Hi Everybody!

We've done some research, and planning to install CB20-312E by Everpure as a point of entry filter for our apartment.

We are getting our water from PWC:

http://www.ewg.org/tapwater/yourwate...wsid=NC0326010

http://www.faypwc.com/PDFs/Water%20Q...ity_report.pdf

Would you please let us know if this is a bad idea – wrong filter, etc.

Thanks in advance for all your help!

 

The CB20 is a great point of use filter, but I wouldn't use it for whole house, since it only delivers a maximum flow rate of around 5gpm.

What would you like to address in your water:-
taste, odors, hardness etc...

 

Thank you very much for your reply Greg-cws!

We are trying to get our water to safely drinkable level. According to links from the original post, it contains some contaminants that we would like to avoid. And currently have to buy our drink/cook water from a Culligan water machine.

So, you think we may chock CB20-312E? There are only two of us in the 3b/2b apartment. We were checking other options ... Aquasana EQ-300 goes up to 8 gpm; Everpure T20, on the other hand, 3-4 gpm. And both are listed as 'whole house' filters . So, I am not sure what to do ... especially considering CB20-312E's certifications, .5 micron filter, 60K capacity and inexpensive recharge. I simply see no other comparable options

 

If you don't have any tight space constraints, you might want to just buy a "generic" self-backwashing taste & odor filter.

Depending on who makes it for you, you can expect to see a 10" diameter tank with about 1ft3 of GAC sitting on a sanitary gravel underbedding. The tank will have a self-backwashing control valve on top of the tank. I'm particularly fond of the Fleck 7000 control valve.

That would give you a great filter with plenty of flow and not break the bank.

Plan on replacing your GAC media every 3-5 years. Beyond that it will be maintenance free.

If you're handy, you could do it yourself in an afternoon or hire your local CWS to install & maintain it for you.

 

The room is small, and our W&D hookup is on that wall. Our only option is the wall above the equipment, that's where the main water valve/switch is.

 

Okay … I spoke to techies from Everpure. They suggested another model - Extra Capacity 202 Prefilter System
#EV9100-24. But said that to filter out chloramines we would need to get different cartridges - ev9108-47.

ev9108-47 search returns only a handful of links, non of which lists chloramines as the substance removed.

However, Everpure addressed our main question: According to them, CB20-312E should have no problem working our water flow, even though it’s rated @ 5 gpm. It may just clog up a little faster.

At this point we are still planning to get CB20-312E. It will cost us under $800, and hopefully make our water safely drinkable (by mouth and skin.)

Please reply if you have any alternative ideas or any other valuable information.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

Quite frankly, for what you want to do with the filter, I too would recommend a wholehouse backwashing, multi-meida filter.

These come in several differeent configurations but often contain sand, garnet, various types of carbon, and other filtration media. These last longer, give better flow rate and, generally, are actually cheaper, say around $500.

Do you have more specific water test results? Chlorine?

There are also upflow carbon filters which are even cheaper but lack certain functions that backwashing types have.

Andy Christensen, CWS-II

 

The Carbon Block filter in the Everpure & similar systems is a great technology. It addresses chlorine, THM's, sediment, some bacteria and sometimes even lead.

The problem is pressure drop & flow through the cartridge.

I've seen carbon block filters used for whole-house applications and the results are always less than expected, because of rapid decline in net output flow & pressure - especially over time as the proes of the carbon block begin to clog.

If you've still got your heart set on cartridges, plumb two sets in parallel to give you the flow you need.

 

Thank you for reply Andy!

I honestly would love to install the biggest filter there is, but unfortunately we are limited to 57" vertical clearance above our washer and drier.

We didn't do any personal water tests, just going by that general information provided by PWC itself and EWG (links above). However, I know for sure that we have chloramines in our water.

 

How rapid and much less?
CB20-312E has three filters: one CC1E extended service cartridge containing radial flow granular activated carbon, and two CC3E fine filter 1/2 micron carbon block cartridges. The two CC3E are 'wired' in parallel. Does this count?

Thank you Greg!

 

The human hair averages about 75 micron in diameter. Human visual acuity usually stops at around 30 micron.
.5 micron is EXTREMELY TINY

You will see a noticeable drop in flow & pressure after installing one system. I would guess that within 6 months, you flow rate will be completely unsatisfactory.

I would put two of those entire systems in parallel to get a hope of a reasonable flow rate.

You might also consider a parallel configuration of a 20" long generic GAC filter cartridge. That will give great flow and address chlorine, pesticides, herbicides & THM's.

http://www.plymouthwater.com/pdfs/31...C%20Series.pdf

Look at the GAC-20BB for an example of what I'm suggesting.

 

Can't install two of these systems in parallel - it takes too much space.

I went to depot and lowes. They have some single housing units ... like WHCF-DWHBB and GXWH35F/GXWH40L. Should I just get two or three of these, or similar standardized enclosures by other manufacturers (http://www.plymouthwater.com/filter_housings.asp), chain them one after another on the wall next to my point of entry valve (have no idea how, but probably just connect pipes). And then pick a combination of filters that would help removing chloramines and other contaminants specific to our environment - CRFC20-BB, etc?

Thank you.

 

If you're not familiar with plumbing techniques, get a local pro to at least install it so that you don't have any flooding issues to worry about.

Any high quality carbon filter will reduce chloramines.

Multiple standardized housings is exactly what I'm suggesting.

Just plumb two of the 20" GAC cartridges referenced below in parallel.

 

Thank you Greg. I think now I am starting to grasp the concept ...

So, we will need to find the following:

1. The biggest, and the most flexible (largest selection of accommodating filters) universal filter system - two or three 20" Big Blue housings on a bracket - example.

2. Cartridges matching our contaminants.

3. Plummer to hook it all up (there are no CWPs around)


Okay, then next questions will be:

What is the best "universal filter housing" (on a bracket)?
Do we have to plumb them in parallel? After all they are called "whole house" filters... and we have a modern apartment with two 2.5 gpm showers.

 

... P.S. Everpure makes T-20 Whole House System(EV9370-20), with flow rate of 3-4 GPM. Can you explain this? Thank you.

 

I guess it is the same way that a geo metro could be called a family car

3-4gpm is a disaster for "whole-house" use.

 

The Plymouth #20 - Big Blue 1" (20" long, 1" threaded openings) is great & has a bracket available.

You don't HAVE to plumb them in parallel.
You'll just be a lot happier if you do.

 

" ...
US Filter's Plymouth Products division was purchased by Pentair, Inc., the manufacturer of Pentek water filters.
... "

Can I just get Pentek BBFS-222 ... since that thing already has three housings conveniently assembled together?

Thank you for sticking around … hopefully this post will serve as a good reading material for other lost souls.

 

Is there something that won't inhibit the flow as much for whole house purposes or is it just something you have to live with if you want to remove whole house chlorine/chloramine?

 

Should You Get a Carectomy?

 

I then again, I still don’t understand why we can’t just use something like this:

http://www.instawares.com/aqua-purea...-dp290.0.7.htm
http://www.instawares.com/aqua-purea...artpak.0.7.htm

http://www.cunofoodservice.com/resou...ecSheets.shtml

- flow rate of 10 gpm
- total volumes up to 108,000 gallons

 

I've done some cost analysis/comparison on:
The calculations are rough, and I am probably missing important factors, but at least something to start from. Please let me know what’s missing/misrepresented.

Initial investment + 6 month cartridge supply:
Every subsequent year of service:
If BBFS-222 is used as a single system (not two connected in parallel), based on published specs, it should be outperformed by its "commercial" counterparts. And based on the calculations above, BBFS-222 is the most expensive to maintain.

Comments?

I really need to buy and install something soon.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

Install the following:-
2 x Pentek, HP20-1" (Bib Blue 20" Poly Blue with 1") with brackets. Plumb them in parallel
2 x GAC-20BB cartridges to go inside the housings.

Change 2 x GAC-20BB each year.

That's all you need. - Simple, cheap & easy

Anything else is just overkill.

If you want super clean drinking water, get yourself an undercounter RO to supplkement the whole house chlorine/chloramine removal.

Does that make sense ?