“My girl and me just bought a new place but the water well it sucks. Got white buildup and other colors of stuff building up in the sinks and the water kit we bought, that sensafe one on your site, says we got all sorts of problems like metals too. A friend says we need a filter and a softener but I don’t know if they make a all-in-one type filter softener thing… but my girl says we gotta do something, so can you help?”

Thank you for your question Marquis and it sounds to us like you and your girlfriend have a real mess on your hands when it comes to the quality of your water.

Question: Well water or city water?

If well water, then we suggest looking in the phone book for a certified well contractor and having them come out to look at the condition of your well.

If city water we suggest contacting your local water department and requesting the latest copy of their Consumer Confidence Report, an annually published document that discusses how good (or bad) a job the department did at keeping its water quality readings in line with Federal Guidelines.

In either case, certainly get your water tested by a qualified water testing laboratory before investing – and yes, we said investing – in a water filtration and/or water conditioner for your home. Otherwise you may run the risk of purchasing the incorrect unit for your specific water remediation requirements.

In other words you may buy the wrong tool for the job… and that could mean a whole lot of wasted money and continued water quality troubles.

Cost of combination water filter & water softener

Definitely not cheap, but if you have drinking water in desperate need of improvement then investing in a whole house water filter & water softener system such as the Whole House Filter and Anti-Scale Conditioner Combo made by Crystal Quest may make sense.

With pricing for the Whole House Filter and Anti-Scale Conditioner Combo (CQE-WH-02136) starting at around $2,900 you really, really, really want to make certain you 1) Need a water filter; 2) Need a water softener; 3) Know for sure that the unit will correct the specific water quality issues that you have.

Moral of the story?

Not all water treatment options will work in every application so before you plop down your hard earned money, get your water tested by a qualified drinking water testing laboratory. If you cannot locate a local laboratory we suggest you consider using the testing services of an accredited mail-in water testing laboratory such as National Testing Labs.

Do they make filters for the water passing through refrigerators? As a matter of fact, yes, they do.

Specifically, we know that a company called Crystal Quest makes an inline refrigerator filter that uses 4 stages of filtration including “post 5-micron filtration for bacteria, rust and sediment removal”, “KDF filtration for 99%+ chlorine removal”, and granulated activated carbon filtration for the removal/reduction of a wide range of organic contaminants, chemicals, pesticides, VOCs (volatile organic chemicals), bad taste, and odor.

Conveniently hooking up to pretty much any standard refrigerator water line, the Crystal Quest Refrigerator Filter makes an excellent addition to any household that wants to have clean tasting water dispensed from its refrigerator cold water tap.

As an added bonus, since this filter hooks in on the intake for the whole refrigerator, ice makers also will produce water using filtered water… meaning ice cubes should taste better, too!

Interested in improving the taste of water going into coffee makers, water coolers and/or drinking fountains? This in-line refrigerator water filter can also can be used on water fountains, water coolers and coffee makers.

How long will this filter last? A very good question! With normal water (i.e. typical municipal water) Crystal Quest says the unit will last for up to 6,00 gallons.

“I like the idea of the low maintenance filter you wrote about today, but does it remove fluoride? For the low price I doubt it so does anyone make one that does? Thx andee03”

Well, Andee, it just so happens that Crystal Quest, the manufacturer of the disposable countertop water filter we wrote about recently, does, in fact, make a disposable filter that reduces fluoride levels in drinking water.

They call it the Fluoride Multi PLUS and from what we can tell, it does all the things that the other filter did plus it reduces fluoride levels… without jumping up too much in cost.

Why the concern over fluoride?

Rather than repeat the content from earlier postings about fluoride we will opt to say, “Please refer to Testing for Fluoride in Water since it gives a very good (and short!) explanation of why people have concerns over the presence of fluoride in drinking water.”

Reducing/Removing fluoride from drinking water?

The disposable, zero-maintenance Crystal Quest Countertop Fluoride Filter mentioned above will most certainly help reduce fluoride levels in drinking water, but what if a person wants a filter that offers more robust filtering features?

But, since we CLEARLY don’t live in a perfect world, many of us have tap water that tastes nasty and could also possibly contain some unwanted nasty contaminants. Therefore, until we can make this world perfect it may make sense to install some sort of water filter in your home and/or office if you want better tasting and possibly safer drinking water.

How much maintenance do water filters require?

About a year or two ago we would have said that all water filters require at least SOME maintenance in the form of filter cleaning, filter replacement that required tools, a semi-complicated backwashing procedure, etc. but not anymore.

Recently we have seen a lot more drinking water filters enter the marketplace with claims of ‘zero or low maintenance’. As an example, a company by the name of Crystal Quest has come out with a sealed countertop water filter that uses a 6-stage filter to remove unwanted drinking water contaminants from up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water.

After the filter stops working in 1 to 3 years, depending upon the amount of contaminants in the source water, simply disconnect its hose, dispose of the unit properly, and install a new one. No plumbing experience required!

Do disposable water filters really work?

We cannot say that all disposable water filters perform as they should, but we can say that the manufacturers of this unit have proof of its effectiveness. Take a look at the unit’s water test results on the FilterWater.Com web site.

Need a test kit for your drinking water? You may want to consider a kit such as the Water Quality Test Kit offered by the makers of SenSafe Water Test Kits.

A while back we wrote about a dual filter nitrate removal system manufactured by Crystal Quest. Since then we have received several emails asking us if Crystal Quest made a dual filter that mounts under the sink because they have limited counter space but want the benefits offered by a dual filter.

As a matter of fact, Crystal Quest DOES manufacture a dual filter nitrate filter system that mounts under the sink… and it comes with a third filter chamber (a carbon block filter designed to remove volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides, and industrial solvents) as an added bonus. OK, so they really call it a triple filter, but using our ‘math’ you can call it a double filter nitrate removal water filter… with a single carbon block filter on the side. Ha ha.

Why did they add the third filter?

We don’t know the actual reason, but we suspect Crystal Quest knows that nitrates will often appear in drinking water found in rural/agricultural areas where compounds such as atrazine may also show. Adding the carbon block filter means the filter will have the ability to reduce/remove nitrates AND volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides, and industrial solvents.

Manufacturer’s Product Number: CQE-US-00324

Replacing the filters?

Changing out filters on this unit takes very little time and the replacement filters don’t cost an arm and a leg, either.

Life expectancy for the filters?

• Roughly 6-9 months for carbon filter
• About 10,000 gallons (or 1 to 3 years) for 6-stage filter
• Around 1 year for the nitrate removal filter

As it turns out, we discovered that they manufacture a Faucet Filter w/ 5 Stages of Filtration that uses granular activated carbon designed to meet NSF Standards 42, 53 and 58 test protocols, and a proprietary blend of KDF filtration media composed of materials (Eagle Redox Alloy 6500 and Eagle Redox Alloy 9500) meeting NSF/ANSI Standards 42 and 61.

The unit also boasts pre and post one micron filters made by an ISO 9001 manufacturer that remove undissolved matter such as silt, sediment, cyst, sand, rust and dirt.

Crystal Quest Model Numbers: CQE-FM-00500 (white housing) and CQE-FM-00501 (chrome housing)

What makes this filter different?

Many other faucet filters use only 3 stages of filtration while the Crystal Quest Faucet Filter uses a total of FIVE filtration stages.

Stages 1 and 5 — Pre and post one-micron filter pads remove suspended particles from the water.

Stage 2 — Granulated Activated Carbon (GAC) reduces bad tastes and odors while also reducing and/or eliminating potentially 100’s of chemicals (i.e. pesticides, VOC’s, etc.) linked to increased cancer risk.

Stage 3 — An ion exchange resin reduces levels heavy metals such as lead, copper and aluminum while also reducing the water’s hardness level (calcium & magnesium).

Stage 4 — A special blend of KDF 55 and KDF 85 reduce levels of iron, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, lead, other dissolved metals while also reducing dissolved hydrogen sulfide (rotten egg smell) levels. The chemical and physical nature of these materials prevents the growth of bacteria, algae, fungi, scale, and other microorganisms in the filter… and therefore this unit requires no bactericidal components such as silver.

Access to unfiltered water?

If for some reason you have a need for unfiltered water, the unit comes equipped with a knob that allows users to switch between filtered and unfiltered water very easily.

Note: When choosing a test kit for iron in drinking water, keep in mind that you may commonly found iron in one of two forms in water: Ferric and/or Ferrous. Some test kits only test for one type… but the visual iron test kit above manufactured by WaterWorks has a detection range of 0ppm to 5ppm total iron (ferrous & ferric).

What do I do if I find iron, manganese or hydrogen sulfide in my water?

If you’ve tested your water and found one (or more) of those three contaminants, you probably want to know if someone makes a filter to remove them. Conveniently, a Filter Water carries a whole house dual filter system designed to remove iron, manganese and hydrogen sulfide.

While some filters for manganese, iron and hydrogen sulfide do not address the issue of other possible water contaminants, the Crystal Quest Dual Filter Iron, Hydrogen Sulfide and Manganese Filter System contains a 20″ solid carbon cartridge made with high-grade granulated activated carbon which puts a final polishing touch on the water by removing volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents — if present in the water.

Quite frankly, from what we have read, this filter system uses a number of different filtration components to “get the job done”

A 20″ sediment filter cartridge removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt which would otherwise clog up the other filtration elements and shorten their lifespans.

A (large) special manganese, iron and hydrogen sulfide removal mineral tank does… well, exactly what its name says it does.

In the second large tank, a series of beds containing ERA-9500 media, ERA-6500 media and Granular Activated Carbon remove hundreds of contaminants if they exist in the water.

In the last stage, the 20″ solid carbon cartridge mentioned previously takes out volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents — if present in the source water.

What about when the filter gets ‘full’? What then?

The Crystal Quest Dual Filter Iron, Hydrogen Sulfide and Manganese Filter System comes equipped with an electronic microprocessor that keeps track of filter life and automatically initiates backwash cycles when needed.

Will I need to replace the media?

Even with scheduled backwashing/recharging of the different media types the various filtration elements will need replacing.

• The 20″ sediment filter cartridge has an expected life expectancy of 6 to 8 months.
   
• The 20″ carbon filter has an expected life expectancy of 6 to 8 months.
   
• The iron/manganese/sulfur filtration media has an expected life expectancy of between 5 and 8 years depending upon contaminant concentration levels.

This means a properly installed unit will provide homeowners with quality water for long periods of time without the homeowners needing to perform any sort of maintenance.

Replacement cartridges readily available?

One thing that really irritates most folks… Buying a product and then hot having the ability to locate necessary replacement parts or components. You won’t have that problem with this Crystal Quest Iron/Manganese/Sulfur Filter System because it uses industry-standard filter cartridge sizes (20″ x 2.5″) and the filtration media can easily get replaced.

Crystal Quest pitcher replacement filter

Manufacturer: Crystal Quest
Model Number: CQE-RC

4 stages of convenient filtration with a 2,000 gallon capacity.

In stages 1 and 2 KDF55 and KDF85 media reduce iron, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, other dissolved metals, and harmful bacteria.

Stage 3 features an ion exchange resin that reduces heavy metals (such as lead, copper, aluminum) and lowers water hardness.

The fourth and final stage, a bed of granulated activated carbon (GAC) reduces chlorine by 99.9%, gets rid of bad tastes and odors, reduces pesticides and chemicals that are linked to cancer risks (i.e. benzene, THM’s, toxaphene).

How do you know if you need a water filter?

The answer, quite simply, involves testing your water. You can either test it yourself using a home water testing kit like the Water Quality Test Kit from SenSafe… or you can have a certified water testing laboratory such as National Testing Labs analyze your water.

In cases where homeowners suspect contamination, we always suggest using a certified water testing lab. Better to play it safe than sorry because… It’s your water, your health… and your LIFE!

Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer Systems meet the most demanding needs of residential and commercial microorganism control — which sometimes proves difficult for traditional disinfectant methods given that microorganisms can range from bacteria and viruses to algae and protozoa. UV treatment systems for water accomplish the goal of disinfecting water faster than chlorine and without without cumbersome retention tanks filled w/ corrosive and potentially harmful chemicals.

Manufactured with axial flow reactors in 304 stainless steel for durability, the Crystal Quest Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer Systems incorporates natural ultraviolet light energy to damage the DNA of microbiological contaminants and in doing so kills them and/or renders them incapable of reproducing.

Applications for UV sterilization systems include post undersink water filters, post whole house water filters, water coolers, pre and post osmosis systems, private wells, camp grounds, hotels, bottlers, aquaculture, hospitals, food, cottages, restaurants, breweries, laboratories, marine, pharmaceutical, dairies and many other applications.

Advantages of Crystal Quest Ultraviolet Water Sterilizer Systems include:

• No need to add chemicals to the water which could form carcinogenic disinfection byproducts (DBP’s) like trihalomethanes (THM’s).
• Eliminates the need to store and handle dangerous chemicals.
• Requires only two water connections (in and out) and a power connection.
• UV sterilization typically does not alter the taste, odor, pH or conductivity or general chemistry of the water it treats.
• Works faster and more effectively against viruses than chlorine.
• Systems can treat hundreds of gallons of water for each penny of operating cost.
• Immediate treatment process eliminates need for holding tanks, long retention times, etc.
• Units operate automatically and require almost no attention.
• Most units require only periodic cleaning, if any cleaning at all, and annual lamp replacement.

Naturally you want to know what a unit like this costs, right? FilterWater.Com carries units rated for 1, 6, 8, and 12 gallons per minute GPM. Costs begin around $150 for the smallest unit and go up to around $543 for the largest unit.

What about replacement bulbs? How much will they cost? Good question! FilterWater.Com carries replacement bulbs for Crystal Quest UV Sterilizer Systems rated for 1, 6, 8, and 12 GPM.

Need a larger, more powerful UV Sterilization System? Take a look at the selection on WaterFilters.Net, another company that carries a great selection of water filter systems and replacement filter cartridges for residential and commercial water filtration applications.

With all the talk about oil washing up on the shores as a result of the BP oil platform disaster, some people have started to ask a very smart question:

Could some of that oil somehow end up in my well water if I live close to the shore?

At this point no one can answer that question definitively, but rest assured plenty of people would prefer to err on the side of caution and have a water filter system capable of removing any trace elements of the BP disaster that may find their way into their water supply.

The Crystal Quest Mega Triple Undersink Water Filter, known by manufacturer’s part number CQE-US-00309 and good for proper filtering of up to 10,000 gallons of drinking water, uses a combination of three separate filter chambers:

1. Water flows through a sediment filter cartridge that removes sediment, silt, sand and dirt. This helps to extend the life of water softener and water filters and prevent damage to control valves and/or pumps.
2. In the second filter chamber, water flows through pre one – micron filter pads which remove suspended particles such as silt, sediment, cyst (Giardia, Cryptosporidium), sand, rust, dirt, and other undissolved matter.

   It then flows through a bed of media made of a special high-purity alloy blend of two dissimilar metals — copper and zinc (Eagle Redox Alloy® 6500 and Eagle Redox Alloy® 9500) — that works using electro-chemical and spontaneous-oxidation-reduction (REDOX) principles. At this stage chlorine gets instantaneously and almost inexhaustibly oxidized iron and hydrogen sulfide get oxidized into insoluble matter which attaches to the filter media, heavy metals such as lead, mercury, copper, nickel, chromium, cadmium, aluminum, and other dissolved metals also get removed by the electrochemical process.

   In the next stage, water flows through the ion exchange resin, further reducing heavy metals such as lead, copper, aluminum, and water hardness.

   Next, water passes through granulated activated carbon (GAC), a compound universally recognized and widely used as an effective adsorbent for a wide variety of organic contaminants such as chlorine (99.9%), chemicals linked to cancer such as THM’s and benzine, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), PCB’s, MTBE’s and hundreds of other chemical contaminants potentially found in drinking water. It also works to greatly reduce and/or eliminate bad taste and odors in drinking water.

   The last section of this filter chamber contains another one-micron filtration pad for further reduction of undesirable particles.

3. In the third filtration chamber water travel through a solid carbon cartridge designed to remove remaining volatile organic carbon compounds (VOC’s), insecticides, pesticides and industrial solvents.

Need replacement cartridges for the Crystal Quest Mega Triple Undersink Water Filter?