(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best replacement 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.

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

Your comment makes me believe that you hate the City of Regina (CoR) and nothing I say will change your mind but here’s a shot on this issue specifically.

You are correct on the service lines are partially the the CoR responsibility and also partially the homeowners responsibility. The cut of for the city and homeowner is the water curb box. Anything on the street side of the water curb box is the CoR responsibility and anything on the dwelling side of the water curb box is the homeowners responsibility. We are in agreement of this right?

Now onto the 5% portion, these areas are mainly in the downtown core and I believe the cathedral area based on what I have read. Is it ideal? No, but they are actively working on replacing the worst of the lines and working towards the safer. It is a process when dealing with old infrastructure. If you are ripping up a street to replace the water line, typically the second deepest utility in the road, then you might as well replace all the utilities in the road. This is a long job that takes time and money. The CoR knows there is a problem and has been actively fixing.

Now let’s move on to the $100 issue you have. Here is a LINK to the proper filters. Each filter should last an average family, 454L, 6 months of uses. This is a 2 filter pack for $40.00 and should keep your family well inside the safe limits, drinking water for a year. If you are a heavy consumer then you can afford to buy two sets. The last time I filled my water jug, I only fill it for company and I prefer CoR tap water, I think it cost me $3 at Canadian Tire.

Lastly, I do not work for the CoR nor do I have any affiliation to the CoR.

Edit Added the correct Brita Filter and here is the Data Sheet on the filter. Thanks u/atron306 on correcting me.

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 water is regularly in the 200's ppm and its fine. The extra minerals are good for the plant.

The main reason to buy a filter is if your city is using chlormines to treat their water vs chlorine. Especially if you grow organic. Chlorine can kill the microbes. Which cause issues in teh soil with ph and nute uptake issues. If they use chlormines then get a filter. My WOW guildy who grows recommended this to me that includes a sediment filter. Even though I think your ppm is fine. It can help bring it down as well.

​

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008KL0JG6/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

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

I've been making cold brew coffee for the past 4 months or so and it's amazing. I bought a box of Alto Cold Brew Bags and they work great.

1 Cup of coffee grounds per 4 cups of water and steep in the fridge for 24 hours. It can be very strong depending upon the coffee that you use (strength/grind). Been doing Lavazza Oro and it is plenty strong. It is an espresso grind, so that probably makes a big difference.

I fire up the tea kettle on the stove and dump in about 1/4 to 1/3 of the cup with the cold brew concentrate, and the rest with boiling water.

It is the smoothest coffee I've ever tasted. Zero bitterness, and it's so easy to dial in how strong the cup is.

depends what your water issues are. here in nyc the only issue are particulates and chloromines,
so i got a generic 10" cartridge housing and use appropriete chloromines absorbing carbon block.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013JVPN1M (all you need for now)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0051VC7CW (recommended cartridge replacement)

since this housing comes with an adequate filter cartridge, you can use that for the first 1000gal,
then replace it with the Pentech for the next 1000gal. if you have a lot of particulates such as mulm,
I would get a second stage filter housing and use one for particulates and the other for chloromines.

https://www.amazon.com//dp/B0014C0850

it's best to stick with the 10'|20' cartridge standards, not use any proprietary housing like culligan.
2 stages means you'll save on cartridge costs because particulate-only are much cheaper to replace,
thus extending the useful life of your other more expensive carbon block cartridge.

I brew 2L of tea daily, while removing chloromines has significantly improved the taste of my tea.
if you are a high end aquarium hobbyist, removing chloromines is a must for your invertebrates.

Thank you so much for the detailed response. I truly appreciate it! This is the filter that I am currently using: https://smile.amazon.com/PUREPLUS-Activated-Replacement-Cartridge-Compatible/dp/B01N2H2OO6 - any chance bacteria could grow on it? I had a water test done by the builder and here are the results: https://imgur.com/a/4HdfZRR - According to that, there was no bacteria it seems. If the cause is sulfur, do you agree with the air sulfur filter recommendation?

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.

One of my friends manages a coffee shop, she has a whole water treatment plant in the back room - it's pretty cool to see it in action! I guess with up to $100,000 in various coffee machines and ice makers, it really pays off to treat the water...

For my machine, I weighed the cost and plastic waste of bottled water against the cost of replacing the valve assembly and decided to go with the latter, since I have the screwdrivers (hey we have the same Stanley Phillips driver!)... But on the bigger machines that cost a lot more than mine (or have been beautifully refurbished like yours), I'm thinking that it's probably worth investing in R/O on a dedicated water line.

Not so sure a Brita would do anything, my Breville actually has the built in Keureg style pod filter, but they don't seem to do very much for water quality.

Chlorine is the best for community wide. I have a couple RO+uv sanitizers on my house. Easy enough to assemble from standardized parts on ebay. You can also buy ceramic .1u filters that fit standard housings.

https://www.amazon.com/Doulton-W9220402-Slimline-Sterasyl-Ceramic/dp/B009EQMOGY/ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1541057130&sr=1-1&keywords=Doulton+W9220402

one could argue it puts less stress on kidneys needing to flush out impurities.

the softener would just help prolong the life of the filters by reducing the heavy 'crap' before it reaches to the system. its by no means a substitute.

you basically have distilled water on tap at 2 gallons per hour, with my setup.

im just a layman on the subject. but i can absoutly say a ro filters are worth it if you can afford it.

in gallons of water drunk, im easily ahead over 60 dollars in the couple monthes ive had mine installed. filters are paid off for.... still reads at 9 parts per million, by this fall ill be banking money.

not a bad rate of return, less than 6 months.


again, I highly recommend, this is the one i got
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LMCBSS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

im not affiliated


*and that the person in original has a well. one can only assume the water is really hard, especially if has a brownish color, rust.

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.

Thanks man,

I got this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008KL0JG6

It's supposed to filter chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals. I'll give it go for a few days and see how she responds. They also sell an 'upgrade kit' which is an additional RO stage. I'm thinking I might go for it, although I'll have to get creative with the waste water line

I use a hydrologic Small Boy with a special activated carbon filter. It's supposed to remove most chlorine and chloramine.

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

You buy a kit

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

You can't swing $60

$85 and you can Distill your own!