One of many key pillars to being ready is having a very good water plan. Water is essential to life and clear water is essential to good well being. I’ve quite a lot of expertise with water filters and have been experimenting with completely different water filtration strategies for years each at my home and within the subject.
I’m not an enormous fan of granular activated carbon filters (GAC). I do know that that is the worst method to filter water and over time, water will create pathways across the granular media irrespective of how tight it’s packed.
You realize in case your filter makes use of granular media in the event you can shake the cartridge and it looks like there’s sand in it, as is the case with the most well-liked water filter pitchers.
The efficacy, per NSF/ANSI Requirements, of a carbon filter can be based mostly upon the circulate fee regulation. When the water is allowed to circulate by means of the filter at a slower fee, the contaminants are uncovered to the filter media for an extended period of time.
So, usually talking, the longer it takes for the water to move by the carbon, the higher the extent of filtration (Your 10-second Brita filter time is simply too excessive of a circulate fee and isn’t eradicating something, sorry to allow you to in on this little secret.)
TDS meters…you recognize the $1.25 ones from China that ZeroWater offers you with their water pitcher, usually are not a great way to find out water high quality. TDS measures hint minerals & salts within the water. TDS doesn’t measure different contaminants like fluoride, prescription drugs, heavy metals (lead), chemical substances (chlorine), pesticides (RoundUp), herbicides, hormones, & extra.
That’s the reason you probably have actually learn ZeroWater’s advertising and marketing materials, they by no means actually say that TDS is dangerous or a well being concern. They only say that can get it right down to zero. I’m way more involved about chemical substances & metals than I’m about hint minerals ( wholesome minerals I need in my water) which could trigger just a little bit larger TDS studying.
In the event you actually wish to check your water high quality, you must ship it to a lab and have it checked out. It would price between $100 to $200, which is cheaper than most cancers. Don’t depend on a Chinese language TDS meter, they’re a joke.
In my seek for higher-end filtration, I made a decision to look right into a water filter made by an organization referred to as Hydroviv and evaluate it to different filters which are commercially out there available on the market. I noticed these guys on Shark Tank and Mark Cuban had good issues to say about them (he put his cash the place his mouth is and made a cope with them), so I needed to take a look at the hydroviv water filters for myself.
Hydroviv Water Filter Assessment
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third Social gathering Testing/Certifications
The hydroviv filtration system carries NSF certifications to Requirements 42 (aesthetic results/aesthetic impurities) and 53 (well being results) and is independently examined to take away lots of of contaminants together with lead, VOCs, Arsenic, and PFOA/PFOS. This is a link to their NSF certification itemizing.
My home and neighborhood have outdated pipes which are leaching lead into my water, so lead filtration is essential to me. One of the best guess to make it possible for a water filter has dependable efficiency numbers and doesn’t leach dangerous chemical substances into the water is to purchase one thing that’s NSF Licensed.
Hydroviv’s filters are NSF Licensed for lead elimination, which signifies that the filters are independently examined to take away 150 ppb lead all through the 600-gallon lifetime. The identical factor is true for dangerous chemical substances like VOCs and PFOA/PFOS, in addition to chlorine style and odor.
Along with the NSF certifications, Hydroviv’s filters have been concerned in various College trials for PFC/PFAS elimination. You’ll be able to view the NC State examine here and a breakdown of the NC State examine on their web site here. The outcomes present Hydroviv removes PFAS chemical substances to non-detectable ranges in houses with contaminated water.
Set up
I’m extra helpful than most, however even I appreciated how simple to put in this was. It took me lower than 5 minutes to attach it to the chilly water line on my faucet, and it was good that each one the mandatory {hardware} got here with the product.
Water Stress
One of many issues that preserve individuals from utilizing efficient water filters is the damaging impression on water strain. One of many issues that impressed me most about Hydroviv was that they found out easy methods to make an NSF-certified filter that doesn’t kill water strain. Their product is rated for 1 gallon per minute, whereas different NSF-certified merchandise are usually between ½ and three/4 gallons per minute.
Construct High quality
I figured that this product was effectively constructed after I watched the episode on Shark Tank as a result of Lori Grenier’s fast response to holding it was “Wow, it’s heavy.” Certain sufficient, after I acquired my order, I used to be stunned at how thick & sturdy the cartridge housing’s partitions have been.
One factor that is probably not apparent to folks that I actually appreciated is that the product is definitely serviceable. There’s just one gasket within the product, and it’s simply replaceable. Different producers use embedded seals, which signifies that as soon as the gasket wears out or begins leaking, you must purchase a complete new system.
Verdict
Hydroviv is NSF-certified and does an excellent job eradicating legacy contaminants like Lead/VOCs, in addition to rising contaminants like PFAS. The filter was additionally very easy to put in. It was just a little costlier than I might have preferred ($170), however they do manufacture within the US, so I used to be keen to pay just a little extra for high quality and higher water strain.
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Hydroviv vs Epic vs Woder Water Filter Assessment
We will likely be overlaying the three following water filters:
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Woder 10k-DC Water Filter Assessment
Woder, an organization that sells quite a lot of water filters on Amazon makes some fairly outrageous claims about their product lasts to 10,000 gallons.
I lately bought one in every of their merchandise simply to see what sort of particular sauce was of their filter that might final all the best way out to 10,000 gallons. I imply, that could be a loopy declare and it needed to be some new space-age materials that nobody had ever heard of to do such a huge filtration all the best way to 10,000 gallons!!!
I used to be extraordinarily upset to search out out that the Woder was simply utilizing loose-packed granular activated carbon (GAC) filters like a budget type filter that Brita makes use of. I at all times inform individuals, in the event you shake your water filter and you’ll hear it transfer round prefer it has sand inside, you’ve gotten an affordable water filter.
As you may see from this image (I took the noticed out & opened up a Woder filter to see that magic stuff) it’s all Bull Sh*t. I additionally tried to dig into their testing as a result of as a prepper, I desire a water filter that removes a ton of contaminants and I must know when I’ve to vary the filter to guard my household.
Woder’s testing…effectively good luck discovering it on their web site. It doesn’t exist. Between Hydroviv and Woder, a minimum of Hydroviv is attempting to do the correct factor. Woder is simply on the market making loopy claims with no science or proof behind them.
Epic Sensible Protect Assessment
Epic Water Filters is an organization that I’ve reviewed a number of of their merchandise and like different water filtration firms that I like (Berkey, MSR) they use stable carbon block filters.
Every thing that I’ve learn, the entire testing that I finished, the entire knowledge that I’ve reviewed says that carbon blocks are superior to GAC filters. It isn’t even shut.
So after I take a look at the Epic Smart Shield vs Hydroviv vs Woder, it’s not even shut. Sure, the Epic Sensible Protect is a couple of bucks extra however whenever you dive into the small print of the merchandise the Sensible Protect is value each penny.
Additionally, the Epic Smart Shield is an American made carbon block filter that has been examined and authorized to three completely different NSF/ANSI consuming water requirements by an impartial laboratory. As you may see from this image, I minimize open each the Woder and the Epic Sensible Protect and put them facet by facet. Take into consideration attempting to get water by means of that thick carbon block filter vs the loose-packed carbon sand. You’ll be able to shake the Epic Smart Shield all day alongside and you’ll not hear it make any noise. 🙂 It’s a stable brick of carbon.
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Woder 10k-DC vs Hydroviv vs Epic Sensible Protect
Price
- Woder 10k-DC: Most cost-effective
- Hydroviv: Most Costly
- Epic Sensible Protect: Reasonably priced
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Created from stable carbon block?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO (GAC like Brita)
- Hydroviv: NO (GAC like Brita)
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Independently Licensed to NSF/ANSI 42 Commonplace (Chlorine, Style, Odor):
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Independently Licensed to NSF/ANSI 53 Commonplace (Well being Results like Lead & Metals):
- Surprise 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Independently Licensed to NSF/ANSI 401 Commonplace (Hint Prescription drugs & Rising Contaminants):
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Examined to Take away Micro organism?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Examined to Take away PFOA/PFOS?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Examined to Take away Glysophate (RoundUp)?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Examined to Take away Cryptosporidium?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Examined to Take away Giardia?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Comes with a devoted faucet model?
- Woder 10k-DC: NO
- Hydroviv: NO
- Epic Sensible Protect: YES
Verdict
Do your analysis on an organization or product before you purchase a water filtration product. There may be quite a lot of junk on the market, particularly the entire Chinese language junk on Amazon. Dive into their knowledge or lack of information. Search for firms that present third-party testing & certifications. Learn their opinions and customer support expertise.
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