Z-Pitcher 000 TDS Water Filter

[DrWurm]

I don't want to hijack the other thread about Brita, so I'm making my own.

I came across this the other day and thought it was pretty cool. It comes with a TDS meter too, if you're paranoid.

http://www.zerowater.com/Main.aspx

Now I ran the calculations on the replacement filters. If you got the pitcher (the one with a single filter) you should be able to filter 22.5 gallons before they recommend replacement (when TDS reaches 006). Filters can be bought in packs of 2, 4, or 8 for 30, 56, or 100 dollars respectively. With some highly advanced number crunching programs, I have determined the cost per gallon to be .67, .62, and .56 dollars respectively. Usually a gallon of store-bought distilled is 1 dollar (plus whatever time and gas it takes to get to the store).

Also, while they may want you to "replace at 006 for the product to continue functioning as advertised," I bet you can push it longer until it reaches 15 or 20 (I'd still use that on my plants). Have our prayers been answered? Is there really an affordable water filter than can give us acceptable TDS readings? I'm not sure. Maybe the company will go under in a year and you'll never be able to find filters again. But I think it's worth a shot. Perhaps I'll ask for one for my birthday.

Jason

 

[herenorthere]

What's the TDS of your water supply and did you factor that into the filter life? Also, filter pitchers can be remarkably slow and get slower with continued filter use.

 

[DrWurm]

What's the TDS of your water supply and did you factor that into the filter life? Also, filter pitchers can be remarkably slow and get slower with continued filter use.

No idea. I just picked up that bit of info poking around the website. Like I said, I don't know if it works, or if it's a potential replacement for buying distilled, but I think it's worth a look.

From their FAQ:

"Q. How long will the filters last?
A. Each filter is certified to clean 22.5 gallons of water. "

Jason

 

[Halt]

Awesome!~ Ill try it out and post the results. thanks jason.

 

[Not a Number]

If you're in Westchester and getting your water from the LA DWP you can get an idea of what your average TDS from the annual water quality report:

http://www.ladwp.com/ladwp/cms/ladwp001965.jsp

Of course this doesn't take what effect your local plumbing has on the quality of your water.

 

[Zero]

Why not get a R/O filter system?
pays for itself very fast.
I wouldn't mess with any other type of filtration.

 

[DrWurm]

Why not get a R/O filter system?
pays for itself very fast.
I wouldn't mess with any other type of filtration.

Maybe if I was an 19 year old college student about to move into a tiny apartment

I definitely intend to go RO in the future, but for those of us with small places or small collections, it'd be nice if we had something besides bottled distilled water.

Jason

 

[obregon562]

why not? because most of us are cheap b*stards lol! ill get one eventually...and spread the parise of it im sure, but for now, that system looks very promising (although a little pricey no?).

 

[Zero]

you can find a r/o system for about $120
only takes up a small space and is easy to install.
Then you have all the clean water you need
mine has paid for itself MANY times over and I just grow inside a 2 bedroom apartment

 

[DrWurm]

you can find a r/o system for about $120
only takes up a small space and is easy to install.
Then you have all the clean water you need
mine has paid for itself MANY times over and I just grow inside a 2 bedroom apartment

If you can show me one of those that 3 college roommates wouldn't mind and that has decent filter life/price ratio, I'd like to see it. That's not meant to be sarcastic in any way, I really would be grateful if you could post a few links or something. I tried searching for R/O systems a while back and got rather confused at all the options.

Jason

 

[Zero]

I sent a link to you and you only have to replace the 3 prefilters a couple of times a year.
the pre filters are cheap.
It's not as huge and complicated as it might look at first.
here is a pic of mine.
look at the first prefilter, It's started out pure white

 

[herenorthere]

Tell those college roommates that you're installing the RO because you can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. You're drawing the line at TDS = 1.

 

[dashman]

I did the math and it looks like the cost of the pitcher plus the first filter and 2 replacements come to about $75 (with 7% tax) 39.99 (pitcher and filter) + 29.99 (2pk replacement filters) all for 67.5 gallons of water. That is about $1.11/gal. I can buy distilled at WALMART for .86 cents. Over time you would eventually get down to about $0.72/gal the more you use it. You just have to use the heck out of it to get past the markup of the plastic container and cool little electronic gadgets that comes with it... just like a hybrid car.

 

[Tony Paroubek]

I would take their claims on how much water can be filtered with a grain of salt. I would be amazed if you could filter the amount of water they claim to such a low tds with such a small mixed bed DI cartridge. I bet you would find yourself replacing the cartridge every few gallons...

 

[cp-connection]

its the flouridation

Tell those college roommates that you're installing the RO because you can no longer sit back and allow communist infiltration, communist indoctrination, communist subversion, and the international communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids. You're drawing the line at TDS = 1.

 

[dashman]

Whoa, you are throwing my equation all out of wack there. Now I get a divide by zero error.

Probably right though. At best a little cheaper than buying by the gallon, but probably not. Especially for where I live (Indiana) where the water is very calcium rich due to limestone deposits pretty much anywhere you dig which would probably mean I would need to replace filters more frequently. Good for the bones, not for CPs.

I would take their claims on how much water can be filtered with a grain of salt. I would be amazed if you could filter the amount of water they claim to such a low tds with such a small mixed bed DI cartridge. I bet you would find yourself replacing the cartridge every few gallons...

 

[mark.ca]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Zero-0-ppm-Reef-6st-Reverse-Osmosis-RO-DI-Water-Filters_W0QQitemZ380140470072QQcmdZViewItemQQptZSmall_Kitchen_Appliances_US?hash=item5882233f38&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A15%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C293%3A8%7C294%3A50
I'm with Zero on this!
If you want to save money get one of these units. Really simple to instal and after more than a year of intense use still gets the water from 490ppm to 13ppm without replacing a filter or anything. It was said to get 0ppm but never got to that number....it started at 10ppm. Mine it's a 6 stage 50gal/day.

 

[IronTom]

Our local Wally-World has a RO water dispenser. To refill the 5 gallon jug is only $1.32. Think it was $15.00 for the jug originally. Great deal for some of the best water I've ever tasted. Alas I have no TDS meter, but all the VFTs, Neps, and Orchids love it!