A too good to be true water filter?

Hi Chen Ko

Thanks for sharing your knowledge on Singapore's water quality. Your blog has been extremely helpful in my search for a new water filter for my family.

Yesterday, I chanced upon this review: 

iwaterpurification.com/cleanwater4less-countertop-water-filter-review/

Cleanwater4less is only about 50usd and has 10000 gallons capacity. This means it will last 10 years for my family if we use 10 litres each day! Does it sound too good to be true? 

The reviews in amazon are generally good except for a few reviews saying that carbon particles came out from the spout. Perhaps they didn't follow the instructions to let the water run through for 10min before using the filter. 

I was thinking of getting a Royal Berkey but now I have second thoughts. Hope you can help me take a look at this product and advise me if it can really filter water properly. 

I just need a basic filter that doesn't need frequent replacement and can help me cut down on boiling water at home. 

Looking forward to your advice. 

Thanks and best regards 

YC

Hi YC,

Glad that you find my blog useful in your search for a water purifier/filter.

I have to reiterate that my stand is water filtration or treatment is not required for Singapore tap water unless you have certain medical issues that require drinking filtered water. Nevertheless, I understand that some readers have certain health concerns about drinking tap water e.g. chlorine, fluoride and I respect your concerns. These concerns tend to be controversial and by no means conclusive one way or another. Therefore, I see no issue in getting a water filter just to achieve peace of mind.

Back to your question. Doulton and Big Berkey to me are 2 trusted brands and products in the water filtration world. And for good reasons...

1. They have a long record of good reviews. 
2. They are certified by ANSI/NSF standards (NSF/ANSI Standards part 1, part 2). 
3. They also show their filter performance data to the public. (In my opinion, their data are still not good enough but much better than many other suppliers who reveal little or nothing.)

I am afraid the product you recommend can hardly match the above factors. I find its reviews too generic in nature with barely any quantitative comment about the performance of the water filter.

There is a good reason why domestic water filters WITH ACTIVATED CARBON (not the pure ceramic ones) are often rated for only hundreds to perhaps a thousand gallons of water before a replacement is needed. That is because conventional manufacture for AC can only achieve that much filtration before it becomes saturated and useless. If you see an AC filter that can handle 10000 gal and costs less than $100, it is a big red flag.

The final decision of course lies with you. Still, I hope you find the above discussion useful.

Figure: Doulton filter performance data