I Have 60 Days to Buy a New Water Pitcher

[easysurfer]

Some time ago, I bought a Brita Water Pitcher and stocked up on replacement filters (not Brita brand). I change the filter after every 2 months.

The pitcher has not been good. Among other problems, the lid doesn't stay on tightly even when holding with hand.

The time has finally arrived for me to look for a replacement and I'm down to the very last replacement filter. Once this filter is done, so is the pitcher.

In the meantime, I have 2 months to looks for a different pitcher.

Any suggestions?

TIA

 

[pacergal]

Prior to purchasing a new fridge that has filtered water, we always used Brita with out problems. We also considered at one time, the type of filters you can attach to your kitchen water faucet, would something like that work for you?
If you like Brita, they have several different types of pitchers. Have you tried a different Brita? Sorry, I don't remember the one we really liked the best, but it had an electric filter replacement instead of the sticker.

 

[cathy63]

I just saw in my blog feed a few days ago that Wirecutter tested filter pitchers and recommended PUR. You might look for their article, but they've moved partially behind a paywall since NYT bought them.

I also had a Brita pitcher where the lid broke after a few years of use, but I still had a pile of filters. A couple of months ago Costco had this one on sale right by the entrance so I grabbed it, https://www.costco.com/brita-lake-water-pitcher-with-2-filters.product.100387650.html. It's got a little spring loaded hatch in the lid and you fill it by running the water on it to push it down. As it fills, the water inside floats the hatch up until it closes. Basically you only need to take the lid off to replace the filter, so hopefully it will last longer. So far it's working nicely.

 

[omni550]

I gave up on my Brita about 4 years ago, and bought a Berkey water filtration system. I added fluoride filters, too.

I liked it so much at my place in Florida, where the city tap water is not the best-tasting, that I bought an identical system for my place in Michigan, where the tap water tastes fine (but I prefer it without the fluoride).

I have the Traveler model. I drink a lot of water daily.

The black filters last for a really long time (3000 gal/each filter, so 6,000 gal for a 2-filter system), requiring minimal upkeep/cleaning.

https://berkeyhome.com

omni

 

[Masquernom]

I gave up on my Brita about 4 years ago, and bought a Berkey water filtration system. I added fluoride filters, too.

I liked it so much at my place in Florida, where the city tap water is not the best-tasting, that I bought an identical system for my place in Michigan, where the tap water tastes fine (but I prefer it without the fluoride).

I have the Traveler model. I drink a lot of water daily.

The black filters last for a really long time (3000 gal/each filter, so 6,000 gal for a 2-filter system), requiring minimal upkeep/cleaning.

https://berkeyhome.com

omni

Just curious, why filter out fluoride?

 

[Toast]

We filter our fridge water but rarely drink from it so it's basically to filter the ice. We've used Zero Water for many years and are happy with it. Zero Water pitchers have a water quality meter so you can test the water. We like that it uses 5 stage ion exchange filtration. The 10 cup pitcher is a nice size and meets our needs.

 

[Sunset]

Just curious, why filter out fluoride?

Fluoride saved my teeth.

I grew up in the Country, on a well, no fluoride in the water. I had multiple cavities all the time.
All my baby teeth had cavities !
As a young child I had LOTs of cavities.

After we moved to the City and started drinking fluoride water (and doing those fluoride treatments) my cavities went down.

As I became an older adult, the cavities decreased until now I have none for maybe a decade !

All the while, I brushed all the time, my parents were strict about it, I also was not a regular candy eater. My Halloween candy bag would literally still have candy in it by the next Halloween.

Some people don't want fluoride, just like some don't want iodide in the salt.

 

[Masquernom]

Fluoride saved my teeth.

I grew up in the Country, on a well, no fluoride in the water. I had multiple cavities all the time.
All my baby teeth had cavities !
As a young child I had LOTs of cavities.

After we moved to the City and started drinking fluoride water (and doing those fluoride treatments) my cavities went down.

As I became an older adult, the cavities decreased until now I have none for maybe a decade !

All the while, I brushed all the time, my parents were strict about it, I also was not a regular candy eater. My Halloween candy bag would literally still have candy in it by the next Halloween.

Some people don't want fluoride, just like some don't want iodide in the salt.

I had the same experience growing up. I really appreciate the Fluoride in city water. That's why I asked.

 

[Masquernom]

Adding chlorine to drinking water actually produces small amounts of known carcinogens. That fact made the USA news cycle several years ago. A South American country found that out and panicked. They stopped adding chlorine to their water. They had a cholera outbreak that killed quite a few people before they started the chlorine addition back up again. Sometimes the benefits of an action outweigh the risks....

 

[jazz4cash]

Our old Brita worked fine until we broke the lid. No luck finding parts. We bought the new design with electronic filter monitor. It works pretty well. It “measures” throughput by registering when the lid is open> 5 sec. Battery life is supposed to be 10 years I think but are people really gonna properly dispose of all these batteries? The filters last ~5 months instead of 3 months. No problem keeping the lid on and it is quicker to refill.

 

[RobbieB]

I installed a carbon block filter in the cold line under the sink. We fill a 5 liter bottle with a spigot on the bottom so cold filtered water is always available. Works good.

It's a standard 2" x 10" unit and I change the element every 3 months.

 

[easysurfer]

I prefer the pitcher type filter than connected to the faucet.

Looking at my Brita pitcher, maybe I don't even need a new pitcher but just new Brita filters. Doesn't mean I won't just go with a different brand anyhow since I'm down to my last filter.

Actually the long story is I had a couple of older Brita pitchers which were working fine. But somewhere along the line Brita decided to make a change on the design of the filters. Seems the new filters are a bit smaller than the old ones so they don't fit as there is a tiny gap and water goes through unfiltered plus the new filter would fall loose onto the lid when pouring.

So, I ended up getting rid of the old pitchers, going with the new. But ended up also getting some knock off filters as the Brita brand was more expensive.

Now after looking closer, my last filter I'm using now is the Brita one that came with the pitcher. It fits fine. I also see now that Amazon has classic Brita filters that fit the old pitchers.

I may look for a different brand and don't like the curveball of redesigned filters so now things are personal . Plus, so much for keeping things simple.

The search continues ...

 

[ERD50]

Adding chlorine to drinking water actually produces small amounts of known carcinogens. That fact made the USA news cycle several years ago. A South American country found that out and panicked. They stopped adding chlorine to their water. They had a cholera outbreak that killed quite a few people before they started the chlorine addition back up again. Sometimes the benefits of an action outweigh the risks....

I don't have time to find sources right now, but IIRC most areas now use chloramine rather than chlorine. It does the same job, is more stable, and does not react with organic compounds ( involved in the carcinogenics you mentioned) the same way as chlorine.

Chloramine, being more stable, is not easily removed by letting it sit out, you pretty much need a good sized carbon filter, or neutralize it in batches by adding Campden tablets (potassium or sodium metabisulfite), which breaks it down into other chemicals that evaporate almost immediately, leaving a trace amount of potassium or sodium (or something like that, I'm not a chemist).

-ERD50

 

[Jenna]

Berkey-Travel size. I love mine-very expensive..LOL

 

[ncbill]

I installed a carbon block filter in the cold line under the sink. We fill a 5 liter bottle with a spigot on the bottom so cold filtered water is always available. Works good.

It's a standard 2" x 10" unit and I change the element every 3 months.

Yep, if the fridge has a water dispenser do the above & skip the expensive, proprietary fridge filters.

There are also whole-house carbon filters that look like an oversized fire extinguisher designed to go a year between changes (make sure to add a sediment filter as well, before the carbon filter)

 

[mpeirce]

Huh. Is the tap water really so bad in most of the country that people need to filter it for drinking?

 

[easysurfer]

Huh. Is the tap water really so bad in most of the country that people need to filter it for drinking?

By me, not sure if water so bad as in unsafe, but I do notice taste difference between filtered or not.

I just use tap for cooking, brushing teeth, making lemonade.

But for "drinking water", I like having water with no aftertaste.

As for my pitcher hunt, I still have 60 days, but will probably get one from the Waterdrop brand.

 

[pacergal]

Our municipal tap water tastes wonderful to me. DH is the one who will only drink "filtered" and ice cold water.

 

[cathy63]

Huh. Is the tap water really so bad in most of the country that people need to filter it for drinking?

It varies. San Francisco has great tasting water. I drink it straight from the tap there.

San Diego water is very hard and chlorinated enough to kill my sourdough starter, so we have a filter pitcher for drinking. I also boil the filtered water for tea and use whatever's left (after it cools) to feed the sourdough.

 

[freedomatlast]

Forget the pitchers and add an Reverse Osmosis (RO) system under the sink and run a line to the water / ice maker to the refrigerator while you're at it. Best tasting water ever.

 

[easysurfer]

Well, I placed an order today. But not a water pitcher (still will do that when my last Brita filter's time is up).

Can't believe I spent the whole yesterday and evening watching youtube of people collecting dirty water to filter/purify and drink from .

Was enough to have me dive into the rabbit hole of buying a filtering/purifying Grayl brand water bottle. I'm not a outdoors man type but instead this is for not having to lug around a bunch of bottled water or water jugs to hotels when traveling.

 

[Sunset]

Huh. Is the tap water really so bad in most of the country that people need to filter it for drinking?

Just ask the folks in Flint MI.

That is really the problem, do you trust (with your life/health) the water officials of your city ?
Until Flint, I just trusted, but Flint made me realize some officials are stupid/evil.

Here in Chicago area, there a lots of reports of schools and homes in places having very high lead levels. Issue for me to think about is Chicago supplies the water to itself and many suburbs.
How many lead pipes are they using for our supply ?

I get a filter that filters out the lead , it's more expensive but gives piece of mind.

 

[mpeirce]

How many lead pipes are they using for our supply ?

One town near me is replacing some old water pipes and discovered wood pipes still in service.

Another thing I learned is that lead pipes aren’t inherently dangerous unless they are disturbed. They form an oxidative layer (basically lead rust) that isolates the lead from the water. Still better to not have them of course.

 

[NgineER]

I would recommend getting an under-sink filtration system with a dedicated faucet for filtered water. Flowrate about double the fridge filter systems and no messing with a bulky clunky pitcher with built in water filter pitchers. I had an aqua-pure system that worked great, but since moved to a refrigerator system, but the poor flow annoys me. You can't set the pitcher down and let it fill either with the spigot open, you have to stand there and push the lever the whole time.

 

[Masquernom]

One town near me is replacing some old water pipes and discovered wood pipes still in service.

Another thing I learned is that lead pipes aren’t inherently dangerous unless they are disturbed. They form an oxidative layer (basically lead rust) that isolates the lead from the water. Still better to not have them of course.

Yeah, I don't recall the details, but Flint made some change to their water system that caused the water to absorb the lead from the pipes. I don't recall if they changed/deleted some additive, or changed the source of the water. Apparently the previous way the water was delivered to homes was ok with the lead pipes before the changes.