Most of the time it's from water that is sourced from underground aquifers that tastes "bad". You're right: A brita (activated charcoal) can remove most of the nasty taste.

If you really, really want to make clean, use a reverse osmosis filtering system (that one seems a bit over-the-top).

RO filters are tl;dr'd as: Use a pump to force water through a series of filters / membranes and reject the stuff that doesn't make it through.

Run the water on cold for a minute before you use it for cooking or to fill up a brita(or any container so you're not waiting a minute for a glass). The lead gets into the water after it sits in your pipes. Overall water quality from the treatment plants is good otherwise.

If you get bad lead test results or are just worried, consider installing an undersink lead filter

I've now bought this Filtrete Ultimate cartridge filter & am planning to attach it between my water supply & my fridge. Most of the water we drink is from the fridge & we use lots of ice, so that's my first move. I'd love to get a more serious under sink filter system going but my granite countertop doesn't have a hole for the extra faucet & drilling into the granite sounds too scary for me.

I did, but be warned it takes me 15 minutes a gallon for RODI. RO (waste water from your RODI fills up much quicker. I use it when I need to rinse buckets and whatnot. My RODI was $125, coral12G did a video on it (YouTube) FYI they measure these things in gallons per day.

Aquatic Life Twist-in 100 GPD 4-Stage Ro Unit (Sediment, Carbon Block, Membrane, Deionization) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HRDE170/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_C8Q676QhD8k1o

Filtrete Maximum Under Sink Water Filtration System

$45 for 6 month use, even filters out pharmaceuticals. Replacement filters twist on no tools. Filter replacements are around $30. This is such a cheap option you could install them in the bathroom as well.

EDIT: This is a city water only option. If you're on well, go with a full reverse osmosis system, not if's and's or but's. Its the only way to ensure that you avoid the nasty shit like cryptosporidium or whatever else could be down there.

You could probably add a Reverse Osmosis filter with a tank under your sink, with a Deionizing stage for even more pure water, and then add an alkalizing stage at the end of line for taste and minerals being put back in the water. Something like this https://smile.amazon.com/Express-Water-Reverse-Osmosis-Filtration/dp/B00J2DGTD8

As you can see, there are lots and lots of versions and sellers, and are basically all the same setups just with different cartridge combinations/costs, but they all take the same filter cartridges, so brand doesn't matter much in the end.

One disadvantage is that it sends 3 gallons of waste down the drain for every gallon of pure water you get, on average, but if your municipality doesn't suck that water isn't really "wasted," but it can get expensive if you pay a lot for water. Can't beat RODI water for purity, though