Why buy a replacement filter for $6 to $10 (or more) when you can refill your old filter cartridge housing for about 50 cents?!
Refilling is quick, easy and economical. If you can refill a salt shaker, then you should be able to refill a Brita, PuR, or other brand water pitcher cartridges. All that you will need is an old cartridge, some activated carbon, a polyethylene plug, a sharp utility knife or Xacto knife. A 1/2" drill motor and 1/2" drill bit are optional, but can aid in rounding out the hole.
Refilling is quick, easy and economical. If you can refill a salt shaker, then you should be able to refill a Brita, PuR, or other brand water pitcher cartridges. All that you will need is an old cartridge, some activated carbon, a polyethylene plug, a sharp utility knife or Xacto knife. A 1/2" drill motor and 1/2" drill bit are optional, but can aid in rounding out the hole.
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Signing UpStep 1: A bit about activated carbon and where to buy small quantities.
Activated carbon is also known as activated charcoal and is a VERY effective substance at absorbing many unwanted contaminants in drinking water and other liquids.
The History of Activated Carbon
Activated Carbon was first known to treat water over 2000 years ago. However, it was first produced commercially at the beginning of the 20th century and was only available in powder form. Initially activated carbon was mainly used to decolorize sugar and then from 1930 for water treatment to remove taste and odor. Granular activated carbon was first developed as a consequence of WWI for gas masks and has been used subsequently for water treatment, solvent recovery and air purification. The unique structure of activated carbon produces a very large surface area: 1 lb of granular activated carbon typically provides a surface area of 125 acres (1 Kg =1,000,000 sq. m.). Activated carbon can be produced from a variety of carbonaceous raw material, the primary ones being coal, coconut shells, wood and lignite. The intrinsic properties of the activated carbon are dependent on the raw material source. The activated carbon surface is non-polar which results in an affinity for non-polar adsorbates such as organics. Adsorption is a surface phenomenom in which an adsorbate is held onto the surface of the activated carbon by Van der Waal's forces and saturation is represented by an equilibrium point. These forces are physical in nature, which means that the process is reversible (using heat, pressure, etc.) Activated carbon is also capable of chemisorption, whereby a chemical reaction occurs at the carbon interface, changing the state of the adsorbate (dechlorination is an example of a chemisorption process). (You can read more here: http://www.carbochem.com/activatedcarbon101.html )
Activated charcoal is good at trapping other carbon-based impurities ("organic" chemicals), as well as things like chlorine. Many other chemicals are not attracted to carbon at all -- sodium, nitrates, etc. -- so they pass right through. This means that an activated charcoal filter will remove certain impurities while ignoring others. It also means that, once all of the bonding sites are filled, an activated charcoal filter stops working. At that point you must replace the filter. (You can read more here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question209.htm )
Over 100 years ago Ellen White, a health reformer & pioneer of the Seventh Day Adventist movement strongly advocated the medical uses for charcoal powder. The modern medical establishment has only recently begun to use activated charcoal powder as the preferred method of treating oral poisonings and drug overdoses: "It is thought to bind to poison and prevent its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract. In cases of suspected poisoning, medical personnel either administer activated charcoal on the scene or at a hospital's emergency department. Dosing is usually empirical at 1 gram/kg of body weight, usually given only once. Depending on the drug taken, it may be given more than once. In rare situations activated charcoal is used in Intensive Care to filter out harmful drugs from the blood stream of poisoned patients. Activated carbon has become the treatment of choice for many poisonings, and other decontamination methods such as ipecac-induced emesis or stomach pumps are now used rarely." (From the Wikipedia entry for Activated Carbon)
You can find it at any fish & aquarium supply. If your concerned that the quality of the carbon from an aquarium shop might not be up-to-snuff, then go to a homebrew shop, or some other source that you are comfortable with. The granule size you'll want should be relatively close to 8 x 16 mesh size or smaller, but NOT so small that it falls out of the holes in your filter housing. I purchased the NSF approved carbon I used for my filters through an ebay merchant (here: http://stores.ebay.com/Carbon-Eze ). No, that's not me, & I don't know them. :) They describe their products well and have a good reputation & that's why I've included them here.
The History of Activated Carbon
Activated Carbon was first known to treat water over 2000 years ago. However, it was first produced commercially at the beginning of the 20th century and was only available in powder form. Initially activated carbon was mainly used to decolorize sugar and then from 1930 for water treatment to remove taste and odor. Granular activated carbon was first developed as a consequence of WWI for gas masks and has been used subsequently for water treatment, solvent recovery and air purification. The unique structure of activated carbon produces a very large surface area: 1 lb of granular activated carbon typically provides a surface area of 125 acres (1 Kg =1,000,000 sq. m.). Activated carbon can be produced from a variety of carbonaceous raw material, the primary ones being coal, coconut shells, wood and lignite. The intrinsic properties of the activated carbon are dependent on the raw material source. The activated carbon surface is non-polar which results in an affinity for non-polar adsorbates such as organics. Adsorption is a surface phenomenom in which an adsorbate is held onto the surface of the activated carbon by Van der Waal's forces and saturation is represented by an equilibrium point. These forces are physical in nature, which means that the process is reversible (using heat, pressure, etc.) Activated carbon is also capable of chemisorption, whereby a chemical reaction occurs at the carbon interface, changing the state of the adsorbate (dechlorination is an example of a chemisorption process). (You can read more here: http://www.carbochem.com/activatedcarbon101.html )
Activated charcoal is good at trapping other carbon-based impurities ("organic" chemicals), as well as things like chlorine. Many other chemicals are not attracted to carbon at all -- sodium, nitrates, etc. -- so they pass right through. This means that an activated charcoal filter will remove certain impurities while ignoring others. It also means that, once all of the bonding sites are filled, an activated charcoal filter stops working. At that point you must replace the filter. (You can read more here: http://science.howstuffworks.com/question209.htm )
Over 100 years ago Ellen White, a health reformer & pioneer of the Seventh Day Adventist movement strongly advocated the medical uses for charcoal powder. The modern medical establishment has only recently begun to use activated charcoal powder as the preferred method of treating oral poisonings and drug overdoses: "It is thought to bind to poison and prevent its absorption by the gastrointestinal tract. In cases of suspected poisoning, medical personnel either administer activated charcoal on the scene or at a hospital's emergency department. Dosing is usually empirical at 1 gram/kg of body weight, usually given only once. Depending on the drug taken, it may be given more than once. In rare situations activated charcoal is used in Intensive Care to filter out harmful drugs from the blood stream of poisoned patients. Activated carbon has become the treatment of choice for many poisonings, and other decontamination methods such as ipecac-induced emesis or stomach pumps are now used rarely." (From the Wikipedia entry for Activated Carbon)
You can find it at any fish & aquarium supply. If your concerned that the quality of the carbon from an aquarium shop might not be up-to-snuff, then go to a homebrew shop, or some other source that you are comfortable with. The granule size you'll want should be relatively close to 8 x 16 mesh size or smaller, but NOT so small that it falls out of the holes in your filter housing. I purchased the NSF approved carbon I used for my filters through an ebay merchant (here: http://stores.ebay.com/Carbon-Eze ). No, that's not me, & I don't know them. :) They describe their products well and have a good reputation & that's why I've included them here.
You can get the plugs at most medical stores and at fastenals
I sell water filters in the Netherlands, and I would definitely not recommend Brita waterfilters. They hardly do anything. Sure I understand this cheap way of replacing the cartridges, but if you really want you water without toxins there are real solutions out there that do that. There are charts that give a good comparison. I think Zero Water offers the best Brita like filter, that actually works. You can also look up on youtube: Brita vs Aquaphor. It's quite interesting
our town water is, frankly, shyte. it's horrible. bad enough that it smells like pure javex, but it's hard enough to chew. when we bought the house, the documentation said the bathroom fittings had been replaced 2yrs earlier. We've been in the house two years and already I had to shell out $100 for a new showerhead: even 24hrs in CLR did nothing to get the rocky buildup out of the showerhead. It was so bad, it would send water shooting up and over the shower doors - we had to put bath sheets on the floor to mop up the water when we showered. I use sand to clean the crust off the inside of the shower stall, bath tub, shower doors, toilet bowls, and sink - it's the only thing that works.
needless to say, potables prepared with this rank effluent is not exactly "the pause that refreshes".
since we know the water is safe, it's just to address the flavour and odour and this, brita does very well but the filters in no way last a month - 2-1/2 to 3wks at the most - and it gets really expensive.
instructables to the rescue!
You may never see this since you posted over a year ago, but just in case. There is a product called "Works". It can be found just about everywhere (dollar stores, Walmart, grocery stores). It is very inexpensive. I have horribly hard water with a lot of iron that turns everything orange here. It is actually a toilet bowl cleaner but I have used Works in the shower, tub, sinks, washing machine and toilet. I have soaked the shower head in it, didn't even take it off, just held a cup with Works in it over the shower head (mine is standard small). It is great stuff. I even used it in the toilet tank, it does not damage the plastic or metal parts, but cleans super efficiently and very fast - within minutes.
TIP: Activated charcoal does NOT remove chloramines (read up on chloramines), but you can add vitamin c crystals in with the activated charcoal and it WILL render the chloramines inert. This is very important.
Great article. Have been using activated carbon in fish tanks and now understand that it's the same stuff in the brita filters. Thanks!
Great article. Have been using activated carbon in fish tanks and now understand that it's the same stuff in the brita filters. Thanks!
Informative and Great Article! We should have used this technique in the past to refill Brita filter, until we realized that it does not do a lot, expect filtering or eliminating some of the Contaminants such as Chlorine. We believe Brita is one of the Cheapest and Best Water Filter Pitcher out there in the market, though it is one of the most inexpensive filters. According to a stat we read on internet, there are about 87 common contaminants and impurities contain in the water. Water filter are handful compared with Reverse Osmosis. However, using filter can save a lot of money.
what type on ion exchange resin can i use ?
can i use this ion exchange resin to filter drinking water they say it is for fish water tank
http://www.aquariumonline.co.uk/reverse_osmosis_and_water_purifiers/resins_for_water_treatment/water_softening_resin_1_litre_P3447.html?gclid=CK-Z_ZrBiL8CFfMgtAodtUcAog
To each their own. Now, with that said:
The meat and dairy are not the 'evils' that everyone touts. It is what is allowed to be (and almost forced on farmers to be) done to the animals. The animals (and most crops) are chuck-full-o' all kinds of antibiotics, steroids, hormones, and other chemicals. Those of course are in the parts we eat and any product that comes from them. Try for a month to eat organic foods mostly (especially meat and dairy) and see how you feel after that. The difference is amazing. OH and everyone that goes on about 'it so much more expensive'; that it may be, but the taste and nutrients that you get have been compared at: 1 organic apple = 3-5 conventionally grown apples in nutrients. The meat? Take a 1/4 lb of each and make a patty/burger. Cook them the same way. You will see that the organic hardly shrinks while the other will shrink 1/3 - 1/2 its size. Then try the flavor and you will be sold. So, you are actually getting more of you money worth by going this way.
If you feel good living as a vegan then good for you. If you want to be healthier but like your meat, then I suggest giving this a try. After all you filter your water; why not try the equivalient to your food by taking out the poisons/chemicals/etc?
I personally can't do the vegetarian thing but if you can you'll find no grief from me. That said, I liked the write up and it was an interesting idea I hadn't previously considered. With that in mind, I have a couple questions I'd like to run by you (and or everyone in general as I'm not having a lot of luck via googling).
A) Have you or anyone else tried Activated Alumina in the mix? What ratios would be appropriate if so? (For those unaware, Activated Alumina removes flouride from water in a similar manner as activated carbon removes chlorine as I understand it and can also be used dry as a dessicant.) I'm not sure if there are any safety issues surrounding it either but I do know it's found in some other filter offerings.
B) Has anyone used this for alcohol/liquor filtration per chance? There used to be a few carbon only pitcher offerings and they do wonders for cheaper Vodkas for example. I bring that one in particular up as my wife hates my choice/preference in Vodka tho I must admit 2-3 rounds through charcoal makes a fairly dramatic difference.
Anyway, I have a few different pitchers (both PUR and Brita) and I believe they have the old filters in them so I'll have to give them a try. Thanks for the write up.
I have an easy solution for the stopper. With a scissors I cut a square from a flat portion of a plastic milk carton that was a little larger that the hole I drilled in the filter. Then made two parallel cuts about 1/8" apart on two opposite sides to create two tabs. Slide one tab under the edge of the hole, then the other.
Ingeniously sweet!
I'll add myself to your list of vegetarians.
I stopped eating ALL dead animals in 1972 and I do eat home made yogurt.
I supposedly had get my tonsils out when I was 8, which was in a hospital.
That was my last hospital visit. No sickness since way before 1972 and 1 cold 6 years ago and no memory of one before that. I learned exactly how to prevent or cure a cold or sickness also in 1972.
There are quite a few options on Amazone. What might be the critical features to look for?
I bought from the site above, and it cames cheap and good.
i didn't even have to buy a plug: i cut a c-shaped flap in the top and the plastic is durable enough to press back down. naturally, that will snap off after another time or two but for the moment, it's good enough.
turns out i cannot absorb non-haeme (non-blood sourced) iron. red meat three times a day keeps my iron levels on the low end of normal.
I got inspiration while stopping by at Bed Bath and Beyond. I made another version of Home made Water filter refill: no skills or extra tools needed. Perfectly fits people like me;)
http://teabeyond.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-to-make-water-filter-refill.html
Activated charcoal is carbon in extremely porous form. It is usually derived from charcoal. It has a large surface area and is used for chemical reactions as a catalyst. It is also used in fish tanks as a filter or to filter distilled alcohol. Activated charcoal is an expensive product. It is cheaper to regenerate the charcoal than buying new activated charcoal
Instructions
Chemical Regeneration
1. Soak the activated charcoal in a solution of 9 to 10 percent hydrogen peroxide. Handle the solution by wearing gloves as it can cause burns. You can also use distilled deionized water instead of the hydrogen peroxide solution.
2. Stir the mixture every 15 minutes.
3. When the solution has been absorbed, add more solution to the container. Repeat this many times.
4. Bake the charcoal in an oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for an hour or two.
My automatic coffee machine requires a filter at all times to work so this is perfect. They are bespoke, cost a fortune and are also expected to be replaced monthly. Despite the worries of some, this is much better than never replacing the filter.
If you look at the "Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed" portion of the page which comes up it shows other types of similar(??) resins.
It's been a long time since I read these comments so what I apologize if what I'm about to ask has already been answered. If it hasn't been answered, can someone please tell me if they know hold long (as in how many gallons) the ion exchange resins in a Brita filter are designed to last? In other words, do the ion exchange resins "wear out" at the same rate as the charcoal....or do they have a longer life span?
I plan on building my own water filter out of an upside down 2 liter soda bottle with the bottom cut off and hole(s) poked in bottle cap (and possibly other places)....and if I don't have to, I don't want to toss out the ion resin beads every time I change the charcoal.
Thanks for any info you can give me about the life span of the resin beads!!.....:)
Please provide a source or edit this line out - I would love to know if it's true, but if it's not, it shouldn't be causing alarm to people like me who use PUR-filtered water for me and my pets.
Thanks.
nice concept. good for tast and odour issues (and pesticides).
All the activated charcoal I have seen is very expensive. A standard container even from the big box stores is about $8 for 9 ounces. This would maybe fill three Britta filters. One of the links to a bulk charcoal website lists 4 pounds for $52, that's $13 per pound while charcoal for BBQs is about 27 cents per pound. Is there a manufacture of filter grade charcoal that will be in the middle? Please post a source or link or don't make such a claim.