Water filter with replaceable media?

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kotterr

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I currently use https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G2THQO6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 (ERWF271) to filter my drinking water. It has a plastic NPT female connection on each end so I screw it straight onto the brass fittings. However, I was wondering if there was a cheaper way to do this. Are there drinking water filters with replaceable carbon media? What do you guys recommend? What kind of media would I need for drinking water and what is a good price / lb?
 
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That is a refrigerator ice maker water filter. It will not have the capacity to filter your cold water faucet (or separate drinking/cooking water faucet) @ the kitchen sink.

IMO, you need an under-sink cartridge filter. The actual filter media depends on what is contained in your water.

Municipal or well?

(NOTE- I am not a professional)
 
KULTULZ said:
That is a refrigerator ice maker water filter. It will not have the capacity to filter your cold water faucet (or separate drinking/cooking water faucet) @ the kitchen sink.

IMO, you need an under-sink cartridge filter. The actual filter media depends on what is contained in your water.

Municipal or well?

(NOTE- I am not a professional)
Click to expand...

It's form the municipal line. They are less than $15 and for the price it's decent capacity. I just wanted to save some money and thought a replaceable charcoal media system would be better (where the charcoal is bought by the bag).
 
kotterr said:
It's form the municipal line. They are less than $15 and for the price it's decent capacity.
Click to expand...

A refrigerator ice maker filter usually has a 2500gl or 6mo use maximum . Everyday use on sink will quickly over power it.

I just wanted to save some money and thought a replaceable charcoal media system would be better (where the charcoal is bought by the bag).
Click to expand...

I think what you are describing is a cartridge filter with a hollow cartridge to accept loose carbon media. I think what you need is an under sink cartridge filter that will filter sediment(s), chlorine/chloramines, cysts and viruses.

There are differing qualities and should be NSF certified.
 
KULTULZ said:
A refrigerator ice maker filter usually has a 2500gl or 6mo use maximum . Everyday use on sink will quickly over power it.



I think what you are describing is a cartridge filter with a hollow cartridge to accept loose carbon media. I think what you need is an under sink cartridge filter that will filter sediment(s), chlorine/chloramines, cysts and viruses.

There are differing qualities and should be NSF certified.
Click to expand...

I think about a gallon every 3-4 days. That translates to about 120 gallons per year the the filter is more than adequate for that. I only use it for drinking water.
 
IMHO, those fridge filters are no good. My water was tested out of the tap at 560 PPM of crap. My pool tested at 800 PPM, and my new fridge filter tested at 390 PPM. I installed a reverse osmosis unit under my sink and that water tested at 40 PPM, which is exactly the same PPM as a bottle of water from Costco.
 
havasu said:
IMHO, those fridge filters are no good. My water was tested out of the tap at 560 PPM of crap. My pool tested at 800 PPM, and my new fridge filter tested at 390 PPM. I installed a reverse osmosis unit under my sink and that water tested at 40 PPM, which is exactly the same PPM as a bottle of water from Costco.
Click to expand...

I noticed. Is chlorine and fluoride (the stuff not completely filtered out by a basic charcoal filter) actually bad for you? Seems you can get rid of the chlorine "taste" by just letting the water sit for a day or two, which is easy to do. Just drink from one container while the other sits. When you run out, drink from the other container and fill the empty one.

What do you think of this?
1. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8-Brass-Ball-Valve-Full-Port-600WOG-w-Red-Handle-CBVB038UPD/111179003641
2. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-to-3-8-...ng-NPT-adapter-Male-thread-N-6M-/201662791120
3. http://www.ebay.com/itm/STAINLESS-STEEL-BUSHING-REDUCER-2-x-1-2-NPT-PIPE-BS-200-050-/401184673634
4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K0D43B4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JQJNM8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
6. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIVE-Push-I...ttings-1-4-OD-1-2-NPT-Pneumatic-/191054196551
7. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Generic-Pre...-Fluval-Edge-Aquarium-Pack-Of-6-/262517294862
8. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-lbs-Acti...r-aquarium-fish-koi-pond-filter-/261055178900

ERWF271 weighs 10.4 ounces. Even assuming that is all carbon media (which it is not, since some of the weight is due to the plastic housing), that is only 0.65 lbs. At $13.42, that's $20.65 / lb of carbon filtration. The custom unit, even at $112.13, is for 10 lbs of media, which comes out to $11.21 / lb. That's about half the price and assumes you completely discard the entire unit (steel and everything) each time. Looks like it will pay for itself in about 8 years. Is what I am suggesting a safe design?

customfilter.jpg
 
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havasu said:
IMHO, those fridge filters are no good. My water was tested out of the tap at 560 PPM of crap. My pool tested at 800 PPM, and my new fridge filter tested at 390 PPM. I installed a reverse osmosis unit under my sink and that water tested at 40 PPM, which is exactly the same PPM as a bottle of water from Costco.
Click to expand...

I concur... :confused: ... college word... :rolleyes:

RO is the best way for clean drinking water and ice maker (IMO Non-Professional), but is expensive (purchase and service) and also removes needed minerals from the water.

The COSTCO water you mentioned. Is it marked as distilled or RO? Wondering...
 
Yes, reverse osmosis. It even states certain minerals were added for taste.

Kirkland_Premium_Drinking_Water_3.jpg


I thought Gov. Moonbeam got all you Left Coast people in sync? :D
 
It doesn't tell you that the minerals they added were marijuana, dissolved food stamps and lots of unemployment checks added for taste.
 
kotterr said:
I noticed. Is chlorine and fluoride (the stuff not completely filtered out by a basic charcoal filter) actually bad for you? Seems you can get rid of the chlorine "taste" by just letting the water sit for a day or two, which is easy to do. Just drink from one container while the other sits. When you run out, drink from the other container and fill the empty one.

What do you think of this?
1. http://www.ebay.com/itm/3-8-Brass-Ball-Valve-Full-Port-600WOG-w-Red-Handle-CBVB038UPD/111179003641
2. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1-2-to-3-8-...ng-NPT-adapter-Male-thread-N-6M-/201662791120
3. http://www.ebay.com/itm/STAINLESS-STEEL-BUSHING-REDUCER-2-x-1-2-NPT-PIPE-BS-200-050-/401184673634
4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00K0D43B4/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003JQJNM8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
6. http://www.ebay.com/itm/FIVE-Push-I...ttings-1-4-OD-1-2-NPT-Pneumatic-/191054196551
7. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Generic-Pre...-Fluval-Edge-Aquarium-Pack-Of-6-/262517294862
8. http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-lbs-Acti...r-aquarium-fish-koi-pond-filter-/261055178900

ERWF271 weighs 10.4 ounces. Even assuming that is all carbon media (which it is not, since some of the weight is due to the plastic housing), that is only 0.65 lbs. At $13.42, that's $20.65 / lb of carbon filtration. The custom unit, even at $112.13, is for 10 lbs of media, which comes out to $11.21 / lb. That's about half the price and assumes you completely discard the entire unit (steel and everything) each time. Looks like it will pay for itself in about 8 years. Is what I am suggesting a safe design?
Click to expand...

if you do that, use lead free brass fittings instead of the ss

or,, buy all ss components , do not mis match brass/ss

electrolysis will eat you alive

the brass will break down [dissimilar metals]
 
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frodo said:
if you do that, use lead free brass fittings instead of the ss

or,, buy all ss components , do not mis match brass/ss

electrolysis will eat you alive

the brass will break down [dissimilar metals]
Click to expand...

I thought the stainless and brass were close enough. Anyway, I would get all brass, but they don't have that big pipe in that size.

Other than electrolysis, would the system (in particular, the sponge + charcoal design) work to filter the water?

Nevermind. Found it:

Replace:

3 & 4. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003OYJFC8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
5. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003PDNFT2/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Good now?
 
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frodo said:
LEAD FREE VERY IMPORTANT LEAD FREE BRASS

as far as will your design work ? I have no idea, I am not an engineer
Click to expand...

That looks like a system for a gravity-based river water filter, whereas I am building something for filtering chlorinated, pressurized municipal water.

Also, this is for personal use so I do not have to follow regulations. From what I've read, the lead is unlikely to be present in quantities necessary to cause harm.
 
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