Brita 42633 Faucet Filtration System

• Unlimited, great-tasting water
• Brita''s most advanced water filtration system
• Tool-free set up
• LED filter replacement indicator
• Brita On Tap faucet filters

I may be reiterating what many of the reviewers before me have said, but I may have a few helpful points to add.

First, they should have never used plastic adapters. Kitchen faucets with internal threads are quite common and the likelihood is high that you will have to use one of the included adapters to attach the filter to that kind of faucet. The plastic threading simply can''t withstand the water pressure that will inevitably push on it when you turn the water on all the way.

It would have been very easy for them to use quality steel parts, and I''m sure most people would have been happy to even pay $5-10 more for something that will actually last. It is especially surprising that they would cut corners on a product where the real profit comes from the replacement filters rather than the original purchase. Who knows what they were thinking (or if they were thinking at all), but this product simply doesn''t work when setup correctly.

The use of plastic is not where the problems end, however, because there is literally less than a half an inch of exposed threading within the top portion of the adapter. The adapters themselves also have around a quarter inch of threading. This is really a shame, because even using a weak material like plastic might be sufficient if they had enough threads engaging to strengthen the connection.

That said, if you are set on using this product (or forced to), here are a couple of things you can do to help alleviate the problem. I''ve gotten mine to work long enough for me to order something from one of their competitors.

Turn the water pressure down on your faucet. In case you don''t know how, there are usually two levers (one hot, one cold) underneath your sink that control the water supply. Try tightening them until the water flow is slow enough that it won''t blow the filter off.

Try epoxy or a similar plastic bonding agent. I used epoxy to bond the adapter to the filter mount. You can then screw it on by holding the rotating ring in place. This is an irreversible and permanent solution, but it will make it so that there is only one point that will leak.

Another poster suggested you can contact Brita to get a metal replacement adapter. That may be a good solution. However, keep in mind that you will still have to screw the metal adapter into a short length of plastic threading. That may simply shift the weakest point to a different part of the mount.

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I was cautious after reading the disgruntled reviewers state the Brita On Tap''s alleged weaknesses but figured it was so easy to put on and take off that worst case scenario I''d just return it. The first thing I learned is that my sink faucet has threads on the inside. This means I had to use the Brita''s included adapter. The adapter fit easily but without the washer. I could never get it on with the washer attached. This would be a problem if I had leaks or erratic water flow but so far that has not been a problem. After installing the base system to the faucet three minutes later, I was done. Now it was time for the taste test. Very good. The water didn''t have the normal bad aftertaste from normal tap water and I''m now poised to cancel my water delivery, which is costing me about 650 dollars a year and which for all I know has more impurities than the company is willing to divulge. Compared to my Brita system--30 dollars for the unit and then 60 dollars a year in filters (every 3 months you have to buy a 15 dollar filter), I''d say I''m ahead more than 500 dollars a year. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Update: I discovered I couldn''t put in the supplied washer in with the adapter because the old washer was "hiding" in the faucet. Once I took out the old washer, I was able to put on the adapter as prescribed in Brita''s instructions. I tightened firmly by hand and there are no leaks or spattering problems. For the money, a very good unit indeed.

Second Update on 1-12-10

After 3.5 years, the system finally started leaking all over the place. A $30 system that lasts that long still seems like a fair deal.

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We have gone through 3 of these in 2 years. The actual water filter works great but the way it attaches to your sink will eventually fail and end up spraying you or completely falling off. The attachment parts are plastic and if the threads don''t get stripped while you put it on the first time, they will eventually wear down and then there is nothing you can do except shell out more bucks for a new one mainly just for the little plastic threaded connector. Also, the indicator light is not 100% reliable. I recall it flashing red for weeks even though we had just put a brand new filter in the holder.

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There are a couple of things to be aware of before you buy this.

The indicator lights are powered by a non-replaceable battery. Britta says it has a 5 year life but if it fails sooner it can''t be replaced. After that, no indicator for filter replacement.

The mounting fittings that come with the filter are cheap plastic and I couldn''t mount mine without it blowing off if the water was turned up too high. Call Britta and they will send (free) metal fittings but it takes a couple of weeks.

Britta automated phone assistance is horrific to navigate.

NYC water clogs faucet filters fast. I''ve tried a few systems and so far this one has lasted the longest. It''ll go for a month+ before it needs replacement. Not the full four months Brita claims but the other brands I tried lasted less than two weeks. I''ve had the system for 6 months.