Tuesday 27 April 2010

Water Filtration - water filters, faucet water filters


I have previously used the Brita water container, but the on tap water filter system is wonderfully easy to use! NO more awkard handling of a big water pitcher. I also enjoy the ability to switch between unfiltered and filtered water. It is small in size and not too bad to look at.

We've tried all the faucet filters available and were not satisfied with any of them. Last year we bought a Brita and have never looked back. The water has absolutely NO taste after being filtered. Which is good. Before filtering it has a strong chlorine taste. My only complaint, and this is NOT Brita's fault, is that because our water has lots of particulate matter (which we were swallowing before we got the filter!) the filters last only 2-3 weeks, not months. But otherwise, it performs much better than the other major brands. Highly recommend.

We all know that the Brita On Tap is a nice water filter that gets the job done well. But it's easy to ignore changing the filter. When the time came to do so, I was impressed with (1) how easy it is to change the filter and (2) how much better the water flow was with a fresh filter. This purchase is a no-brainer.

they work, they're afforable, and they make the L.A. tap water actually taste good. the only problem is that I go through them so fast because of how awful the tap water is out here... but who cares, it's worth it. much cheaper than buying bottled water.

First off, let me point out that it's a bit frivolous to review these replacement filters. If you already bought Brita On Tap, then you have just two choices for new filters: white or chrome. For my kitchen, I prefer chrome.



These filters are expensive and they only seem to last a few weeks before the green light turns amber, then red, indicating that a replacement is needed. Don't trust the light. Try removing the filter cartridge, shaking it, and replacing it. In my experience, this almost always makes the light turn green again. These should each last months of casual use (~1 gallon per day), not weeks.

We bought this filter for my parents who will only drink filtered water as their city water has a very strong chemical taste and smell. They were using a pitcher for all their drinking water so I thought that a faucet filter would be a nice upgrade for them. The installation was a little rough. It was difficult to get the threads on the faucet to line up and form a tight seal with the filter unit. Once everything was lined up, there were no leaks. The biggest drawback is that the flow of the filtered water is pretty slow. It takes several minutes to fill a coffeepot, but it's still faster than waiting for the water to drip through the pitcher. You can flip the switch to get unfiltered water which flows normally.

I live in a city that has very high reviews for our water. Most of the time when I travel, I don't care for the taste of the water in other areas. I have a very bad habit of not drinking enough water so I bought the filter as a reminder for me to drink more water. I was amazed at the difference in the taste! There were always a few brands of bottled water that I thought were quite good. When I filter my city water it is every bit as good, if not better. The filter life is much longer then I expected. The price of these replacement filters on Amazon is much cheaper than I can get locally. For me it is bye-bye expensive bottled water!

Consumer product-review publications have consistently given Brita the highest marks for removing undesirable substances from your water. Using the faucet-mounted system takes up no room in your fridge and you never have to wait for the water to drip, drip, drip through the filter into the pitcher. Even better, no more of those little black crumbs of the coconut-filter stuff in your pitcher!



It's also nice to use the filtered water to rinse off your dishes before they go into the countertop rack--the filtration cuts down on mineral deposits, so my glasses and other dishes have no hard-water stains.



These filters also last a good long while (more than a couple of months in our 4-person, 2-dog household--and yes, we give the dogs the filtered water, too)!

After using Pur faucet-mounted water filters for years, and having to replace them every year or two due to cracks or leaks, I finally tried Brita. Much better design! Easier to replace, no leaks, no cracks, same water quality. And through Amazon, better price.



UPDATE:



A year later--no problems so far. One quirk of the Brita, however, is that when it's in filtering mode the stream of water is quite narrow, and forceful, so it can easily bounce off whatever it's hitting and spray around. Filling ice cube trays, for example, requires a little practice to actually have the water stay in the compartments instead of spraying everywhere else. But really, this is nitpicking. Still prefer it to Pur. And it also takes up a little less space under the faucet.



SECOND UPDATE:



After a year and a half, I accidentally broke the unit by shaking the water out of some greens over the sink and hitting it. Didn't take much, I'm afraid. But I'm going to replace it with the same unit. The reviews of the unit itself are filled with angry one-stars complaining the thing pops off the sink, but those are all for FAUCETS THREADED ON THE INSIDE. Mine is not, and I've never had a problem. (Some reviews like the Culligan. I haven't tried it, but it has no indicator telling you when to change filters. That seems like a significant feature to me--I don't want to have to keep track of when I last replaced it, and be constantly either throwing away filters with use left on them or drinking unfiltered water for some unknown period of time.)



THIRD UPDATE:



My replacement unit didn't last very long. Even with a new filter, the indicator light was always red, the water didn't taste filtered, and I suspect the water just wasn't being routed through the filter at all. I'm going to try the Culligan. - Water Filters - Brita - Faucet Water Filters - Water Filter'


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