So, I went to The Water Shop in Saberkas (Opposite SESCO) to buy a Doulton Ceramic Water Filter and a carbon secondary filter costing more than RM100.
The ceramic filter is white like pearl and after I ran the filter for just 10 minutes, this was the result. The white part above had been cleaned just to show the comparison.
This is how the filtration system looks like and how dirty the ceramic candle (right) looks after just 10 minutes! The ceramic filter is rated at 5 microm for filtering dirt or particles. The purpose of the carbon filter is for removing chemical, especially chlorine.So, what is your conclusion? I dare not drink this tape water anymore without filtering. Amazingly dirty! Oh, perhaps full of mineral as well.
By the way, if you are interested to buy a set of such filter, it cost just over RM200 at The Water Shop as special offer is now on.
I live in Pujut, Miri.
p/s: I don't earn commission or anything in kind for this entry.
8 comments:
Mechanical filter like ceramic can filter particle size 4 or 5 micron and above. That is the size of the smallest bacteria and the size of the largest virus. In other word, you can't filter the virus with it.
Then there is the question of filter quality and the best way to ensure it is up to standard is to have it certified by independent laboratories like the National Sanitation Foundation.
Having carefully studied what's on the local market (effectiveness and availability of spare parts etc), I come to the conclusion Amway Water Treatment System is logic choice and that is what I got.
As for the worst choice for human consumption, it would have to be Distillation and Reverse Osmosis system.
My 2 sen.
Amyway water treatment System has high maintenance/operation cost?
Distillation is crazy! Reverse osmosis system - the bottled water in my office is ROS. It tastes bad and if I drink too much, especially cold, I think it is bad for health! After a few weeks, I got pain in my bone and I am not sure whether it is related. So I avoid such water.
Distilled and RO water have their mineral removed. If we don't need mineral, why go buy those multi-vitamin+mineral tablet from health shop? There is your answer.
But the typical shop that sells those Distilled & RO system will tell you that there are already plenty of mineral in our food so those from water aren't necessary. Bulls**t.
As for cost, yes, all extra filtration will cost money because there are no free lunches in this world. No exception for Amway's.
Now I am not trying to sell you Amway's but here are my rationales for buying one for myself:
1. They fulfill NSF's standard #42. This is the minimum standard but not the main reason why I am buying a filter. Keep in mind that some brands only fulfill this and nothing else. A very famous brand called D****** is a fine example.
2. They fulfill the very important NSF's Standard #53. Many other brands will claim being able to do this but are they certified to do the job? If not, I can claim anything I wanted and promise you the moon.
3. By fulfilling NSF Standard #55, I no longer need to boil the water, saving me electricity or gas to partially justify the cost. Yes, William, you will need to boil your presently filtered water.
4. Filter element need changing. So tell me William, how many liters is that secondary carbon filter you bought being certified for. And how do you know when it has reach its limit? With Amway, they have a meter to warn you when that limit has been reached. When a filter exceeds its limit, it may not be able to do its job properly and may in fact, become a hot bed for bacteria growth.
Since I could not find another better alternative in our local market and wanting to save cost, I actually joined Amway membership just to buy their filter system at member price. So technically speaking, I am bias in saying all the above. So the best thing for you to do is go do some research yourself to come to your own conclusion. And that should be a piece of cake for a person of your caliber.
"The purpose of the carbon filter is for removing chemical, especially chlorine."
This is what you wrote. And because Chlorine is the anti-bacteria agent in water and by removing them, you should not keep filtered water for long term keeping.
"So, what is your conclusion? I dare not drink this tape water anymore without filtering. Amazingly dirty! Oh, perhaps full of mineral as well."
Again quoting you. Yes, normal water has mineral like Iron, Copper, Calcium and many others in it. So if you pass a electric current through these water, these mineral will precipitate out as salt of the various mineral with all sorts of colors like Orange (iron salt), green (copper salt), white (calcium) etc. And when you looked at the same water after you did that, you see all these slimy multicolored stuff floating in the water and believe me, it looks disgusting even though these are the very mineral our body requires for healthy living. And by using this exact phenomena, those RO did a great business selling their system because their water do not contain minerals. So there you have it: something that looks disgusting is good for you whereas others that look clean aren't. Isn't that an oxymoron?
kong, dig a well and drink from it. that is what my grand parent still do. and they are as healthy as ever
those brown color stuff on the filter are 70% rust from small rusty parts of the whole MIRI piping system... that the downside of pipe water. live with it
and funny thing. ALL(yes ALL) virus requires an agent(human, animal, plants etc) to live on. virus dont live/survive in water itself. it dies. so even ur filter can filter virus, but there is no virus to begin with.
our body does have the ability to cope with clorine up to a certain level, so u can actually live with clorine in ur system.
honestly to compare, i think elken has best 'home filteration system' and NESH has best external (outdoor unit) filtering system. my 2 cent, and i dont use these above iether :D
http://www.firstwater.info/noflash/wt_microbes_viruse.html
There are often iron in underground water. Ever notice the inside of the well containing underground water having brownish stain? That's iron oxide.
Many of the old copper pipes around here are being (or have been) replaced by plastic ones. When this happened in my parents' area you could immediately notice the difference in your glass of water - less bits in it (limescale, copper stuff?).
I don't know enough about it to be honest but I think they switch the old piping for a good reason. I'm notthe gullible sort but I trust the scientists and health experts on this.
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