The
Heart of Your Water Filter
Please note that all countertop units come
equipped with filter cartridges. You don't need to order
replacements when you order the unit, but you can if you wish.
The performance of a water filter
depends on the effectiveness and the appropriateness of the
filter cartridge. The cartridge is what actually does the
filtering; the rest of the unit is just the delivery system.
By appropriateness we mean that the
cartridge you choose should match the needs of your
situation. For example, many filters are being sold now
with ceramic cartridges. While ceramics are wonderful and we,
too, sell them, their usefulness is limited mainly to removing
bacteria and cysts.
They do not remove chlorine or other chemicals. They do not
improve the taste of the water. They do not remove heavy metals.
If your water supply is a
chlorinated city water system, there should be no bacteria in
the water. That's why the chlorine is there--to kill
disease-causing bacteria. A more appropriate cartridge for city
water is one
that removes chlorine and other chemicals. This is in most cases
a filter whose main or only ingredient is carbon.
How to Select a Cartridge for
Your Filter
Start by thinking about the water
you're going to filter.
If it's chlorinated city
water, you're going to want something that will remove the
chlorine and the by-products of chlorination. That means carbon.
Filter carbon, in fact, is the best treatment known, not only for
chlorine and its by-products but for virtually all chemical
water contaminants--pesticides, solvents, herbicides, etc.
Carbon also greatly improves the taste, odor and clarity of
water.
If you're filtering unchlorinated
well water, carbon can also improve its taste and serve as a
protection against chemicals. If the water has iron or the
"rotten egg" odor of hydrogen sulfide, you'll want to
use a filter cartridge that also contains KDF.
KDF is a patented blend of copper and zinc that can remove lead
and other metals as well as removing or reducing rotten egg
odor.
In city or
country, if you suspect your water has lead in it (and lead most
often comes from pipes in your home), choose our carbon filter
with built-in lead removal resin (PB-1 or PB-1s), or
take a KDF-blend filter. If you want fluoride removed from your
water, we have specialty cartridges for that purpose (CFX for
full-sized single filters and FLs for doubles). Carbon also has limited fluoride removal capabilities.
In general terms, a good carbon cartridge in
your countertop unit will improve almost any water. KDF blended
with carbon adds iron and sulfur removal and can in some waters
greatly extend the chlorine-removal capacity of carbon. KDF also
removes lead.
Sizes
Our standard-sized Model 77 accepts the most
common filter cartridge made--the 9.75" X 2.5" filter.
This size fits all Model 77 units. There are also innumerable
other filter cartridges available from us and from other sources
that will fit this unit. These include specialty cartridges for
the reduction of problem contaminants like fluoride and
nitrates. (Normally, specialty cartridges aren't available in
any other format.) Filter makers always offer their
most popular cartridges in this size.
Model 77s uses a less common filter size,
but it's still easy to find and available in a large variety.
These compact cartridges are usually called "candles"
in the industry. They screw in and are as easy to install as a
light bulb. This is
the standard size for Doulton ceramic cartridges (although they,
too, are available in the larger 9.75" X 2.5" Model 77 size).
The Standard Model
In each filter style, we offer a default or
standard cartridge that we think is the best choice for most
applications. If you don't specify otherwise, that's what we'll
ship.
For Model 77 the
standard cartridge is the MatriKX 1+, a nominal one
micron carbon block. (Note: Terms like "nominal"
and "micron" are in the
Jargon
Glossary in the Information section.) The KX 1+ is a
great all-around performer that has very high capacity for
chlorine and chemical removal and is a great taste/odor
enhancer. For the Model 77s we have an
equivalent cartridge from another manufacturer, which we call
the CB-1. It's a nominal micron carbon block with
excellent performance in a smaller format. It's capacity
is estimated to be about 3/4 of that of the full-sized KX-1.
Secure Ordering
Filter Cartridges to Choose From
Use the links below to examine the cartridges
available for each style in greater detail.
Standard-Sized
Cartridges for Model 77.
Candle-Style Cartridges
for Model 77s.
Double Filter
Cartridges
for both styles.
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