Do u use water filter at home?

tfkmueh

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Hi everyone!!

I did my research on water filtration systems and found that generally, most filters do benefit consumers in terms of water quality, such as removing chlorine from tap water, to say the least. However, it is also very interesting that most brands overemphasise and highly market on that one particular trait their system has and therefore I would suggest consumers to really do their research carefully. Definitely you would want to look into the certification, inspection and accreditation of the water filtration system by renowned organisations such as NSF International and The Water Quality Association (WQA).

Comparing some water filtration systems, including Brand D, Brand T, Brand C, Brand K and more, I found out that one of the only brands that legitimately proves their certification and live up to the standards is eSpring™. It is a Point-Of-Use (POU) water filtration system that combines Activated Carbon Block Filter, Ultraviolet Light Technology, Smart Chip Technology and Wireless Technology in an ultra-portable water filter.

It is certified NSF standard 42, 53, 55B, 401 and awarded WQA Gold Seal Registered Trademark. In fact, eSpring™ was the first to be certified to all 15 new NSF/ANSI 401 emerging contaminants back in 2014. Also, for a sixth consecutive year (2016) the eSpring™ brand has been recognised by Frost & Sullivan for its water treatment best practices award for the Asia Pacific (APAC) region.

Honestly, it is rare to find a water filter having a smart chip technology that conveniently monitors the cartridge usage for you. It is also economical as the electricity consumption per year is S$4.50, utilising 2.5W when on standby and 80W when the UV is on and the cartridge can last up to 5000L of water (10 000 bottles of water) or roughly a year, unlike many filters where the cartridges have to be replaced every few months. Lastly, despite how advanced and effective this water filter is, it manages to retain the beneficial substances such as calcium and magnesium from your water source.

I have a friend who is willing to lend his eSpring unit for anyone to experience a 3-day trial and test whether this water filtration system really works for you, at no obligation to make any purchase after the completion of the trial. Does it make sense to test it out and taste the results for yourself?

* eSpring™ comes with a 3 year warranty and it can be extended an additional 2 years (there is currently a promotion on the extension of warranty).
reported for advert.
 

WussRedXLi

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Just a heads-up, on Amazon.... BEST PRICE now for the 3M Filtrete MAXIMUM


NSF-53 for lead etc...
Max purchase qty of 3pcs, you'd need to add on some other stuff to make it usd 125 free ship eligible.

Till this Friday, got usd 15 promo code, CITISG. Eg 125usd free ship order becomes usd 110.

This one can use 1-1.5 years no issue for a family of up to 8, if you are using it just for drinking. The official capacity figure is 1500 gallons, though i'd not recommend you to use until 1500 gallons.

Use the 3分-》2分 connectors and hoses and also the tap diverter (2分 connections)that i posted in the previous pages. Coz this one uses 3 分 ie 3/8 inch hoses.

But if you are pushing past 6 months, it'd be better if you are boiling the water after filtration.

If you are using the tap diverter and flowing water pressure only when you are filling up your kettle for eg, there is no risk of flood.

QkTwal2.jpg


yvmD0dT.jpg
 
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WussRedXLi

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xxxx said:
bro, do you have any recommendation for undersink water filter from TB?

I'm using zerowater, the water filtered is quite clean, except that the water is slightly acidic. am adding a little baking soda to reduce the acidity. but it's LIKE LPPL.

so I am thinking of getting a undersink water filter for convenience.

btw, what kind of water filtration process is that where there is unwanted water discharged from the water filtration?

thanks.

I think The zerowater is slightly acidic is coz it is too low in TDS due to the ion exchange resin (maciam like RO). So low TDS would just very easily get acidic due to absorption of CO2 in the air. Same goes for RO perhaps.
You can test for this effect with pH test liquids, test immediately after filtration and then 2-3hrs after filtration while left standing ard.


"Normal" filtered water here are usually slightly alkaline, due to a wee bit of dissolved bicarbonates and stuff which acts as a buffer.


RO and nanofiltration are the technologies that have waste water discharged to prevent membrane fouling. Some Ultrafiltration also have this, to prolong the hollow membrane lifespan, but i think SG water no issue lah, not many particulates here.


IMO, a constantly pressurized undersink system i think is a bit risky in terms of flood risk, but that's just me. I have experience with those PE plastic quick connects due to my 12V pump for Aircon cleaning, well lets just say that if you were to expect them to stay connected leak and problem free for years, i think that's a bit asking for too much esp with the huge number of connections there.

You might want to modify a bit, earlier in the thread i have links to Taobao tap diverters and 2分 hoses. So basically it's like those on tap faucet filters, you want filtered water then you switch and divert the water to the filter.


For undersink/on-sink/whatever filtration, i'd recommend the DIY 10-inch canisters.
This is a very good cartridge, simple all in one. But i think not many people need that kind of high reduction of fluoride and chloramine. It also reduces lead and many other stuff.
6 mths or 500 galloons. Probably you'd hit 6 months. If you do boil the filtered water before putting into a hug/pot for serving, then you probably can push till 9-12 mths (coz any bacteria which set up camp in the charcoal would have been killed).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AOKJDLI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


It has catalytic activated carbon (not the normal activated carbon) which is like say 10 times more effective + 10 times longer lifespan than normal activated in adsorbing CHLORAMINES. We practically don't have chlorine issue at the end-user end, that is very easily dealt with by normal activated carbon with crazy lifespan/capacity of the activated carbon, and besides the absolute chlorine levels when it reaches out tap is probably say 0.25ppm coz that's how it works due to its high reactivity and disinfection properties (PUB uses 2.5ppm average at water works). Chloramine has less disinfection properties (secondary disinfectant) but has much higher persistence in our pipes.

Someone rearing shrimps recently just said that it needs 5 days to have let the chloramines outgas naturally? I don't know, nowadays i don't keep fishes already. I guess 2 or 3 foot tank partial water change still can tahan 5 days worth of standing water around the house? Try that for drinking water, bacteria all multiply and set up playground liao. :s13:

Some terms that you'd come across once you start to research :
Total chlorine = Chloramine + chlorine
Free chlorine = chlorine
How they determine chloramine levels is Total chlorine - Free chlorine.


There are also quite a couple of good solid carbon block filters on Amazon. See if you are interested in lead reduction etc. Go for the 0.5 micron ones, good performance.
Solid carbon blocks is just a name, from what i managed to search.....the Taobao ones are cheap but still not there in terms of performance (you get what you pay for).
You might want to get a cheap 1 micron PP sediment filter 10-inch filter and use that as pre-filter before the more expensive Amazon filter.

I don't think we have use for Ultrafiltration with tap water (pore size ranges from 0.01 - 0.1 microns). The 1 micron PP filter is really sufficient for sediment particulates.


Anyway, Amazon now has CITISG promotion code till this Saturday morning (Friday USA time), usd 15 promo code deduction.
3M Filtrete Maximum filter is a 0.5 micron solid carbon block (not catalytic activated carbon) which reduces lead, and is at a cheap usd 23.99.
However only 3pcs max per customer, so you gotta add in other eligible stuff to hit usd 125 for free ship.
The good thing is that you can use this piece of filter and incorporate together with other DIY 10-inch canisters, no issue....just need a bit more space.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L0ADH3K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Note that it uses 3/8 inch 3 分 hoses. So you'd need to get some 3分-> 2分 adapters, those TB sellers selling the accessories like tap diverters all would have. I posted before 1 seller earlier.
 

frankiefearless

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Got a cheap and affordable recommendation for tap filters though. Been using Filtech's (filtech.com.sg) tap filters for a couple of years and the taste of my water improved alot. Also realised that tap water is so dirty, got to wash and replace my filter often.

Was using Mitsui's tap filter before Filtech but realised Mitsui gave me alot of problems and their replacements are just crazily expensive, definitely not worth it for me.
 

eyz

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wuss, thanks for the recommendation.

so those 4 or 5 stage filtration system are not recommended?

I think The zerowater is slightly acidic is coz it is too low in TDS due to the ion exchange resin (maciam like RO). So low TDS would just very easily get acidic due to absorption of CO2 in the air. Same goes for RO perhaps.
You can test for this effect with pH test liquids, test immediately after filtration and then 2-3hrs after filtration while left standing ard.


"Normal" filtered water here are usually slightly alkaline, due to a wee bit of dissolved bicarbonates and stuff which acts as a buffer.


RO and nanofiltration are the technologies that have waste water discharged to prevent membrane fouling. Some Ultrafiltration also have this, to prolong the hollow membrane lifespan, but i think SG water no issue lah, not many particulates here.


IMO, a constantly pressurized undersink system i think is a bit risky in terms of flood risk, but that's just me. I have experience with those PE plastic quick connects due to my 12V pump for Aircon cleaning, well lets just say that if you were to expect them to stay connected leak and problem free for years, i think that's a bit asking for too much esp with the huge number of connections there.

You might want to modify a bit, earlier in the thread i have links to Taobao tap diverters and 2分 hoses. So basically it's like those on tap faucet filters, you want filtered water then you switch and divert the water to the filter.


For undersink/on-sink/whatever filtration, i'd recommend the DIY 10-inch canisters.
This is a very good cartridge, simple all in one. But i think not many people need that kind of high reduction of fluoride and chloramine. It also reduces lead and many other stuff.
6 mths or 500 galloons. Probably you'd hit 6 months. If you do boil the filtered water before putting into a hug/pot for serving, then you probably can push till 9-12 mths (coz any bacteria which set up camp in the charcoal would have been killed).
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AOKJDLI/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


It has catalytic activated carbon (not the normal activated carbon) which is like say 10 times more effective + 10 times longer lifespan than normal activated in adsorbing CHLORAMINES. We practically don't have chlorine issue at the end-user end, that is very easily dealt with by normal activated carbon with crazy lifespan/capacity of the activated carbon, and besides the absolute chlorine levels when it reaches out tap is probably say 0.25ppm coz that's how it works due to its high reactivity and disinfection properties (PUB uses 2.5ppm average at water works). Chloramine has less disinfection properties (secondary disinfectant) but has much higher persistence in our pipes.

Someone rearing shrimps recently just said that it needs 5 days to have let the chloramines outgas naturally? I don't know, nowadays i don't keep fishes already. I guess 2 or 3 foot tank partial water change still can tahan 5 days worth of standing water around the house? Try that for drinking water, bacteria all multiply and set up playground liao. :s13:

Some terms that you'd come across once you start to research :
Total chlorine = Chloramine + chlorine
Free chlorine = chlorine
How they determine chloramine levels is Total chlorine - Free chlorine.


There are also quite a couple of good solid carbon block filters on Amazon. See if you are interested in lead reduction etc. Go for the 0.5 micron ones, good performance.
Solid carbon blocks is just a name, from what i managed to search.....the Taobao ones are cheap but still not there in terms of performance (you get what you pay for).
You might want to get a cheap 1 micron PP sediment filter 10-inch filter and use that as pre-filter before the more expensive Amazon filter.

I don't think we have use for Ultrafiltration with tap water (pore size ranges from 0.01 - 0.1 microns). The 1 micron PP filter is really sufficient for sediment particulates.


Anyway, Amazon now has CITISG promotion code till this Saturday morning (Friday USA time), usd 15 promo code deduction.
3M Filtrete Maximum filter is a 0.5 micron solid carbon block (not catalytic activated carbon) which reduces lead, and is at a cheap usd 23.99.
However only 3pcs max per customer, so you gotta add in other eligible stuff to hit usd 125 for free ship.
The good thing is that you can use this piece of filter and incorporate together with other DIY 10-inch canisters, no issue....just need a bit more space.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L0ADH3K/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Note that it uses 3/8 inch 3 分 hoses. So you'd need to get some 3分-> 2分 adapters, those TB sellers selling the accessories like tap diverters all would have. I posted before 1 seller earlier.
 
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:s22:

All these filters are just " Gimmick gadget "

some claim wow drink the plain water like got " a flavour feel very clean " actually u are drinking more toxic ....u never know the filter side got what also

next u also need to change the filter , NOT just oh I buy , install Forever use , no need maintenance.

You need to change the filter after certain period of usage.


THE BEST nature way still BOIL water ..simple as that.
 

TopGun

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:s22:

All these filters are just " Gimmick gadget "

some claim wow drink the plain water like got " a flavour feel very clean " actually u are drinking more toxic ....u never know the filter side got what also

next u also need to change the filter , NOT just oh I buy , install Forever use , no need maintenance.

You need to change the filter after certain period of usage.


THE BEST nature way still BOIL water ..simple as that.

Boiling only kills bacteria.
 

WussRedXLi

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wuss, thanks for the recommendation.

so those 4 or 5 stage filtration system are not recommended?

I'm speaking under the context of human consumption and not for aquarist/reefers.

Not say not recommended, it depends on what are you after. In most cases, no need. I am not a super duper expert, but from what i have read and researched on, the only "issue" is soluble lead due to brass fittings excerbated by standing water (even approved brass fittings do suffer a bit from this) . However, folks, do read carefully that this is not due to PUB potable water, which indeed soluble lead is at extremely extremely low levels as per PUB water quality reports.
This affects pregnant women and infants, toddlers, kids right up to around their teens way way more than us adults.



Some may say that they don't want the kids to have fluorosis and want to really reduce the fluoride intake via tap water (they are already using fluoride free toothpastes, if you have kids before you'd know how nicely they'd swallow them toothpastes each and single time they brush their teeth...and mine brushes 4-5 times daily).
But our 0.4 ppm (same as 0.4 mg/L) PUB water average range is already pretty low and is much lower than what is thought to be able to let kids (0-6 yrs old) to get fluorosis. You can't get fluorosis after ~ age 7 btw, only affects when the permanent teeth are still growing in the gums.


Do you know that very high fluoride levels are detected in a fair number of Malaysian tea/soda beverages? (we do import such similar stuff in from MY)

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999019/

kgUd46b.jpg




Pervalence of dental fluorosis in children in Singapore.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8833510

Prevalence and severity of dental fluorosis was assessed in 1739 Singaporean children aged 9, 12 and 16 yr in three different ethnic groups. All subjects had resided since birth in Singapore, which has a tropical climate. The water supply was fluoridated in 1957 at a level of 0.7 ppm. In this sample, mouth prevalence was 82.6%, tooth prevalence was 66.9%, the community fluorosis index was at 1.96; 9.2% of children had severe fluorosis and 26.2% had moderate fluorosis. There were no significant gender or racial differences.
 

WussRedXLi

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Boiling only kills bacteria.

One more piece of information. Try not to use aluminum stuff to boil things.

Stainless steel is pretty much ok. Still, pls do not boil it for 5-10 mins. There really is no need.

Actually if there is no Hep A risk (soiled hands, seafood), touching 85 deg C is more than enough. Else just touch 100 deg C rolling boil is sufficient....it will actually be maintained above 80 deg C in the stainless steel kettle for a good 10-15 mins.
 

FT PRIDE

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actually why no one or water filter supplier challenge PUB if they feel strongly water from tap is unsafe?
 

WussRedXLi

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:s22:

All these filters are just " Gimmick gadget "

some claim wow drink the plain water like got " a flavour feel very clean " actually u are drinking more toxic ....u never know the filter side got what also

next u also need to change the filter , NOT just oh I buy , install Forever use , no need maintenance.

You need to change the filter after certain period of usage.


THE BEST nature way still BOIL water ..simple as that.


Already touched on all these points earlier.

That is why you look for the NSF 42 and NSF 53 certifications. NSF 42 for material safety, NSF 53 for the contamination reduction testing.

And then go Amazon for the deals. For the dupont that i listed before, it's like $2 per month cost for a typical family for every 4 months change. Way cheaper than even a packet of chicken rice.

There is indeed a drawback for solid carbon blocks, they do breed bacteria after some months (that's why they advertise 3 to 6 months changes). This is regardless if the XXX gallons capacity has been hit or not. That is why the manufacturers lists it as say 500 gallons OR 6 mths whichever comes earlier.
If you are going to boilng the water after filtration (or hit 80 deg C, still ok), then definitely no issue.
 

kyokoto

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actually why no one or water filter supplier challenge PUB if they feel strongly water from tap is unsafe?

What talking you? Challenge PUB equals challenge government, you say leh? Which company don't wanna do business anymore?
 

WussRedXLi

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actually why no one or water filter supplier challenge PUB if they feel strongly water from tap is unsafe?

Nobody is challenging PUB. The water supplied is safe. The water quality reports say so. I don't think this point has been challenged before anyway, definitely not by me.
 
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Already touched on all these points earlier.

That is why you look for the NSF 42 and NSF 53 certifications. NSF 42 for material safety, NSF 53 for the contamination reduction testing.

And then go Amazon for the deals. For the dupont that i listed before, it's like $2 per month cost for a typical family for every 4 months change. Way cheaper than even a packet of chicken rice.

There is indeed a drawback for solid carbon blocks, they do breed bacteria after some months (that's why they advertise 3 to 6 months changes). This is regardless if the XXX gallons capacity has been hit or not. That is why the manufacturers lists it as say 500 gallons OR 6 mths whichever comes earlier.
If you are going to boilng the water after filtration (or hit 80 deg C, still ok), then definitely no issue.

This thing already selling for many donkey years. " subjective " that why they still selling. I still remember PUB claim our water is SAFE simple as that.


Now some manufacture make it simple , just a filter attach to the Tap , whereas some you need the tech come to install , a device below the water tap and attached to the device aka filtration

anyway to me, Boil water is good enough.

PUB side already does filtration. I feel now a days funny. We care so much cleanliness here and that yet eat unhealthy what the point
 
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