After living with intestinal distress for a long time, and driving ourselves insane trying to figure out what could have been causing it, we have finally fixed on tap water as the most likely cause. (We’ve known for a long time that the water here was hard — stains on the toilet attest to that! — and it may be that, or it may be something else.)
Who’s got a water purifier? How much did you pay, and where did you buy? What about ongoing costs — I understand you need to buy a new filter for the things every so often. Am I likely to be able to use one without bringing the wrath of the landlord on myself (that is, does the installation cause problems with existing plumbing)?
My first suggestion is to contact your water company and ask if they’d be willing to test your water. It’s usually free or under $10, and it will quite likely tell you if there’s a problem with the water. If it’s a problem with the plumbing (say, contamination from the pipes, or a backflow problem somewhere between your sewer connections and your incoming fresh water lines) you can put pressure on your landlord to repair it (or install a filtration system) and save your own cash. Check city codes as well – most cities have laws about providing safe water to tenants, and this may be a way to put pressure on the landlord as well if there does prove to be a problem.
Since we rent, we “cheated” and got a Brita container-based system because our water, while perfectly safe, is foul-tasting and smells bad. We recently “upgraded” to the square 2.5 gallon model for about $30 from a local hardware store. The filters are about $6 each and last about two months each, although we got a six-pack for Christmas last year. (Whee!) My only complaint about it is that it’s too heavy for my screwy hands to lift when it’s full, so hubby gets the chore of filling it and replacing it in the fridge.
In the past I’ve also had one of those charcoal water filters that fit on the faucet end, but to be honest I hated it. It was a total pain to replace the charcoal insert, since the hard water really gunked up the screw-threads that held it together. I was also constantly whacking it while washing dishes.
I’d steer away from an under-the-sink system that requires installation unless it’s something you can easily haul out and take with you, or your landlord is willing to deduct the cost of the system and installation from your rent (doubtful!). There’s not much point in improving someone else’s property out of your own pocket. If you can do the repair-and-deduct thing, my grandparents have an Ultrapure system that works well (they have a borderline-safe well) but was rather expensive – a few hundred bucks to install and something in the area of $20/mo. upkeep costs (the replacement filters are proprietary and sold only by this particular company). They’re sold by an MLM and they’re not very “movable” as installation means ripping out some pipes under the sink and putting this big metal canister underneath.
Actually, the best is a system that uses ultraviolet light to kill organisms in combination with some type of filtration. The system I have sends the water thru the UV light thru a Teflon coil (the coil “tumbles” the water to reach all of the bacteria, viruses, etc.), through types of carbon
filters, and then back out thru the Teflon coil and UV light. It doesn’t waste any water at all, and there isn’t a limit to how many gallons it can produce a day. And it doesn’t cost anywhere near $800!
Water purification is my father-in-law’s business, and his life’s work. He produces systems that are in use by the National Institutes of Health, the Peace Corps, and various American embassies. It’s so very important to get as much information as possible before purchasing water purification system, as there are so many different systems out there, and they’re not all equal.
BTW pure water means many thing to many people. The most basic definition might be ultra-pure water, UPW (the kind used high pressure boilers). With UPW there is virtually nothing in the water but good old H2O. Since there is no ions in UPW to carry electric current it is in fact a very good electric insulator. Typically raw water is treated by sedimentation, filtration, ioninc exchange (or reverse osmosis), degassing and finally pollishing. You are unlikely to find a water treatment system this through for home systems. So even if you purify your water it won’t be ultra-pure.
The next best is a water softener followed by reverse osmosis,RO. You can get a good quality water softener from Sears. A good RO unit can cost $800 which will give you about eight gallons per day of drinking water. The cost usually includes installation of storage tanks and dispensing taps. Its important to soften the water before it goes through the RO to reduce the loading on RO membranes which need to be replaced periodically (about $140 every five years). Also, RO isn’t exactly frugal. For every gallon of water you drink 13 gallons are wasted.
We are ready to winterize our unit (2001 27F Terry) and cannot figure out how to disconnect/remove the water purifier filter. The purifier is a separate spigot next to the kitchen faucet. The owner’s manual doesn’t list any details and the “pamphlet” from the mfg.. lacks any kind of replacement directions. I know the filter has to come off somehow. They are supposed to be replaceable. Does anyone have a built in water purifier and know how to remove this filter? There are several types. I believe that the “popular” type is a cartridge filter that is a bit over an inch in diameter and about 10 inches long. You need to remove it and replace it with a bypass hose. It has either quick connect or screw type fittings. The filter manufacturer makes a hose that is exactly the same length as the filter. If you did not get one with your RV, with a few readily available parts from the plumbing department of your favorite building supply store it’s a simple job to make a bypass up.
Agreed with all the statements in your post, so I have nothing to come back with, Your definately right about pure water being a magnet for impurities! Even 2 megohm water sucks ammonia right out of the air and it becomes useless even for simple lab tests. I just had notorious luck with 4 out of 4 very expensive powered RO systems, the membranes continually clogged, no matter what steps I went through to protect them and keep them clean. As far as DI, it is much easier to recharge a DI setup every 3 months, than to clean the RO every week and still have to replace the membranes. Provided the DI is set up in a manner that makes recharging simple and efficient.
A UV sterilizer is a device that hangs on the back of your tank that purifies your water by bombarding the water with Ultraviolet light. A large canister(size varies depending on your needs) houses a powerful UV lamp. Water is pumped through the canister through a device like a powerhead into the canister and then out the other end of the canister. The UV light will destroy the green algae suspended in the water and other chemicals like phosphates and nitrates, etc. This device works very well and does not harm your plants or fish. This is a “high tech” solution to a problem. Cost varies. For instance I have a 16watt UV sterilizer at $139 and I also had to buy a small power head for $20. My tank is 46 gallons.
I would like some suggestions in this group. Friends and I are hiking and camping in Grand Canyon this Septemeber. We will be hiking down the Bright Angel trail from the South Rim and will be camping in the Bright Angel campsite the first night and then the Indian Gardens campsite the second night. I have some general ideas on what we need but not sure about the exact gears and the best place to get them.
Do these hand held water purifiers work on river or lake water as when on long stay bivvies fetching extra or carrying enough water is a real pain. Definately, that’s what they were MADE for! When I got mine, I took it right to my fish tank and pumped out a cupful of water: it was delicious! My girlfriend was aghast at how I could drink *fish tank* water, and I said ‘Sweetie, when the time comes to use this, I’ll be overjoyed to find a source of water that’s fresh enough to have <fish> in it!” You can filter mud puddles, swamps, almost anything. Be sure to get the filters with the smallest membranes: the porcelain ones are the best; and to avoid viruses you should still treat with iodine or bleach, or boil the water for 5 minutes. Unless you go for the real expensive ones that have impregnated treatments in them. There’s a lot of research out there about them, and all filters are not equal. Read some reviews.
Regarding water purification, anyone who relies on iodine or any other purification tablet or liquid on the market is just asking for a parasite. I’ve tested three pump-type purifiers, and now you’ll find one in every backpack I own (and I own 6 because I teach survival). Never had the problems mentioned here, but then I’ve always followed the manufacturer’s instructions about maintenance. Here are a few facts: Giardia lamblia was discovered in 1976, but not identified as a pathogen until 1983, after 16 hikers died from drinking water drawn from clear Rocky Mountain streams (it was mis-diagnosed as stomach flu). Cryptosporidium wasn’t discovered until 1991, and it wasn’t till 1997 that we discovered it won’t die in iodine — at least not in concentrations that won’t kill you as well. The latest discovery is Cyclospora — never heard of that one, have you? — and this sucker is also immune to chemical treatments. Just a few months ago, one of my backpacking companions spent the last two days of a four-day outing with fever, stomach cramps, diarrhea, and vomiting from drinking iodized water in which parasites remained viable. His sickness came and went for the next two months before he recovered fully — some aren’t that lucky. Carry a water purifier or boil your water — or get a parasite eventually.
It was recently reported in Dallas that several deaths have occurred in the past month or two from Cryptosporidium, a water borne parasite. More are going to die. The most important element to survival is the AIR we breathe. The second most important element is WATER. We need safe water to live healthy lives. Cryptosporidium attacks everyone, especially those who have impaired immune systems, the aged and the young. Dallas is one of 28 cities which were on a Crypto alert for the past two years; however, when we called Dallas Water Utilities over a year ago, they denied it.
I have had lots of algae in my marine tank (been setup almost 3 years) for the entire time I have had it. Its mainly the dark green kind that grows on the gravel and on coral (not live coral, no inverts in the tank) It comes off very easily, but grows back in days. I have just accepted this for the last few years, but was curious if there was anything that I could do about it. Would a “Tap Water Purifier” (made by Aq Pharm, page 38 in MOPetShop) help control the amount of algae in my tank? What are peoples experiences with this? And, I know in the long run a RO unit is more economical, but I don’t want to mess with one now. All comments and other methods of algae control are appreacited.
