Talk to me about water filtration systems

[snoozy]

Are there any water filtration experts out there? I need a system for a small food service business, to filter city water. What should I look for?

[littlebitfarm]

What are you looking to change in the city water?

Kathie

[snoozy]

I want to remove chlorine and whatever noxious stuff is in it. To make better tea!

[ET1 SS]

I just put in two filters for our whole house. The first is a 10 micron polyester-fiber filter, and the second is a charcoal filter. I dont think our water has any flavour at all now.

I got both filter cases with 3/4 inch inlet and outlet so they really dont restrict flow at all.



I used to own a house in Bremerton, on Naval Ave. When I was on a sub in the shipyard and later I was on a boat at Bangor subase.

[snoozy]

Well, Galen, I'm just up the road outside of Poulsbo. How much did your system cost, and how long do you expect to run it before you need to change filters?

[ET1 SS]

Originally Posted by snoozy

Well, Galen, I'm just up the road outside of Poulsbo. How much did your system cost, and how long do you expect to run it before you need to change filters?

Wow with those great Scandinavian parades!!

I used to attend a little fraternity in the center of town there by the waterfront. I think they were 'Warren G. Harding Lodge', and a very nice group of gentlemen.

I paid like $40 at a plumbing supply for each filter, and got an armload of spare filters, I installed them around March.

I think they were around $32 each, and a like $2 for a pair of cartridges. But I got a load of those pairs of cartridges. And I got two filters. Both are identical. but one pile of cartridges are white and labeled to filter to 10 microns. The other pile of filters is black and filled with activated charcoal. So I paid a total of $80 for it all and I hope it should last 2 or 3 years.

They are a clear plastic like a big jar with a screw-on top that screws up into a base. and the filter [maybe 2 1/2 inches diameter and 8 inches tall] fits into the jar.

Our water did not smell, but there was a taste, and a white cloudiness. Like you had put a few drops of milk into a glass of water. We tried going without, but the water is so hard and leaves calcium so thick it drys like a white chalky film on the dishes and glasses coming out of the dishwasher.

With those filters, it cleared up nicely. I honestly have no idea how long these filters will last.

I had only plumbed the cold water going to the kitchen sink. Since we have lived overseas as much, we really are not in the habit of thinking that hot water was potable. So it did not really occur to me to filter the hot water. Only in America is the hot water tap, considered potable. But after trying every trick in the book to get our clothes clean in the clothes washer, and trying to get the hard water deposits off our dishes and tumblers. My wife finally got me to re-route the plumbing so now all our water goes through the filters and then separates to cold water faucets and the water heaters.

[littlebitfarm]

A simple carbon filter will take out chlorine and help the taste a little bit. If you want to take out fluoride also than you need to go to reverse osmosis. Carbon filter is cheap and easy. R/O will cost you some bucks to get it installed and to maintain it.

Kathie

[ChuckinVA]

... how long do you expect to run it before you need to change filters?

This will depend on the amount of water you filter and how much"stuff" you are filtering out.

I had a similar system as ET1 SS installed on a well that had iron in the water. I had to change the charcoal filter about every two months and we used it minimally as it was a week end retreat.

[snoozy]

I've seen some reverse osmosis filter systems on eBay for $175 or thereabouts. That doesn't seem too bad. How often does one have to change the filters or clean them out or whatever one does to maintain them?

[littlebitfarm]

Originally Posted by snoozy

I've seen some reverse osmosis filter systems on eBay for $175 or thereabouts. That doesn't seem too bad. How often does one have to change the filters or clean them out or whatever one does to maintain them?

It all depends on how much water you use and how much stuff there is to pull out of the water. At work I have a professional grade R/O system. Set up for like 30 gallons a day. Some parts get changed every 3 months, some every 6 months. Costs us $2500 a year for the company to maintain it. But great water!

Kathie

[snoozy]

Yikes!