Clean water filtration -- what to invest in?

[Nequals1Guy]

Thanks for reporting back and noting to watch for aluminum filters. Not being a metal chemistry expert I'd avoid that too! Let us know how you like the taste. I think I need one under the counter, but I'm still curious. I'd like to not have to research it due to lack of time.

I installed one of these to supply my refrigerator with h2o for ice and drinking water. My ice cubes come out crystal clear and the taste is better than any water you can buy. Well worth the investment. In order for it to work I had to bypass the refrigerator's internal filter. Once I did that there was plenty of pressure. RO systems use a pressurized tank to store the water. They need a drain to discard the dirty water. So, you need to plan your install carefully. I never drink from my tap now.

iSpring RCC7 WQA Gold Seal Certified 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System - 75 GPD




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[circular]

That looks good Nequals1Guy, but I notice in the comments at Amazon there's a tradeoff to RO in terms of efficiency:

To fill the tank from empty, it's about 2.5:1 (2.5 gallons waste to 1 filtered). BUT once the tank is full and you draw a glass from it, the ratio jumps to 5:1 (5 gallons waste to 1 purified), this has to do with the filling tank creating back pressure and allowing less water through the RO membrane. These systems (RO in general) are NOT efficient!!

That's not a deal breaker for me but a downside, and something people on a tight utility budget might want to consider.

[apod]

The iSpring looks pretty sweet -- I really like the idea of remineralizing the water (especially if you could add in some spring water-like amount of sulfates / magnesium and maybe a pinch of microdose lithium, like it would naturally exists in the water.) The NSF certification is also pretty sweet -- you can't even buy the Berkey in California because they didn't "spring" for this cert.

Alas, I'm already invested in the counter-top Berkey. I'll have to reinvestigate this a few years down the road when I'm in a better situation for a more permanent water filtration solution.

[Nequals1Guy]

That looks good Nequals1Guy, but I notice in the comments at Amazon there's a tradeoff to RO in terms of efficiency:

To fill the tank from empty, it's about 2.5:1 (2.5 gallons waste to 1 filtered). BUT once the tank is full and you draw a glass from it, the ratio jumps to 5:1 (5 gallons waste to 1 purified), this has to do with the filling tank creating back pressure and allowing less water through the RO membrane. These systems (RO in general) are NOT efficient!!

That's not a deal breaker for me but a downside, and something people on a tight utility budget might want to consider.

I guess the water waste is the least of my worries. I recycle in other ways. I pay for it, I can do what I want with it. You can always redirect your discarded water into a reservoir and use it to water your yard or something.



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[apod]

So, I've been running the Berkey for a couple weeks now -- I'm digging it. The tap water tests around 700ppm TDS prior to filtering (exceptionally hard water from among the worst water supplies in the country... I think this is above EPA max limits?) One of these days, I would be very interested in testing whats in that 700ppm of dissolved solids. The Berkey drops it down to around 400ppm. This still seems pretty high -- how is it able to retain that much mineral in the water yet remove fluoride / heavy metals / chloramines & chemical contaminants?

The taste is much more mineral-rich than the RO water I've been drinking previously, bordering on slightly astringent spring water. In reading around on Pubmed, the consensus seems to be that heavier water is generally better (even though this seems a bit like drinking slightly calcium-supplemented water?)

Overall, I'm pretty satisfied with the unit.

It's a little bit of a hassle to fill every day (I could have bought a bigger one)... and you have to clean it every month or so. When you fill it up, there's a strong chlorine smell that drifts out having been stripped from the water but trapped in the top tank. It's a good solution, but not a perfect solution.

[floramaria]

So, I've been running the Berkey for a couple weeks now

Hi apod,

This post from you was last year and so by now you have a lot more experience with your Berkey. I am very curious about what you think of it now. Many years ago I stopped drinking my tap water from a small Municipal system which keeps getting “failed to Report” on its state water sample monitoring, which does not inspire confidence. Things I know for sure are that it is chlorinated and high in fluoride and arsenic, and like yours, extremely high mineral content. Very hard on faucets.

We have been buying Reverse osmosis water that has alkalyzing minerals added. We like the taste, but after reading yet another article about water quality, I resurrected my concern about having my Remineralized RO water stored in plastic, even though it is BPA-free. Last week I bought a New Wave Enviro 10 stage plus counter top water filter at our Natural Grocery store. But I didn’t install it because I started reading (and reading and reading) about water filters and Berkey rose up again as a top contender. I live in an area where water is a scarce resource, and I can’t justify installing an RO filter because of the waste. ( I know, I am buying RO water, but at least it is not being taken from our tiny water shed)
I’ll call Berkey and talk to them about why they don’t certify with any of the water quality agencies. EWG doen’t Rate this filter because they have neither of the certifications they use to “filter” which water filters they review.

Personal experience is the most important source of information for me. Now that you have had it for some time, how well do you like it? would you recommend it? Would you buy it again?

Anything you choose to share will be helpful, apod.
Thanks!

[apod]

So, I've been running the Berkey for a couple weeks now

Hi apod,

This post from you was last year and so by now you have a lot more experience with your Berkey. I am very curious about what you think of it now. Many years ago I stopped drinking my tap water from a small Municipal system which keeps getting “failed to Report” on its state water sample monitoring, which does not inspire confidence. Things I know for sure are that it is chlorinated and high in fluoride and arsenic, and like yours, extremely high mineral content. Very hard on faucets.

We have been buying Reverse osmosis water that has alkalyzing minerals added. We like the taste, but after reading yet another article about water quality, I resurrected my concern about having my Remineralized RO water stored in plastic, even though it is BPA-free. Last week I bought a New Wave Enviro 10 stage plus counter top water filter at our Natural Grocery store. But I didn’t install it because I started reading (and reading and reading) about water filters and Berkey rose up again as a top contender. I live in an area where water is a scarce resource, and I can’t justify installing an RO filter because of the waste. ( I know, I am buying RO water, but at least it is not being taken from our tiny water shed)
I’ll call Berkey and talk to them about why they don’t certify with any of the water quality agencies. EWG doen’t Rate this filter because they have neither of the certifications they use to “filter” which water filters they review.

Personal experience is the most important source of information for me. Now that you have had it for some time, how well do you like it? would you recommend it? Would you buy it again?

Anything you choose to share will be helpful, apod.
Thanks!

You know, truth be told... It's sitting on my countertop, but I haven't had a drink out of the thing in months. There was a point when I figured I should probably change the filters out and clean the thing, and I've been drinking R/O water since. Our local water is pretty bad -- I've see it at, or at the top of the list for worst water quality reports by location. Out of the tap, it tastes like you're drinking swimming pool water ran through a garden hose.

I love the taste of the Berkey water -- it turns this stuff into something more akin to spring water. RO water by contrast always tastes oddly sweet to me. I like the Berkey, I'd buy it again, but I haven't splurged on a new set of filters just yet. Our water is so hard out here, I figure the Berkey is probably actually a good source of dietary calcium / magnesium.

[floramaria]

I love the taste of the Berkey water -- it turns this stuff into something more akin to spring water. RO water by contrast always tastes oddly sweet to me. I like the Berkey, I'd buy it again, but I haven't splurged on a new set of filters just yet. Our water is so hard out here, I figure the Berkey is probably actually a good source of dietary calcium / magnesium.

Thank you for your response. I think I’ll return the other filter I bought and get the Berkey.

[Clarag4]

I had a water filtration system installed under my kitchen sink, and the plumber did an excellent job. They were able to address specific concerns, including the use of copper pipes, and recommended a filter that suited my needs perfectly. So, based on my experience, taking the time to research and choose the right filter for your situation is worthwhile. If you have any questions or need assistance along the way, feel free to reach out emergency plumber.

[Plumster]

If anyone wants to avoid installing reverse osmosis, there's another option that I've been using for many years that is countertop reverse osmosis. Take a look at https://aquatruwater.com/