Tag: tds

Zero Water Filter Tester

• 10 CUP WATER FILTERING PITCHER: You’ll always have cleaner, pure-tasting water on hand with our BPA-Free, water filter pitcher in your fridge. The included, free water quality meter lets you test your water, so you never have to wonder about its quality.
• FIVE STAGE WATER FILTRATION: Unlike many water filters & pitchers, ZeroWater filters use 5 stages of filtration, to bring you a cleaner, better-tasting water. Instead of carbon filtering only, our filters use Ion Exchange Technology to reduce contaminants.
• NOT AN ORDINARY WATER FILTER: ZeroWater filters filter water in 5 stages, are NSF certified to reduce lead and other heavy metals. Zerowater removes 99.6% of total dissolved solids, 2X more than the leading brand (tested by independent lab).
• GET MORE OUT OF YOUR WATER: Remove more impurities from your water with ZeroWater’s unique, 5 stage filter system. With a variety of options, you can have cleaner water anywhere, from pitchers, bottle filtration systems, or portable on-the-go cup filters.
• GET THE LEAD OUT: ZeroWater filters are the only pour-through filters NSF Certified to remove chromium & lead. Our pitchers, tumblers, & dispensers remove virtually all solids for the purest tasting water.

During our testing, we found that ZeroWater filters differ from every other filter on the market, this company manufactures a range of water pitchers with a capacity between six and 40 cups.

For those who don’t want to go through the hassle and expense of installing a reverse-osmosis system in their kitchen, ZeroWater filters are the next best thing, this type of filter is used in pharmaceutical manufacturing and other industries that require 100% pure water.

According to the manufacturer, Zero Water filters remove up to 99.6% of all dissolved solids in water, and they stand up to their claim, alongside removing almost all contaminants, these pitchers also come with an NSF certification that Brita lacks. 

Unlike filters from brands like Brita and PUR, ZeroWater filters deionize the water, leaving it almost completely devoid of inorganic matter, including heavy metals like lead and chromium.

When measuring the number of parts per million of dissolved solids — mostly calcium and magnesium ions that cause “hard water” scale — ZeroWater is almost 100% effective, where most other filters are barely effective at all.

ZeroWater is different because it uses a large amount of ion-exchange resin to attract mineral ions, it also includes an activated-carbon stage that removes chlorine, so unless you have a specific concern about contaminants like pesticide, it’s the best of both worlds. ZeroWater is also specifically certified for removing hydrogen sulfide “sour gas,” which can be a problem in well water.

The Brand explained that the water filters used by ZeroWater are more complex and, by their very nature, more expensive to produce than water filters from other brands, their goal is to provide the best quality water for the sub-segment of the market whose biggest priority is water quality and not cost or speed of filtration.

Pro’s of ZeroWater 

1.  ZeroWater is so confident in its ability to remove all dissolved solids that they include a total dissolved solids (TDS) meter with the pitcher itself. And yes, it does read “000” for the entire useful life of the filter;
2. These filters don’t need to be presoaked before they are ready to go — a notable advantage over several of the other leading brands;
3. ZeroWater also helps reduce the environmental impact of their filters by offing a recycling and rebate program. The ZeroWater company can be completely recycled and recharged, which means essentially nothing ends up in a landfill. – Besides, ZeroWater also offers a $10 rebate coupon for every two filters that are mailed back to them. 

Cons of ZeroWater 

One downside to the ZeroWater filter is the fact that, because it filters the water so effectively, the filters themselves can be used up more quickly than other filters — further increasing the cost to use ZeroWater filters.

ZeroWater filters are rated to remove 18,000 milligrams of dissolved solids before needing to be replaced. This means that the number of dissolved solids in your local tap water will have a dramatic impact on the amount of water that can be filtered.

According to ZeroWater, most consumers in the United States will be able to filter between 25 to 40 gallons of water per filter, assuming that the total dissolved solids (TDS) in their tap waterfalls between the typical range of 51-200.

ZeroWater also says that municipalities that have particularly high TDS — specifically 500 or higher — will get less than 8 gallons of useful life out of their system. We estimated that if you’ve got water with more than 400 parts per million, you will likely find it more affordable and convenient to purchase water (in bulk, not individual bottles) than to potentially buy a new $10 filter every week.

How It Works

Surprisingly effective, these pitchers come equipped with a patented 5-stage filtration system with ion-exchange capabilities:

1. The first layer of the filter consists of coarse filtration components developed to filter out fine particles and sediment. During the second stage, a foam distributor disperses the water evenly across the width of the filter, increases its efficiency as well as its lifespan.
2. Then, the water passes through an activated carbon filter that removes organic contaminants and chlorine.
3. During the last two stages, the water goes through a demineralization process, while the last layer removes even the ultra-fine particles in the water.
4. All these claims are proved by the TDS meter included in the package and that you can use to check the quality of the filtered water.

Britta Water Filter

Britta Everyday Pitcher with 1 Filter, w 1 std, White

•     LARGE WATER PITCHER: This large, clear plastic pitcher is easy to pour and refill. Great for families. Height 10.47; Width 5.59; Length/Depth 10.94; Weight 2.29 pounds
•     CLEANER AND GREAT TASTING: The BPA free Brita filter reduces chlorine taste and odor, copper, mercury, and cadmium impurities found in tap water. Substances reduced may not be in all users’ water.
•     FILTER INDICATOR: For optimum performance, a helpful status indicator notifies you when your water filter needs to be replaced.
•     REDUCE WASTE: One Brita water filter can replace 300 standard 16.9-ounce water bottles.
•     REPLACEMENTS: Change Brita filters every 40 gallons, about 2 months for the average household for optimal performance.

Britta offers one of the least expensive filters that also happens to be one of the fastest to filter water, and it removes chlorine very well, so if you’re looking for a simple, inexpensive way to filter out chlorine, the standard Brita filter is worth considering.

 The company stands in the market with a range of products, including pitchers, water bottles, and faucet filter systems developed to meet the needs of all users and households, the brand is renowned for its quality products. 

Just like Zero Water, Brita functions to a high standard and promises to remove most contaminants in the water. This includes chemicals, heavy metals, and dirt, as well as foul smells and tastes.

All this is possible thanks to the activated carbon filter enhanced by an ion exchange resin that also removes water-hardening minerals.

A big advantage Brita has over Zero Water is the fast filtration process that gets clean water into your glass in less than a minute.

Brita Filter Cons

The filter’s main problem is undoubtedly the scarce capacity of removing fluoride from tap water, while this is not a flaw but rather a conscious design choice, most people might prefer a pitcher that can remove fluoride too.
Britta also doesn’t remove lead

Another slight drawback is the lifespan of the filter, Brita filters last for about 40 gallons of water, which roughly means two months and this could turn into a quite expensive countertop water filter system if you are drinking plenty of water, or if you also want to purify cooking water.

The filter indicators are also far from accurate and another slight design flaw is that the filters are prone to spilling, you should be careful when pouring water from the pitcher to your glass, or you could waste precious clean water.

Although all these considerations Brita comes with all BPA-free components and is safe to use by all family members. 

ZeroWater vs Brita

In the testing, ZeroWater beat the standard Brita filter, but you can see it more closely on this video: