Water Purifier Advice (vanity)

[Former Fetus]

Once again I need advice, and once again I come to FR knowing that I will have my questions answered. TIA.

A couple of months ago our family moved to an apartment near a lake, in upstate SC. I love the area, but the water has a certain taste to it, kind of like moldy (I imagine it must be algae). After a couple of months of buying gallon jugs of water, I am sick and tired of hauling drinking water. And we always seem to run out of it at night! LOL I have been looking at water purifying systems, but I have several problems:

1. The descriptions tell what chemicals are removed by the filters. I just want to get rid of the algae taste, but there doesn't seem to be a filter just for that.

2. We are renting the apartment. That eliminates the possibility of getting any under-the-sink filtration systems because we are not allowed to modify the plumbing.

3. The kitchen faucet is really fancy, it looks more like an expensive shower head. I have been researching and there is no way to attach a faucet-mounted filter.

4. We are a family of 4 and the carafe-type filters are recommended for 1 or 2 people.

So, there it is, I don't know what to do. Any advice, FReepers? Thanks

[Shery]

We bought a reverse osmosis filter and it takes out pretty much everything, then remineralizes a small content of those needed for taste. Our former unit did not remineralize and when the filter was new, it had next to nothing in it. Almost like distilled. They don’t make that model any longer. This model has some minerals to it, but using it in our electric water boiler (for tea) there are so few minerals that we rarely have to clean the bottom. I smell nothing like mold or anything, although I do clean my carafe and the two gallon size containers every once in a while just for the sake of it. You can go online and look up reverse osmosis water filters. We’ve used these for over 10 years and are very happy with them. in fact, some guy came to the door, trying to sell water purifiers to us and said he could show us that our water would have sediment, regardless of whatever filter system we used. We then showed him our unit and he left. He said that he also uses the same thing, although that was not what he was trying to sell! LOL!

[Shery]

BTW...our reverse osmosis sits on the utility room sink counter. EASY to install, as all you do is hook it into the faucet.

[Heart-Rest]

Re: obama dehydrated water

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Yes, and if you need a sweetener for that "dehydrated water", you might want to pick up some "Sugarless Sugar".

[moovova]

Have you had the water tested?

Filters will remove a lot of bad stuff. But why pay for bad stuff if it’s the city’s or landlord’s responsibility to provide potable water.

[Rebelbase]

+1 on the Berkey. My kids have one and it works like a charm.

Same model as this one:

[ConservativeMind]

We use a Clear2O pitcher, with its solid carbon block filter. The taste (sediment) you describe is very difficult to filter out, but this pitcher does a far better job than the porous carbon of PUR and Brita.

Do note that there is an adapter, though.

[Rebelbase]

“why pay for bad stuff if it’s the city’s or landlord’s responsibility to provide potable water.”

The water ran yellow out of the tap at a place I was renting once. The landlord’s idea of a fix was to dump a bag of chlorine down the well.

Moved out that day.

[Secret Agent Man]

Big Berkey/countertop filter. or there are larger pur filters that can fit in the fridge. large containers that have a pour spout.

[Secret Agent Man]

he can’t modify the plumbing, he’s renting.

[Colorado Buckeye]

I have a Berkey Light system that does an excellent job of cleaning up tap water. It's a counter-top gravity-fed system and in an emergency can be used with water from outside.

[Bon of Babble]

We use a Water Wise at our home for drinking water -- takes a long time to distill the water but is well worth it. It's on sale for $399 at the moment.

Use a Culligan water softener for the rest of the house, the tap water will ruin your appliances, clothes, tile and everything else because of the high mineral content in the water. Plus the taste is horrible, like chlorine.

[Marcella]

The “Big Berkey” will purify even ditch water - it is a purifier, NOT a filter. Look up a Big Berkey on the web and you’ll see the black purifier filters last a very long time for four people and they can be cleaned, read the directions. The Berkey sits on the countertop - pour water in the top, and pure water comes out the bottom in the lower half (both the top and bottom sections are stainless steel. Push the lever, and you have pure water. Pitchers, like Brita and the others have filters that need to be replaced too often and they do not purify.

My son is a documentary film director and has been all over the world in most of the armpits of the world. They carry a Berkey and have never gotten sick from water in African countries or the Amazon or anywhere else in the world.

With a Big Berkey, you have the best in water purification.

[DaiHuy]

Love my Berkey

[Yosemitest]

Build yourself an under-counter American Plumber Water Filter System on PVC pipe.
I suggest a separate filtered tap for cold water only.
You want to set up a shut off valve first and then two filters, for a charcoal unit and a micro-filter unit that then goes to a tap at the corner of the sink, all with PVC fittings and not a small plastic hose.
Let me repeat: YOU DO NOT WANT the type with the small flexible plastic water hose, because they always leak.

It's not that hard to build yourself and any standard water filter replacement cartridge will work.

Any faucet will work when connected to the PVC pipe after the filter, so you have more choices.
It may cost you a little more to buy all the parts and put it together yourself, but you'll be much happier with it years later because it won't leak, unless you build the leaks into it yourself.
And if you do, PVC pipe is easy to repair, if you remember to leave a little room between pieces to do repairs later, if needed.
It's not that hard to build yourself and any standard water filter replacement cartridge will work.

Finally, just remember to put the filter housings in a location that they'll be easy to change the filters about every six months, and in a location that you won't have to remover everything under the sink, to get to them.img align=

[oprahstheantichrist]

" With a Big Berkey, you have the best in water purification."

How does it taste?

[hattend]

I’d say pay a plumber at both ends.

Put an in-line filter under the sink (sneak him in) and then pay to remove it and return to normal before you leave.

Just don’t tell the landlord.

But then, I’m a rebel.

[TennesseeGirl]

I’m with you, relictele, I prefer the Zerowater. I’ve tried Brita and the others, but for my area Zerowater has worked the best. It will even take out the fluoride, unlike Brita, etc. http://www.zerowater.com/

[Abigail Adams]

Very good. You can also get a fluoride filter in addition to the regular filter.

[Marcella]

“How does it taste?”

Fresh and pure. Natural minerals are left in the water so it is not distilled water. Distilled water will leach out the minerals in your body (my son was big into science and told me never to drink distilled water for that reason) and they are eliminated through urine. That is very bad for your body. Distilled water tastes flat, Berkey water is not flat.

Now, if it is a matter of you’re dying from no water and distilled water is there, certainly drink it but make every effort when you can to get regular water instead of distilled.

[hearthwench]

Agree! We have had our Big Berkey for a couple of years. We still have minerals, good ones, in our water, but that is expected when living in the mountains and having hard water.

I still got extra filters, though I will not need them for 9 more years.

They even have filters for fluoride and arsenic.