Hi there, I have one of those Rainfresh bucket gravity filters. I use it seasonally, spring-summer, when away from the city. Manufacturer says to replace ceramic cartridge annually OR when it fails the measure after cleaning.
Query: is it a safety issue to use the filters after one year, if they still pass the measure? Right now, to stretch the lifespan, I'm just using it with two cartridges, and proprietary plugs for the other two openings. The manufacturer says there is no guarantee of effective filtering after 12 months.
I built a bucket over bucket filter by using 2 food trade 5 gallon buckets with a hole drilled in the bottom of one and the lid of the other such that a candle type ceramic filter could be placed in the top bucket.
The ceramic filter is gravity feed type and it worked fine for about 20 gallons, then I noticed that the remaining water was getting higher and higher.
One flaw in the design is that the filter stick up about 2/3 the way up the top bucket, so that means that most of the filtering work will be done on the bottom part of the filter.
Now it looks like the filter is too clogged up, after only about 20 gallons of water.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009EQNVXO/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm thinking the first problem is that it should be in a smaller container, something about 1" larger than the filter, so maybe a 3~4" tube. Next is to have a small amount of pressure to that tube.
I'm wondering if anyone has fixed this problem. Maybe 5~10lbs of air pressure in the upper bucket would do the job or maybe smaller, taller bucket or a small water pump.
I'm building a classic bucket over bucket using a gravity feed ceramic candle and I want to process water that has a lot of soap, body oil, etc... basically shower water.
I was thinking of a pre filter or just reversing the flow so as to clear out the oils and stuff.
I'm thinking hot water with a bit of bleach and a soft brush. Run the hot water the reverse direction or soak the filter.
My main concern is clogging up the filter as I can see the water is pretty cloudy. I tried coffee filters and that does help, but still pretty cloudy.
I know you can clean them, but I don't know if they have deep areas that are hard to clean without some kind of flowing solvent.
Any suggestions for a solvent that can be used?
So I'm getting one of those $30 candle water filter that gets down to some 0.5 microns or whatever the specs are.
This would be used for washing water and would contain standard dirt, body oil, etc...
I'm concerned about things like body oil clogging up the filter too quickly. This would be a bucket over bucket filter and I was thinking I can just run it the other way to back flush the filter.
I've also seen 'pre filters' and was thinking that I can remove some of the oils. Other ideas would include making the water like pool water in terms of adding pool chem to balance things out.
The reason for the concern over oils is that I need the oils filtered out and it seems that they would just ruin the filter. I see that GE and others have cheap whole house water filters that look pleated:
https://www.amazon.com/GE-FXWTC-System-Replacement-Filter/dp/B001EY6OI8/ref=sr_1_18?crid=3N9ASPBJMHDUH&dchild=1&keywords=ge+water+filter+replacement&qid=1593639060&s=hi&sprefix=GE+water+fi%2Ctools%2C203&sr=1-18
These are like $6 each, but I have no idea if they would catch oil or not. I'm sure any pre filter would help, but still want the oils out one way or another.
I did see where someone was using things like vinegar soaking, then a back flush.
Maybe a soap that would get filtered out, then back flushed.
IDK, just looking for ideas before I invest in a set of these. I'm thinking about one of these 5~6 ceramic filters in a set that improve the flow by having the water go thru all of them at the same time.
I'm pretty sure I saw it mentioned on this sub once but I can't remember the name of it.
I watched this video stating neither of the options I'm considering (Alexapure and Berkee) can be used reliably for surface water because they can't filter out viruses. So I'm wondering if that is in fact true and if so, if there is any all in one solution that can actually be used for surface water.
Like, how do I know when to clean it if water is always going through it?
What does survivit carry? I've use Aquatabs but having had crypto in the past (as a kid, no purification), I am somewhat concerned since aquatabs are not a 100% solution.
I like tabs since they are very cheap, fool proof, tastes ok to me and I can always filter particles with a few bandana layers.
Some of the filters look very nice tho. I have some concern about cost, clogging, and durability.
Also, boil is no good for me since fire is not always possible or desirable. (I do boil at camp sometimes but the flat taste drives me nuts)
So what do you carry ?
Looking for a ceramic filter water jug or standing container. I found some online in a few places like this one but the reviews say the plastic is low grade. And the capacity is too large for what I need. Thanks in advance.
Has anyone used one before? I saw a video on YouTube from Ganjier and that Gilman guy is so chill! He showed these European ceramic crutches. They look so cool and make the experience even better from the video.
Does anyone know where you find them in North America? Etsy has a few I think but seems might have to order direct from Europe. I was hoping there would be a few shops in North America that carry them or someone who makes them here?
I found these ones but hoping to find them in NA if possible.
Perhaps more for the UL crowd, but I'm looking for options to strip weight from my pack and my 1lb miniworks is staring me in the face. Add to the fact its work to use and maintain, I'd like to not bring it on the long trips and save it for the overnighters/car camping.
Ive used chlorine drops in the past but not a fan of the taste and after a few days sick of it.
The trip is 8 or 9 days in the high sierra (kings canyon, JMT, etc). Water should be pretty clean to begin with, but a mix of rivers and standing water Im sure. Would a Steripen suffice? Maybe some tabs as a backup. Would save precious space in my 60L pack while Im at it :)
