Water Filters
Related Page: Drinking Water
Parent Q&A
Archived Q&A and Reviews
Questions
- Whole House Water Filter
- Alternative to Pur
- Attach-to-the-faucet water filters
- Under-sink water filter
- Brita removes Flouride?
Whole House Water Filter
July 2013
I am wondering if anyone in the BPN community has a suggestion for a whole house reverse osmosis water filter brand? I prefer reverse osmosis since apparently this is the only method that removes fluoride. Berkeley is removing it from their water, but I do not live in Berkeley. I have heard that reverse osmosis has a problem with bacteria? How hard was your filter to install---or will a plumber have no problem? How much do you spend on replacement filters? Have you seen health benefits? Thank you for any feedback on your filter! Looking for toxin-free water
Where did you read/hear that Berkeley is removing fluoride? Water is not controlled at the city level, and I sure hope that there is fluoride in my Berkeley water. See http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/drinkingwater/Documents/Fluoridation/Tables/Table%201.pdf. My kid has great teeth
We have an EWS whole house water filter we got from Jack London Kitchen and Bath. I chose a whole house over a kitchen sink filter due to my research that most of what we absorb from our water is in the shower from inhalation. This filter removes chloramines, floride and MTBEs. It is a medical grade filter. I didn't choose the reverse osmosis because I didn't want to waste water, but the filter does an automatic flush every week. My water tastes great, but my kid gets more cavities than her parents did, even with twice daily tooth brushing. Hope that helps. Julia
If you are looking for a filtration set up for your house water give the guys at NuWater a call. They are local (Concord) and incredibly bright. They make all their filters and resins so the cost is reasonable. We were amazed that they were able to turn our shallow well water into drinking water that's healthier than the city water! http://www.nuwaterusa.com water wise
Alternative to Pur
October 2004
I like the idea of the Pur Water Filter (a faucet-mounted filter) but I have purchased two filters and each started leaking to the point of being unusable within 3 months. Due to the size, age, and layout of our kitchen, a below- the-sink filter with a separate spout won't work for us. Does anyone have positive experience with a faucet-mounted water filter? August
We have been using a countertop water filter for a few years now, and it's been working great. The main body of the filter sits on the counter as opposed to being attached directly to the faucet, which means that you actually have room in the sink under the faucet. You just attach a small piece to the faucet, with a tube that allows water to get into the filter. If you just do a search for ''countertop water filters'' on Google, I'm sure you'll find one that suits your needs. We purchased one with a carbon filter for about $40, and it's been working great for over a year. Corina
We've been very happy with the Brita faucet-mounted filter. It is certified for LOTS of contaminents, the water tastes good, and it is easy to use and change. The filters are about $15 (in the 2-pack at Target) and last us 3-4 months each. Only draw-back (probably true of any faucet-mount) - you can't mount it on a swivel-head. It does, however, have its own spray setting. R.K.
I have no experience with the on-the-sink-faucet kind. We have a cold water spigot on our freezer door, and even with changing the filter (under the sink) myself twice, we've never had leaks or problems with it. Bob
this is not in he same price range as PUR but we LOVE our Multi-PURE water filter. It comes in different counter-top models, i.e. a hose attaches to faucet and you can divert back to tap for dishes, etc. and the unit sits on the countertop. It is expensive (200-300), but the quality is exceptional- filters many, many pesticides and chemicals such as MTBE that the standard commercial filters don't. And filters replacement is every 500 gallons (or they make a bigger, more expensive 750 gallon) which ends up being a lot less frequent than PUR/ Britta/ etc. We have been thrilled with the taste, quality, and the set-up was easy. (and it's way cheaper and better quality than refilling gallons at a store) They're based in Nevada, just google it if you want more info. Chris
Attach-to-the-faucet water filters
May 2004
I would appreciate any recommendations regarding attach-to-the- faucet water filters. In particular, any thoughts on ''Britta'' vs. ''Pur'' brands? I want to filter out the bad stuff and leave the fluoride in (for my baby's teeth). The faucet attachment filters seem easier than the pitchers, but if you prefer those I'd love to hear why. Thanks. Emily
After some initial research, I decided to go with the Aquasana water filter. It is certified by the California Department of Health Services (California has stricter requirements than other sates, BTW) and the price is right for me (9 cents per gallon). I got the combination counter filter for the sink and their SHOWER FILTER which I LOOOOVE. The great thing about these filters is, like BRITA and Pur, they are selective, filtering out the bad stuff and leaving in the various trace minerals that you do want. I don't think it's necessarily *easier* than a pitcher though. Certainly the initial installation was more of a pain then just buying a pitcher, but the savings made such a difference. for 1 year worth of filters, the Aquasana will cost me $90, while the Pur would cost me $125 to filter the same amount of water (that's just for the counter filter, not the shower filter).
I got the shower filter because my husband has asthma, and there have been some studies that suggest that the chlorine in showers (it steams just like the water) isn't good for asthmatics. Also, the chlorine is very drying to skin and hair. So, filtering out the chlorine has many advantages.
I bought my filters from an authorized seller who sells through eBay. After you receive your filters, you can sign up for the Aquasana ''water for life'' program where you get replacement filters automatically every 6 months and you get a discount (that's what I've done).
Hope this helps. love good water!
I recommend ECOQUEST. Donna McCaskey is a local rep. She's a really thoughtful and kind woman. She's great at answering questions and customer service. She's willing to let you try out the water and air purification products to see if it's a good match for you. Donna McCaskey's phone number is 510-521-0113 and the ECOQUEST webite is ecoquest.com Good luck! Rebecca
We have used the Brita on-faucet filter for about 2 years now, and I like it. It is a bit expensive - each replacement cartridge costs about $15 (in two-pack at Target) and lasts 3-4 months. It is very easy to mount, use and change (be sure to let the water run as directed for about 5 minutes before first use, to flush out packaging impurities). One downside (probably true of any faucet-mount filter) is that you cannot use it with a swivel-attachment on the faucet. It does, however, have a ''spray'' setting, as well as ''filtered'' and ''regular flow''.
The package label claims that it ''keeps a healthy level of fluoride'' in fluoridated municipal tap water. It has been tested and certified to reduce over 25 different health-related contaminants, and three ''Aesthetic effects''. We think the filtered water tastes pretty good. It is not meant to be used to PURIFY microbiologically unsafe water. See the label for details. R.K.
Under-sink water filter
July 2003
Has anyone done research or have anecdotal information you'd like to share regarding water filters that go under the sink? I'm considering buying either a standard undersink filtration device or a reverse-osmosis system. The advantages over faucet mounted ones are that they don't weigh down and damage your faucet over time, there are models w/ faster flow-rates than what you get on faucet-mounted types, and they are better at removing lead according to consumers reports. But the cost of filters over time is about same as the faucet mounted ones. I'm also considering installing a reverse-osmosis filter that removes everything, including fluoride and chloride. There is very little info on the ratings of what's available, with Consumer Reports having rated only 2 reverse-osmosis units, the Kenmore 38470 and GE SmartWater GXRV10ABL01 in Jan, '03. They both have very slow flow rates (may be hard to get around unless the filter becomes huge) but tested excellent in filtration. These filters are hard to change and the Kenmore one doesn't even claim to remove lead which is strange for reverse-osmosis. They cost about $250 with about $40-$80/year for filters. (Faucet mounted filters if you change them according to instructions will cost $80-120 per year for the Pur Ultimate Hor. probably using non-warehouse prices.) Has anyone found more info? I've tried looking into the archives, but it only addresses the carafes about not removing flouride. Are there other resources that have tested and rated water filters? How do you like yours? Thank you in advance. Susan
We've lived with a ''bacteriostatic'' (NSA brand?) under-the-sink water filter since we moved into a house where it was installed almost two years ago. I don't know exactly what it does or how it works, but we have had no problems with the water pressure. According to the person who responded to our email for information about the system, the whole thing needs to replaced every three years (or when the water pressure starts droppping), and a replacement costs $185+S If you are interested in the contact information, let me know. Good luck. robin
We got a reverse-osmosis water filter about 10 years ago (when they were relatively newly used for other than industrial facilities and REALLY expensive). We have never regretted it. The tank is under our house for the whole house system and there is another filter under our sink for drinking water, so our drinking water is double filtered. Our water tastes so good. People comment on how great our water tastes. I haven't done any other research...We have our filter changed and maintained by the company(Micro Pure in Lafayette) about once a year and we have to add salt to the big tank about every 3 or 4 months. If you're going to stay in your house for a while I'd go for reverse osmosis (although you can take it with you if you move).Good luck, June K
i've had a multipure for many years - i love it. $55/ year for new filter. haven't done research really, but their stats look good, and as far as i know it takes out flouride and chlorine. good luck. peggyh
We have been very happy with our under-sink water filter, a reverse osmosis type which also reduces chlorine. It was a bit of a pain to install -- we had to drill a hole in our older house's old sink with a big old drill bit we had to buy specially for that purpose. But once in, it was worth it. The filters last 6 months. Also, a fairly sizable space under the sink is devoted to the storage tank that the filtered water waits in until you drink it (it's not filtered immediately). We got it online from PurWater Systems: http://www.h2opurwater.com/reverse_osmosis.html Jocelyn
Brita removes Flouride?
Nov 1999
Can anybody tell me if they know if the Brita Water Purifyers (you know, the ones you pour tap water into and it trickles down into a clear pitcher) gets rid of flouride? If so, can anybody recommend another (inexpensive) purification system that does NOT get rid of flouride? Thank you.
I, too, was concerned about whether Brita filters out fluoride. I asked by dentist and she says that they do not filter out fluoride and that she uses Brita at her home.
The Brita water filter pitcher filtration system does NOT get rid of fluoride. We checked that out 2 years ago, so it may bear checking again. I'm sure they have a website.
I had the same question and called the Brita 800 number a few weeks ago. They said the filter removes a very small amount of fluoride, but not enough to make a difference in the fluoride's effectiveness.
I called Brita about the fluoride issue, and I was told that it does get rid of a minute amount of fluoride, that the filtered water is still considered fluoridated. I think there is an 1-800 number on the package, so you could call to confirm this.