Okay, which faucet-attached Water Filter system is the best. (1 Viewer)

[Nathan*W]

Not looking for a whole house system, or anything that extravagant, but would like something to make the county water taste better.

Anything that attaches to the kitchen sink?

I am also not trying to break the bank, however, I can appreciate spending a little more for a quality product.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I have used a Britta faucet system for 4 1/2 years. Had to replace the first one when the seals wore out about 1 year ago. Cost me $29.99 with 2 filters and a pitcher; replacement filters last about 3-4 months and cost about $14. Water quality is so good that it actually has no taste. People who drink from it miss the "flavor" of bottled water.

Note - I drink from 8-10 glasses from this a day since I gave up soda 8 months ago.

 

[Yousaf]

I use a Pur filter, and notice the same thing: water with no taste. I actually vastly prefer it to any water other than Fiji, which registers similarly on the no taste scale. To me, most bottled waters taste metallic and while I will drink it if it is what is available, I do not buy any bottled water because not only is the Pur filter better but it also is much cheaper.

 

[Nathan*W]

Thanks, guys. Decided to go with the Brita because it was $29.00 for the unit and 2 filters.

 

[Drew Bethel]

Pur filters cost more and there are never any coupons for them!

 

[JohnRice]

Guess I'm too late, but a few years ago I actually did a slightly custom installation of a water filter on my kitched faucet. It isn't one of the really big, whole house units, but one which uses pretty standard 9" filters, though I use the highest grade model, which filters out to chlorine and virtually everything else. I just used a couple adapters to be able to hook it between the cold water shut-off and the faucet. It uses the best filters available, short of reverse osmosis. I expect it is at least as good at the Brita. The benefit is, while it was more expensive to get started. About $65 total. The filters are $11 and last a good 18 months, depending on how much you run through it. I have already recouped the extra $35 for the initial investment several times over. If I don't want the filtration for something, I just use a different faucet.

 

[Nathan*W]

Sounds like a great idea, John! Although I've already got the Brita, I'll probably do something like what you've suggested for my next house.

 

[JohnRice]

It has worked very well. I balked a little at the initial cost, though $65 isn't all that much. These filter housings are intended to go in the main water line, but with a couple simple adapters they can go between the shutoff and the faucet. You also need a second faucet hose to go from the filter to the faucet. In the end it's pretty cheap. I live in Colorado, which is very dry and I have 2 big humidifiers running in the winter. The filter has also significantly increased the life of the filters in those as well, since there isn't much for them to filter out anymore.

If you eventually do it, just make sure you get the right housing. The cheapest ones aren't intended for the highest grade filters.

 

[Elinor]

John, could you post the manufacturer's name (or PM it if you prefer).

I might be interested in such a unit.

Thanks !!

 

[JohnRice]

These are pretty universal units, using standard 9" filters.

The specific model I got is a GE model 186457. You can search for it on the Home Depot site. For some reason, I can't get a link to it to work. the filter # is 203668 and costs $10.47. There are cheaper units and filters, as well as more expensive ones, but these ones give the most bang for the buck.

You need some fundamental understanding (and I mean, pretty basic) of how faucet plumbing works, since you need to adapt the unit for faucet use. It is probably best to shut of the cold water to the faucet, remove the hose leading to the faucet, and take it with you. Get someone in plumbing to find the adapters you need for the filter unit. Nobody could ever find them on their own. Plus, you need a second hose just like the one you take in since now there is one hose going from the cut-off to the unit and a second from the unit to the faucet. Just make sure you are connecting it to the cold water.

There are also full kits with a small faucet stictly for the filtered water, but that isn't always necessary and was not feasible for me to install, since I have a Corian counter with integrated sink and there is no way I'm drilling a new hole for another faucet. The way I did it, you just want to try to limit use of cold water from that faucet to water you would like filtered, since you can't bypass the filter. I have a utility sink just a few feet away, so it's not a hassle for me.

All you need to install it is a wrench, some teflon tape for the connections on the unit itself and a way to attach the unit inside the cabinet under the sink, though you actually can just let it sit on bottom.