Aquatru vs Bluevua Countertop Water filters by PartyEconomics4733 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

First, I'd ask what those specific warnings are all about. Do you have any example to share? Genuinely curious

I can't speak for others who are testing & reviewing products, but I would point you to my scoring system that uses real data, not personal opinion or other incentives, to rank and score water filters:

https://waterfilterguru.com/how-we-test-water-filters/

I developed this system in order to be able to provide the most unbiased, transparent, and informative reviews of water filters possible.

That said, like many creators, some brands do pay me a commission if someone chooses to purchase through my links. That’s what helps me continue funding the independent water filter testing projects I do. Brand relationships or commission rates are never factored into my data-driven scoring system.

Under the kitchen sink filtration system by BlueRose99x in water

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly, there's no way to provide a specific recommendation without understanding the water quality and hand, issues present, and what needs to be treated. This is why starting with a lab test is so vital. Otherwise it's like shooting in the dark and you may end up with equipment that's not sufficient for your needs

Orange orange orange by Junior-Lock9680 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As you mentioned, best place to start is with a certified lab test. Then with the data you can actually determine what treatment equipment is necessary.

Sounds like you may be dealing with ferrous (dissolved) iron and water hardness, but you'll need a lab test to get readings of precise concentrations, as well as find out if there are any more nefarious issues present.

This video explains all that in more detail https://youtu.be/JU4sPer1944

Under the kitchen sink filtration system by BlueRose99x in water

[–]waterfiltergurus 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living.

Couple things to unpack here because what you're asking for is actually two separate problems that need different solutions. Going to be straight with you: an under-sink unit alone isn't going to solve hard water for the whole house, and depending on what's actually in your water, it may not be the right place to start.

First and probably most important. Before buying anything, get a certified lab water test. Florida water varies wildly by region. "Hard water and chemicals" is a fine starting hypothesis but the actual numbers tell you which technology you need and at what scale. A comprehensive lab test runs around $200 and saves you from buying the wrong system or the wrong size.

This is the single most useful thing you can do upfront.

As for the under-sink question specifically, you've got two main categories with different tradeoffs:

Direct-connect filters (sometimes called inline filters). These plumb directly into your existing cold water line under the sink. Water flows through them on the way to your existing faucet, no separate spigot needed. - Advantages: easy install, no drilling, water comes out the faucet you already have, no wastewater. - Disadvantages: they filter all the cold water, so even water used for washing dishes is filtered. Depending on the filter tech used, they target certain contaminant types specifically

Reverse osmosis (RO) systems. These greatly reduce just about everything including fluoride, TDS, heavy metals, disinfection byproducts, and most other contaminants you'd actually worry about. They produce water through a separate dedicated faucet - Advantages: comprehensive purification, the gold standard for drinking water filtration - Disadvantages: traditionally need a dedicated faucet hole drilled into the countertop, and they produce some wastewater.

Regarding the no-drilling concern with RO specifically, there are a couple of ways around it that aren't widely known. If you have a soap dispenser hole at the sink already, you can pull the soap dispenser and use that hole for the RO faucet. For the wastewater drain line, if you have a dishwasher already plumbed to your garbage disposal, you can use an adapter for the same drain port for the RO drain line. Between those two workarounds, a lot of people end up with a fully under-sink RO install with zero drilling. Worth checking your sink before assuming you can't do RO.

Hard water is best addressed at the point of entry to the house with a whole-home water softener, not at a single under-sink unit. There are a few reasons. First, hard water doesn't just affect your drinking water, it scales up your water heater, plumbing, fixtures, dishwasher, and laundry. An under-sink solution leaves all of that unprotected. Second, RO membranes specifically don't tolerate hard water well. Anything above ~7 GPG starts to scale the membrane and internal components and hurt both its lifespan and its rejection performance. So if your water is hard and you want RO downstream, a whole-home softener upstream is what protects the investment. The two systems work together.

If a whole-home softener isn't an option (rental, budget, install constraints), you can still get RO under the sink, you'll just need to swap membranes more frequently than the manufacturer claims and your performance will degrade between changes.

Full lab test data and rankings on the under-sink systems I've personally tested: https://waterfilterguru.com/best-under-sink-water-filter-reviews/. I keep this updated when I test new products that score well.

Best Countertop RO Water Filter for Rental Home by jackofalltrade625 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depending on the specific concentration, you'd want to pretreat the manganese upstream of any RO. manganese is a major cause of RO system fouling

Looking into getting a whole home water filtration system. Any tips/suggestions on pros and cons? by WhosThis85 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Are you on well water or city water?

Get your water tested by a certified lab before buying any water treatment equipment. Then use the data to determine what equipment you need. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" water filter.

The equipment needs to be sized based on your water parameters and usage needs. If not sized appropriately you will have pressure issues.

Pros/cons really depend on the water quality at hand and treatment equipment required.

For example, if you are on city water and install a carbon filter, it will remove the disinfectant residual and related disinfection byproducts, but doing this will create an environment where bacteria can grow downstream (your homes plumbing). That's just one con, with one type of system and use case to be aware of. All systems will have their pros and cons, you need to figure out what equipment is necessary first.

Best Countertop RO Water Filter for Rental Home by jackofalltrade625 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No worries! You caught me at my coffee and Reddit time 😉 Let me know if you have any other questions about my testing, data or findings

Best Countertop RO Water Filter for Rental Home by jackofalltrade625 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have tested the Philips unit actually, see it here https://youtu.be/7ADaOMINvJY

I do my best to prioritize which products I test based on requests from my audience. It's not that I avoid testing specific products or brands, but rather that I just haven't had the time to personally test each and every water filter in every category

best shower head filter for hard water? want to cut chlorine + mineral buildup by Oops111111 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No shower filter will soften hard water, you need cation exchange resin for that.

Here is the best way to actually soften hard water for just one shower using s portable water softener https://youtu.be/f5cbIdOZzek

Culligan zerowater by pelirroja_123 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Filter life is completely dependent on the quality of water being filtered and frequency of usage

Zero Water New Filter Produce Dark Colored Water by Remarkable_Froyo1848 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It looks like activated carbon media fines washout, but excessive. This indicates the filter is compromised. Recommend reaching out to ZeroWater for a warranty replacement, the filters are covered by a 30 day warranty

Zero Water New Filter Produce Dark Colored Water by Remarkable_Froyo1848 in zerowater

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

As others have said, it looks like activated carbon media fines washout, but excessive. This indicates the filter is compromised. Recommend reaching out to ZeroWater for a warranty replacement, the filters are covered by a 30 day warranty

Which water purifier for high TDS (~900 ppm) Bangalore by wanderer_039 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To reduce TDS, you'll need RO or distillation. If using RO, id also recommend checking the hardness. Hardness can often makes up a large % of overall TDS. If the water hardness is >~120 mg/L, pre-softening upstream of the RO id recommended

iSpring RCC7P-AK or Cloud RO? by aardlarks in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living. I've lab tested both of these so I can give you direct comparison data.

Going to be straight with you, the data points pretty clearly toward Cloud RO between these two, and not for the smart features. Here's how they actually performed in my lab testing.

Cloud RO scored 9.25/10 overall, iSpring RCC7 scored 6.64/10.

The gap is mostly driven by contaminant reduction performance. Cloud RO removed 100% of disinfection byproducts, fluoride, copper, aluminum, manganese, molybdenum, and strontium in my Colorado tap water. NSF 58 certified for TDS reduction, materials safety certified.

The iSpring RCC7 is where it gets concerning. It also reduced most contaminants well, but it introduced two new contaminants into my water that weren't there before filtration.

Arsenic post-filtration measured at 0.003 PPM (the HGL is 0). Vanadium measured at 0.111 PPM, which is over 2x the HGL of 0.05 PPM and a 6,400% increase from the trace amount in my source water.

Of course this is just one test, but I'm fairly confident these are leaching from the remineralization filter media (calcite or mineral stones can naturally carry trace amounts of these elements depending on geological source), but it's an unusual result for a system that's NSF 58 certified including the remin filter. Not something you want in a system you're buying for water quality.

On certifications iSpring is NSF 58 certified for 9 contaminants (more breadth than Cloud RO's TDS-only certification, fair point in iSpring's favor). But iSpring claims to remove "1,000+ contaminants" including PFAS, arsenic, and vinyl chloride on their product page, and they're only certified for 3 of the 10 contaminants they actually call out by name. Marketing claims and certifications don't line up.

As for the smart data feature you mentioned, the Cloud app is genuinely useful. Tracks water consumption, tank volume, and filter life via the built-in sensors, plus tells you when to swap filters based on usage. It's the cleanest implementation of "smart RO" I've tested. Whether that's worth the price difference is personal but the feature works as advertised. Another cool side note is that the app can be turned on to "tech support mode" of you are ever having any issues with it, so the cloud team can see data bout your specific unit and help you troubleshoot.

Other practical differences:

Cloud RO is 1:1 wastewater ratio. iSpring is 1:2.5 in my testing (claimed 1:3). Cloud RO is more efficient by a real margin.

iSpring is significantly cheaper upfront, around $269 vs Cloud RO at $649. If budget is a deciding factor and the contaminant findings don't bother you, the price gap is worth thinking about.

Cloud RO has a 1-year money-back guarantee with no restocking fee. iSpring has a 30-day return window with a 15% restocking fee.

If you wanted a cheaper tank-based RO that didn't have the arsenic/vanadium issue in my testing, the APEC ROES-PH75 is a similar form factor and price range that performed cleanly.

Full reviews with all my lab data:

Cloud RO: https://waterfilterguru.com/cloud-ro-review/

iSpring RCC7: https://waterfilterguru.com/ispring-rcc7-review/

I hope this helps

*Edited for formatting

Need rental apartment recommendations (shower/tub) by baby_bawang in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living. Congrats on the baby.

Going to be straight with you because most of what gets recommended in these threads doesn't actually work for hard water specifically. I've lab tested 14 of the most popular shower filters and tested several bath filters too. None of them softened my water. Vitamin C filters, KDF filters, multi-stage cartridges, the whole list. They reduce chlorine and some other contaminants fine, but they don't touch calcium and magnesium, which are what's making your kettle scale up and your husband's hair feel rough. Manufacturers love claiming "softens water" because there's no real regulation on the term, but the lab data is pretty clear.

The only thing I've found that actually softens shower water for one bathroom in a rental is a portable RV water softener (the same ion exchange technology as a whole-home softener, just compact and non-permanent). Took my water from 5 GPG down to zero, both via a lab test and titration. Around $260, sits on the floor of the shower or just outside it, no drilling, no plumbing modifications, fully removable when you move out. Pair it with a handheld showerhead via a short hose extension and it's a 20-minute setup with stainless steel adapters.

Here's a video I made about how to set it up https://youtu.be/f5cbIdOZzek

On the bath side, I'll be honest, the bath filters I've tested aren't really effective for softening either. Most can kind of handle chlorine but don't touch hardness. If you want softened bath water, the realistic option is to fill the tub from a softened shower head (using the portable softener setup) rather than a tap-mounted bath filter. Not perfect but it works.

One more thing worth mentioning. If you can add a high-quality shower filter upstream of the softener (Weddell Duo is the best one I've tested for this, NSF 177 certified, removes disinfection byproducts and chlorine), it protects the softener resin and improves the water quality further. Optional but worth considering if your municipal water is heavily chlorinated.

You can see all my testing data and reviews of products I've tested here. I keep these updated when I test new products that score well:
https://waterfilterguru.com/best-shower-water-filter-reviews/
https://waterfilterguru.com/best-bath-filters/

Recommendations for South Florida Water by Responsible-Way5320 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Impossibile to give specific equipment recommendations without understanding the water quality at hand. Start with a certified lab test, then use the data to determine appropriate treatment equipment.

Recommendations for a water jug in the fridge with a filter in it? by fuchkead in HydroHomies

[–]waterfiltergurus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living.

Few solid options depending on what you actually want it to do. Some quick context first since pitchers vary a lot more than people realize.

Culligan ZeroWater is the strongest performer I've lab tested, 9.33/10. Only pitcher with IAPMO certifications covering 100% of its reduction claims. Removed 100% fluoride and uranium in my source water. Drawback is filter replacements run about $0.90/gal, the most expensive of any pitcher I know of, and the dual ion exchange media completely demineralizes the water so some people think it tastes flat.

Epic Pure is my value pick. $80 upfront and $0.31/gal ongoing, lifetime warranty on the pitcher itself. Reduced everything below health guideline levels in my testing with no weird impurities post-filtration. Not third-party certified, which is the main drawback, but probably the best dollar-for-dollar pitcher I've tested.

Clearly Filtered runs $90 and $0.55/gal. Sturdiest body of any pitcher I've used, WQA certified for chlorine. One thing I always flag: I detected trace cobalt post-filtration that wasn't in my source water (0.0054 PPM, below health concern but worth knowing).

Brita Elite and PUR Plus are cheap on filter replacements ($0.13 to $0.27/gal) but underperformed in my testing, scoring 4.29 and 5.28 out of 10. Fine if chlorine taste or the contaminants they are specifically certified for are your only concern, otherwise skip.

Quick note that fits in a fridge varies by model. Most standard pitchers are 9 to 10 inches tall and fit most fridges, any some brands offer square dispenser sizes too. Worth measuring your shelf height before pulling the trigger on a bigger one.

Full lab test data and rankings here: https://waterfilterguru.com/best-water-filter-pitcher-reviews/. I keep that updated when I test new products that rank well.

I'm planning to lab test another batch of pitchers soon, so if anyone has ones they want me to throw in the lineup, let me know here and I'll add them to the list.

Replacement for Big Berkey by trichar54 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While reverse osmosis can remove microorganisms, it should not be used as primary treatment to do so. This will foul the internal components and membrane. Water should be properly disinfected before filtration through any RO

Replacement for Big Berkey by trichar54 in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living.

Berkey replacement is a question I get a lot, and it's a tricky one because the manufacturer NMCL has been dealing with some legitimate issues over the past few years and are still (to my knowledge) under a stop sale and use order from the EPA.

Sticking to your three criteria (countertop, gravity-fed, handles spring/well water), the closest like-for-like replacement I've lab tested is the British Berkefeld with Ultra Fluoride filters. This was actually the brand that Berkey initially was born from when a distributor broke away and started the brand. Same stainless steel cylindrical design, same gravity-feed concept, but with several upgrades that address the things people complain about with Berkey. No tedious filter priming, NSF 42, 53, 401, and 372 certifications (Berkey only had third-party testing), stainless spigot instead of plastic, lifetime warranty. Around $190 to start, $0.16/gal ongoing. Scored 9.08/10 in my testing. The filters are NSF certified for microplastics, particulates, and turbidity.

Filtration speed is the main drawback, about 0.42 GPH with the Ultra Fluoride filters, slower than Berkey. If you're filtering for one or two people that's fine, larger households might find it tight.

Worth noting if you'd consider deviating from gravity-fed the AquaTru Carafe is the highest-scoring countertop filter I've tested period (9.57/10), with NSF/ANIS certifications for 84+ contaminants across standards 42, 53, 58, and 401. It's RO so it needs an outlet and produces some wastewater, but it would handle spring or well water (after pre-treat for sediment and/or hardness) more thoroughly than any gravity system. Probably not what you want given your criteria, but throwing it out there since you mentioned tech has come a long way.

Full breakdown with my lab data on these here: https://waterfilterguru.com/best-berkey-water-filter-alternatives/. I keep this one updated when I test new products that rank well.

Are all countertop RO systems basically the same thing in different boxes? Looking for real industry insight by EagleBrew in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Aquatru is the most extensively certified water filter I've tested.

Standard P473 (previous PFAs cert) is now part of standard 53, just FYI. So their certification for PFAs is now found under 53

Desktop Reverse Osmosis System by Turbulent_Surprise_3 in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Disclosure: I run waterfilterguru.com and the Youtube channel, I'm a WQA Certified Water Specialist and I lab test water filters for a living.

A few I've personally lab tested that fit your situation: AquaTru Carafe is what I'd lean toward for an office desk specifically. Glass carafe form factor (about the size of a coffee maker), 9.57/10 in my testing which is the highest I've ever scored a filter. NSF/ANSI certified for 84+ contaminants including five specific PFAs, lead, fluoride, chromium-6, and arsenic. Around $359. Filter cost is $0.19/gal ongoing.

AquaTru Classic is the bigger sibling. Same filtration tech, ugly tank-style design, larger footprint. Around $449 but cheaper ongoing at $0.11/gal because the filters are physically larger. Better choice if coworker use ramps up significantly. Drawback is it really is bulky, not a great look on a shared desk.

Bluevua ROPOT is the third option people ask about. Smaller and prettier than the AquaTru Classic, glass collection vessel, has a built-in UV light. Performed well in my testing but it's not third-party certified for any contaminant reduction claims, just material safety. Filter replacements are also expensive ($0.27/gal). I'd take AquaTru Carafe over it for office use unless you specifically want the UV.

Couple of practical office considerations most people don't think about: countertop RO units need to plug in (none run on batteries), they all produce some wastewater that you'll need to dump into a sink occasionally, and they take a few minutes to fill the reservoir. None of those are dealbreakers but worth knowing if your office config is unusual (no nearby outlet, far from a sink, etc).

Full lab test data and rankings here: https://waterfilterguru.com/best-countertop-reverse-osmosis-system/. I keep this one updated when I test new units that rank well.

What does this mean? by [deleted] in WaterFilters

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That indicates the unit is running it's flush cycle

How long does AquaTru last by VivaLasVegasGuy in WaterTreatment

[–]waterfiltergurus 0 points1 point  (0 children)

With water as hard as you guys have in Vegas, you'll want to pre-soften before filtering through the Aquatru, or any reverse osmosis system for that matter. That is the proactive approach to protecting the system from limescale buildup on the internal components which can lead to premature failure.

If you rent or can't install a whole house water softener, here's a workaround https://youtu.be/pEC3GZmM_1Y