Looking for a good water filtration thingy...

ubercaffeinated

Platinum Member
Dec 1, 2002
2,130
0
71
I'm looking for a good water filter (not the carafe type but the actual stick onto the tap type). I know Brita and Pur have some various models, but I was wondering what else could be had. I'm looking for something around 50-100 bucks. I know the high end stuff like Culligan blows Brita and Pur out of the water (har har) but yea, I'm a student, and need something semi-okay to remove impurities just for cooking.
 

Maximus96

Diamond Member
Nov 9, 2000
5,388
1
0
i'm looking to buy an under-sink one that my mom has. costco sells it and its suppose to be a good unit and the filter lasts a year or something. i forget the name but its the only one costco sells and its around $100 or 150, i forget what she told me. the think it you need to have another hole in the sink for its own faucet.
 

Nyati13

Senior member
Jan 2, 2003
785
1
76



I use this one I got from Lowes. It works well, and the filters last 6 months or more depending on your usage.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,082
136
If I decide to do it I'd go to Sears or Home Depot and get one that fits under the sink.
But the local water is very clean and I usually drink bottled.
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
I wouldn't even bother unless I could get an reverse osmosis system. I've got a Shaklee one that's quite a bit more than your budget, but other brands can be had for cheaper.
 

ubercaffeinated

Platinum Member
Dec 1, 2002
2,130
0
71
Yep I drink bottled water, but I find it a bit... ridiculous to used bottle water for coffee, tea, and cooking. I currently use a Culligan system (the undersink type) and I believe that those are the best... but the apartment I'm moving to won't let me drill holes into the sink to adapt the undersink type filters... :(
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,401
14,797
146
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,082
136
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?
 

MX2

Lifer
Apr 11, 2004
18,651
1
0
I used to use one of the ones that attaches to the faucet and it ended up just getting in the way all the time. Doing dishes, filling jugs, etc. I tossed it and bought the pitcher one. The pitcher one is great with no hassles. As soon a I get the cash saved up I am buying the under the sink kind with multiple filtration stages.
 

BoomerD

No Lifer
Feb 26, 2006
66,401
14,797
146
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?

Ok, as a Marine, I can understand explaining sinple things to the squids...the big hand is on the 12, and....


Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water. Depends on your source water. Much of the tap water in the USA isn't really fit for drinking. Remember, the gov't standards allow quite bit of pollution in your drinking water.

which reminds me...

This marine's on leave with a few of his buddies. They go into a bar to have a few just to wash down some of the dust from the field, and he decides to take a leak before they leave...(you all know how beer is) There happens to be a sailor in there as well...Anyway, the marine finishes taking the leak, goes outside to wait for his friends...Soon, the sailor comes out, and says "You know, in the navy, they teach us to wash our hands after we use the toilet." The marine looks him over, and says, "In the Marines, they teach us not to piss on our fingers."
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water.
That's what the Shaklee has, soooo freaking good.

I will give you a warning, once you get used to high quality water, going back to tap is next to impossible.
I always buy a bottle of Dasani when I go out because I can't drinking anything thats not RO.
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?
You don't need a filter in your house at all. The tap water isn't going to kill you that much faster than if you didn't drink in all the chemicals used to clean it. There are plenty of things in the water that a carbon filter is going to miss and the RO until will catch. It is a very apparent taste difference.
 

Howard

Lifer
Oct 14, 1999
47,982
11
81
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water.
That's what the Shaklee has, soooo freaking good.

I will give you a warning, once you get used to high quality water, going back to tap is next to impossible.
I always buy a bottle of Dasani when I go out because I can't drinking anything thats not RO.
Dasani's just filtered tap water, and I doubt RO is what they use.
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
Originally posted by: Howard
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water.
That's what the Shaklee has, soooo freaking good.

I will give you a warning, once you get used to high quality water, going back to tap is next to impossible.
I always buy a bottle of Dasani when I go out because I can't drinking anything thats not RO.
Dasani's just filtered tap water, and I doubt RO is what they use.

I always figured it was from the tap. Generally one does not want to drink from a stream. :laugh:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3523303.stm
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,082
136
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?

Ok, as a Marine, I can understand explaining sinple things to the squids...the big hand is on the 12, and....

Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water. Depends on your source water. Much of the tap water in the USA isn't really fit for drinking. Remember, the gov't standards allow quite bit of pollution in your drinking water.

which reminds me...

This marine's on leave with a few of his buddies. They go into a bar to have a few just to wash down some of the dust from the field, and he decides to take a leak before they leave...(you all know how beer is) There happens to be a sailor in there as well...Anyway, the marine finishes taking the leak, goes outside to wait for his friends...Soon, the sailor comes out, and says "You know, in the navy, they teach us to wash our hands after we use the toilet." The marine looks him over, and says, "In the Marines, they teach us not to piss on our fingers."
Do you know why sailors like that joke more than marines?
Because we know:
THEY ACTUALLY TEACH MARINES TO NOT PEE ON THEIR HANDS!
:laugh:
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
53,091
47,226
136
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?
You don't need a filter in your house at all. The tap water isn't going to kill you that much faster than if you didn't drink in all the chemicals used to clean it. There are plenty of things in the water that a carbon filter is going to miss and the RO until will catch. It is a very apparent taste difference.

It depends a lot on where you live and what is in the water.

When I lived in downstate IL, I had a RO system because the water was high in just about everything (cholrine, sediment, minerals, etc). Since I moved to Chicago I can get away with just carbon filter mainly to knock down the chlorine level.
 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
0
Originally posted by: Howard
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Most reverse osmosis filter systems consist of a sediment filter (to remove the chunks) a carbon filter (to remove taste, smell, and chlorine) and the membrane to remove 95%+ of the impurities from your drinking water. You CAN go the extra steps and use deionization beads to remove almost all the remaining impurities, and a carbon post filter after that, to make really good tasting water.
That's what the Shaklee has, soooo freaking good.

I will give you a warning, once you get used to high quality water, going back to tap is next to impossible.
I always buy a bottle of Dasani when I go out because I can't drinking anything thats not RO.
Dasani's just filtered tap water, and I doubt RO is what they use.

Nope, it's a very very large RO system with UV also I worked in a Coke bottling factory on a security system and the Dasani RO system was half the freaking building!

They said that if you drank the Dasani right after it was bottled that it could kill you and that it has to sit X amount of time before it can be sold, don't recall the reason it was dangerous to drink though.

 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
we have a older reverse osmosis system in oure house. its great. well now it needs filter system changed (its a 5 year old system. cost more to replace the filtes then buy a NEW system). but when it was working i would drink a lot of water. i stoped drinking pop and other stuff. i was going through nearly a gallon a day with it.

its well worth the money if you drink a LOT of water.
 

tweakmm

Lifer
May 28, 2001
18,436
4
0
Originally posted by: lokiju
They said that if you drank the Dasani right after it was bottled that it could kill you and that it has to sit X amount of time before it can be sold, don't recall the reason it was dangerous to drink though.
The reason is ozone if my knowlege of UV filtration is correct.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?
You don't need a filter in your house at all. The tap water isn't going to kill you that much faster than if you didn't drink in all the chemicals used to clean it. There are plenty of things in the water that a carbon filter is going to miss and the RO until will catch. It is a very apparent taste difference.

It depends a lot on where you live and what is in the water.

When I lived in downstate IL, I had a RO system because the water was high in just about everything (cholrine, sediment, minerals, etc). Since I moved to Chicago I can get away with just carbon filter mainly to knock down the chlorine level.

yeah IL tends to have bad water. I lived in DeKalb for years. the county was sued a few times because the water was so bad and they refused to fix it. We would have to buy water from the store. At walmart you could get a gallon for $.33 that was far better then tap water.

the new house has a RO system off a well. the water is not bad off the well but not great. the RO system is very nice. i just need replace the filters or replace the whole syste (wich would be cheaper)
 

CycloWizard

Lifer
Sep 10, 2001
12,348
1
81
The only reason to filter tap water is for taste. Since you said you want it for cooking, it's not going to make any difference.*

*I'm sure someone will disagree, citing decades of filtered-water-cooking experience. I'll chuckle preemptively in response.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
53,091
47,226
136
Originally posted by: waggy
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: tweakmm
Originally posted by: shortylickens
Originally posted by: BoomerD
Try E-bay. There are somc pretty good reverse osmosis drinking water set-ups there that can be had for $100 or so...filterdirect is one of the better sellers, and their products are well made. I know several reefkeepers who use them.
OK, I was in the Navy for a little while (which means I'm not very bright and need simple explanations) but why on earth would you need reverse osmosis in your house?
You don't need a filter in your house at all. The tap water isn't going to kill you that much faster than if you didn't drink in all the chemicals used to clean it. There are plenty of things in the water that a carbon filter is going to miss and the RO until will catch. It is a very apparent taste difference.

It depends a lot on where you live and what is in the water.

When I lived in downstate IL, I had a RO system because the water was high in just about everything (cholrine, sediment, minerals, etc). Since I moved to Chicago I can get away with just carbon filter mainly to knock down the chlorine level.

yeah IL tends to have bad water. I lived in DeKalb for years. the county was sued a few times because the water was so bad and they refused to fix it. We would have to buy water from the store. At walmart you could get a gallon for $.33 that was far better then tap water.

the new house has a RO system off a well. the water is not bad off the well but not great. the RO system is very nice. i just need replace the filters or replace the whole syste (wich would be cheaper)

I was on a rural municipal water supply which was drawn from a series of wells and treated. The chlorine level alone was so high if I drank the water straight from the tap it made me nauseous.

Thankfully Chicago draws everything from Lake Michigan and it is FAR better.