How to refill a "disposable" Brita brand water pitcher filter with activated carbon.

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.

Step 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.

Comments

[dotschko]

Great article. A little tip. You can easily source plastic plugs as free samples from large manufacturers. They are pretty useful all round so definitely worth ordering a few. Who knows, one of your ideas may go into production which they'd sure be grateful of!

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.

[bhall8580]

I don't know about that. Ever since I switched to filtered water and or bottled water I have had no cavities. Plus I decided to experiment and slowed down on brushing yet always asking people about my breath. ( I can accept constructive criticism). I do not like to jump to conclusions and especially one that affects all Americans but could it be that a capitalist society has decided that putting something in our drink that would promote the economy is atleast possible? Fluoride and cavities creates many jobs and has an almost snowball effect. I did my own personal experiment and my results indicate that I would rather not have fluoride.

[ryanmercer]

By chance have a new source you prefer, that ebay store is long gone.

[coloradogal]

I have the faucet mount Brita water system. The filters are different than pictured. Can this be done to those type of filters? Thanks!

[woodstockbirdy]

I do community recycling and these things are a major pain the the butt. The actives carbon has to be garbaged but the shell can be recycled. They really make a mess. Thanks you for doing this.

[barbhug]

Awesome money saver, thanks so much!

[Diamondhead]

If you're looking for the ion exchange resin search Amazon.com for "ion exchange resin". As of this post (Feb 19, 2012) they have 2 pounds for $17.50 and 25 pounds for $185. The "Product Features" for these products says that they can be used for water purification.

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!!.....:)

[susanrm]

I am with you on not wanting fluoride in my water, but where do you get the idea that PUR puts timed release sodium fluoride in their filters?? I have searched the web, including PUR's own site AND the anti-fluoride sites, and there is nothing saying anything like this. Instead, they just say their filters won't REMOVE fluoride - which is okay with me, since my area doesn't fluoridate the water.

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.

[Breygon]

I only had a brief look (I'm on lunch). but would point out that the ion exchange resin also reduces 'scale' problems. I used to live in a chalk area where scale was more of an issue than taste so i still buy the filters new for the resin aspect. the top slits/holes are also for air to escape more easily - thus increasing flow time. most of these products use silver in the activated carbon as a bacteriostat - that is to stop bacteria growing whilst it is in storage and is not a source for treating bacteriological waters. in fact with time these filters can provide very good growth conditions, so if you do reuse old housings you really should disinfect.

nice concept. good for tast and odour issues (and pesticides).

[Rob5i]

Where do you arrive at the 50 cent figure for refilling a cartridge?

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.

[jpcflow]

It not the kind of thing that you're going to save money on re-filling just one cartridge. In the long run, this is the smartest way to save money and keep your water clean. Just searching in google for "bulk activated charcoal" should point you in the right direction. It's pretty easy to find it under $5 per lb.

You could always just find some brita coupons if you want to take the easy way out.

[fuzvulf]

BBQ charcoal can contain heavy metals, toxins and other general nasties. Unless you are planning on using the "all natural" charred sticks that still retain their original shape(of a burned stick) then you would be poisoning your water rather than purifying it.

[Tim Temple]

Make a wood gas stove! It burns on all the volatile stuff out of the wood, leaving activated charcoal. You just have to put the fire out to save it. Dump it into a paint can with a tiny hole in the lid.
That advice will cost you $3.75.

[Soscan2062]

http://www.buyactivatedcharcoal.com/granular_activated_charcoal_8x16mesh_coconut

Not sure where you're looking but I found this pretty quick. For 5 lbs it's $6.08 per pound. It also says that the density is approximately 28 lbs/cu.ft.

1 cu.ft. = 958 oz.
28 lbs/cu.ft. = .0292 lbs/oz
Using your approximate 3 oz. per filter this gives .0876 lbs per filter.
Using the above cost per pound it gives $.532.

Even if these equations are rough and not including shipping it shows that sources can be found that make $0.50 per filter feasible.
To Rob5i, I ask that you do a little more research and a little more math.
To IAMSatisfied and all ibles authors, I ask that these types of analysis be added to any ible where an efficiency is stated.
Other than that great instructable, I look forward to trying this. Thanks

[cmastin]

Thank you for posting this!! I live in Colorado and have great tap water but was looking into this project to utilize with another project I found :

http://www.instructables.com/id/Filtered-Pet-Watering-Bowl/?&sort=ACTIVE&limit=40

I mainly want to refill a filter on a running water pet bowl for cats to cut down on the gelatinous gel layer that forms on the bottom of bowl. I was wondering if the carbon needed would be same with running water being recycled with pump. Would just simply measuring the amount of carbon in existing filter and replacing it with same amount be adequate and safe for my pets? Does anyone have insight? Could there be a hazard in adding tooo much carbon to a filter? Thanks in advance!!

[netgrazer]

The goo on the bottom of the bowl is a buildup of bacteria, I believe. It may be more practical (no refill necessary) to build a UV-C bulb in that system somewhere, away from feline, bovine, kanine and human eyes of course. It would completely sterilize the water, including all the backwash.

I can't guarantee that will take care of any stuff sticking to the bowl, but it seems like it's worth a try.

Oh wait, here's an instructable: http://www.instructables.com/id/LED-Water-Purifier/

[SkUG]

I work in a shop that sells brita products, they now have a "bin" where you can recycle your old cartridges, saves on landfill
(still stupidly expensive, as someone says up there, there is silver in them? the price of silver has tripled in the last few years so thats probably why)
I'll shall try this instructable - thank you!

[steved5600]

in a in a pinch I bet a cork would work. Rubber stopper would work too. Silly putty

[elvenroi]

can i use carbon from like the pharmacy? the kind that you use for curbing 'die-rear' and gas.

[LizQuincy]

I, too, have had trouble finding the polyethylene plug.  We've already made 2 trips to Home Depot, searching and searching to no avail.  Sigh.

[Agnis]

I used corks. No Home Depot necessary.

[dangerine]

Cork! Great idea...great way to use part of one of the new style plastic corks, too! Cut to fit!

[LizQuincy]

Thanks.  I found them.  Not exactly what was in the picture, but it works. 

Now the issue is with the activated carbon.  We got some from a pet store, but the particles are much too large.  So we tried making them smaller using a coffee grinder, but it didn't make them uniform, so some were the right size, while others were fairly large, and there was a lot of really tiny particles.  So when we soaked the filter, the water kept turning black from all the small particles leaching out of the filter.

I realize I can buy some online that are the exact size I need (which I plan on doing), but I am also wondering if I can still use the carbon I already bought.  I am thinking that if I use it as is (big particles), the filter will just not last as long, and I will have to change it more frequently (because the big particles have less surface area).  Does that sound right?  Or does anyone know of a way to make the particles smaller, but consistent in size?

[greenleaf35]

i got some activated carbon from walmart in the pet area its a small diameter

[hezaharley]

Hi Liz,

Ace Hardware has them.  Had to buy some for a broken drain on a camp cooler.

[kelseymh]

You should find those little red plugs in one of two places at HD -- either in the plumbing components aisle (the sample place you find little elbows, endcaps, and whatnot), or in the nuts-and-bolts aisle (in one of those grey plastic pull-out trays with wacky bits of hardware).

Don't bother asking for help, as I'm sure you've discovered, the staff at HD are lucky if they know how to find their way out of the break room :-(  You might get somewhere by taking a picture of the caps with you to show them.  But no guarantees.

[MethylPox]

Respectfully, I think this is a great instructable. Your claims about other things should be edited out, however.

[fuzvulf]

Awesome first Instructable. Very well done.

[Agnis]

No need to make the hole really really smooth and then punch holes in the top to ensure water flow into the canister. Make a hole, make sure what you are plugging it with won't come out, but a few little spaces at the edge really don't matter. As I said in the previous comment space, I use corks. Just make sure they are tightly in, so they don't float up and out.

[mprove]

This is a great instructable! I whole-heartedly agree with all the above posters commending you on the thoroughness and high-quality of your guide. My question is: once you empty out the used activated carbon, do you know of any way to reuse/recycle it? A (very brief) Google search brought up mostly industrial options for recycling facilities (i.e. those that cater only to companies producing large amounts of used activated carbon). But I did also glean that it can be recycled to 80% of its original filtration capacity so it seems better to send it somewhere to do that than directly to a landfill after 2-3 months in my water pitcher. Any suggestions would be great.

[singsingsing]

You can put it in your compost, or just dig a hole and bury it. If you don't have access to a garden, try worm composting, activated charcoal or carbon will control the ordour if you are worried about the smell.

[revival423]

From what I've read, it DOES NOT look like it can be recycled to filter water again.  Apparrently it would take an oven that can be heated to 1800 F and a specific pressure.   Here's my source: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/carbon.htm  Granted, this is being applied to fish tanks, but some of the same substances are being filtered.  Plus, for the low cost of carbon, it's not worth the time.  To make it cost and energy efficient, you would want to heat it in large batches, meaning you need a large supply anyways.

I'd look into alternate uses for the spent carbon.

[IAMSatisfied]

Thank you. The spent carbon I recycle via my wood stove. :-) At 50¢ or so a filter load for new carbon, I personally don't care to spend the time and propane to bake the spent carbon in my oven. If you're into potted plants or a garden, the spent carbon makes a good addition to the soil and makes it drain more thoroughly, yet retains moisture in the carbon.

[badspell68]

I enjoyed much of what your had to say, but some of the healthiest people come from cultures with diets consisting mostly of dairy, eggs and grains and some of the longest life spans on the planet

[LizQuincy]

Might they go by any other name?

[DEChap]

I'm sold, and consequently just signed up for a membership with 'instructables'!  Here I was just looking for a way to recycle my Brita pitcher filters and stumbled across all this interesting reading material:  practical ingenuity, chemistry, nutrition,... even conspiracy!  I was actually bored when I navigated here... thanks to all.  I would be afraid of recharging these with just the activated carbon/charcoal (without the ion exchange resins) and then reusing them--one might lose an important synergistic effect and leave an unwanted "nasty" in the water (I guess it would depend on the state of your tap water)!  BTW, I remember reading (maybe 20-30 years ago) about fluoride possibly being to America what lead (in the canals) ultimately was to the Romans; I think there would be some epidemiological evidence to support fluorine maladies by now, if they were really occurring (and wouldn't they have been, by now?).  Dose or exposure rate is always the key, even with an element/substance as reactive as fluorine; after all, there is significant evidence to support trace amounts of things like arsenic and radiation as being beneficial.  Just sayin'.

[Demascus]

I have tried to re active carbon to save on my fish filters, but oh the stench of it baking off in the oven. eee gads. So my vote is ah NO.
The actual brita filters what do they say their effect on heavy metals like arsenic? The town I am in now ( just got here last week)  has found one of its supply wells has Arsenic in it which they are working to fix. Besides" it only effects about 200 houses".  Ahh yeah right, ok which two hundred and is my apartment one of them.  So I am buying bottled water now.
May consider buying a large osmotic unit for under the sink, for coffee and cooking.But over all a great article on how to. Thanks

[tz1_1zt]

Where I live the water hardness is very high, it contains lots of dissolved carbonates from underground chalk and lime deposits. If we don't use filtered water the kettle quickly firs up with a thick white coating. The ion exchange resin - small white beads which have been discussed elsewhere in the comments - is responsible for removing enough of the water hardness to prevent kettles being damaged. Your suggested refill would provide no reduction in the water hardness unfortunately.

[INSANE WAYNE]

The mineral carbonate scale buildup inside your cooking vessels can easily be removed by adding 2 cups of vinegar and two tablespoons of table salt, then heating gentally. This mixture produces a very mild form of muratic (Hydrochloric) acid that will dissolve the carbonate scale deposit rather quickly. After a short sit,  dump the solution into a glass container and inspect the interior. If it still has scale, return the solution to the container and let it soak for a while more .
When all the scale has been removed, thoroughly rinse the container and its ready for use...          --Insane Wayne

[xntrick]

i agree that you are what you eat, but i have eggs 4 to 6 days a week and i drink milk everyday..i haven't been sick for the past year and a half and i don't have any problem with weight control..my grandfather was also an avid meat eater and lived till his 80's but he lived in a farming village and was very active...