I chose this brand of water filter after reading reviews here and also on Consumer Reports Online, of which I am a paid subscriber. CR recommends the ZeroWater filters and Clear2O filters; unfortunately, the latter company is no longer in business. I noted that neither Brita nor Pur were recommended, even though these two brands are probably the most widely sold/known.
Also, unlike the Brita and Pur filters, the plastic pitcher of the ZW is BPA-free.
Price was in the same ballpark for the pitcher, but the filter cartridges are admittedly more expensive.
So far I have been very happy with the performance of this product. Of course, my tap water tested at a relatively clean 75, despite the tester''s geographical map claiming that my state averaged 300-400! I suspect the tester company prefers to use the highest number for each state in order to cover their backsides.
In any case, due to the already low TDS score of my tap water, I am keeping my fingers crossed that the filters will last the claimed 25-40 gallon range. If not, I will return it to the local store where I bought it since I made sure to keep the sales receipt.
Otherwise I have had none of the problems that some reviewers are complaining about, though I have to agree that the second water does filter more slowly on the second quart (when the pitcher is half full with the first quart already filtered) but that''s ok, I plan to keep a couple of glass quart bottles around for storage so that I will only need to filter one additional quart at a time. I like the looks of the pitcher, it''s ergonomically pleasant. Haven''t used the push spout because I prefer to simply pour from the top, and it works fine that way already.
UPDATE 9/14/12: I have noticed that there is maybe 1/2 to 1" of water left in the top chamber if you try to filter 2 liters at a time...if you want to get that standing water out you have to either empty at least half of the water in the pitcher or hold the filter above the water line for a few minutes for it to drain comnpletely. This is definitely an inconvenience, but not a deal-breaker...especially since there doesn''t seem to be any other pitcher filter of comparable quality on the market at the moment. I resolved this issue by using a BPA-free gallon bottle to store the filtered water, such that the pitcher is never more than 1 quart full at the bottom, tops. All the same, downgraded from 5 stars to 4.
UPDATE 9/20/12: sheesh, why didn''t I think of this before? To resolve the leftover water problem detailed above, all you have to do is lift the top compartment a couple inches, rotate it so that it sits cross-wise on top of the pitcher...then you can add even more water, which will have no trouble emptying at all, and end up with a truly full pitcher of yummy clean water! I just wish the manufacturer had included some sort of lift-tab/handle to make this easier...but I understand that some consumers would be too lazy to do this and such an admission that this adaptation is necessary, might lose too many customers. Either way, I remain quite happy with this product, simply because there''s nothing else of comparable quality on the market right now.
UPDATE 9/22/12: Posted a photo of what the improv method described above looks like.
UPDATE 01/01/13: Well, I finally decided to change the filter cartridge about 2 weeks ago after a whopping THREE MONTHS of usage, at the rate of about 1-1.5 gallons per day...this adds up to 90-135 gallons total...and the kicker is, I *DIDN''T* really need to change it, the filtered water still tasted fine and still scored a perfect "00"...I decided to change it just to be on the safe side, and also because I wanted to test out one of the new replacement filters I had ordered from Amazon...I had bought an 8 pack in order to get the cheapest per-filter price, but had heard that some people were complaining about the replacement filters being allegedly of a different and cheaper design that didn''t work nearly as smoothly as the original filter that came with the pitcher. WRONG! I''m happy to say that the new replacement filters were identical visually, and filter just as well as the original. So overall, I am still a very happy customer!
From reading a few of the other reviews, I see that some people are complaining about the pour spout on the bottom and also having spillage issues when pouring from the top.
1. The bottom pour spout is obviously just a marketing gimmick...so DON''T USE IT! I can tell it''s a poor design, such that repeated usage will cause it to leak plus it IS too slow...just take the darn pitcher out of your fridge and pour it, that''s going to cost you what, an extra 5 seconds of your precious time? Also think about the electricity you''ll be saving by not having the fridge open while it''s pouring 10 times a day...duh! So, JUST PRETEND THIS SPOUT ISN''T THERE.
2. Pouring from the top DOES require patience and carefulness, more so than the Brita pitchers do...so what? That''s a small price to pay for water that''s actually PROPERLY FILTERED, which I cannot say for Brita or any other cheap charcoal-based filtration systems...that''s why they''re so cheap!
Sure, it''d be great if ZeroWater figured out how to not have these two problems, but in the meantime, the fact remains: THERE IS NOTHING ELSE (i.e. pitcher filter) ON THE MARKET that filters anywhere nearly this well...so, deal with it. Or, do what I do: buy a 1 gallon pitcher (glass if possible) and use it to keep the filtered water in the fridge...eliminates both of the above problems in one fell swoop.
This is a great filter! A neat device is the TDS (Total Disolved Solids) meter. I bought two pitchers and one didn''t work. Electronics is my career, so I determined it was battery connections that needed to be manipulated. I''m sure it worked, prior to shipping.
The filter is rather big, as it has several stages and it will be more expensive, to replace, compared to a Brita pitcher, which is what I had been using. The meter is fun to ''play'' with as you can check your tap water and compare your other water filter to this one. TDS is not the only thing that is important about clean water. BUT, this filter has charcoal, which will remove bad tastes.
How your water tastes can be subjective. This filter will remove most minerals and sometimes highly purified water, such as distilled, has a flat taste. I didn''t find that to be the case here.
One neat addition is a water tap on the front. If you like to keep your pitcher in the refrigerator, you don''t have to pull it out to get water. Water is all I drink, so I used to carry two Brita pitchers to my bedroom at night. I have a small ice maker in the bathroom, so I have iced water through the night. One down side is the weight of the filled pitcher. But, you can''t get highly filtered water, from a multi-stage filter, and expect the filter to be the size of a Brita filter. Because the large filter occupies more space, the pitcher is bigger to allow for more water capacity.
I live in an area with old, rusty pipes. Rust is such a problem that I have a full house sediment filter and under the kitchen sink, I have another whole house filter, with smaller particle filtration and a carbon filter. This then leads to a two stage filtration system employing carbon and sediment filters. I removed the kitchen sink sprayer and installed a filter tap. Maybe I''m nuts, but I then use this water to put into this pitcher! I have a parrot and other birds and I just don''t like the idea of drinking rust. I''m already rusty and creaky, so I don''t need more rust!
With all of that and the Brita filter, when I wiped the inside of the water bin, of the ice maker, I see rust on the paper towels! This is after a large volume of water, over time, but it still disturbs me. Maybe that comes with being a highly analytical engineer! Or, a big part is when I added the whole house filter. I had to remove a section of galvanized pipe and needed to replace it with PVC. I looked inside of the metal pipe, in place since 1971 and I was horrified by what I saw. There was something black inside of the pipe. I stuck my finger in and it was covered with a black goo! There was so much that the inside diameter, of the pipe, was reduced by 50%!
Perhaps you know understand my obsession with water filtration. I replaced the pipe leading to the underside of the sink filtraction system, but I know that when I shower, some of that goo is getting on me. Yuck! I had wondered why a black mold looking substance would form in the toilet. I really need to find out what it is. But, I''m not allowed to put in a well and I can''t force them to replace all of their pipes. Unfortunately, I can''t afford to have all of mine replaced either!
Well, I sure covered water filtration! I recommend that everyone should have a whole house filter. I plumbed mine so I can have a sediment filter and a carbon filter after that. I also suggest that you do as I''m about to. Send off a sample of your tap water to have it tested. If you do put in a whole house filter, or you just use this pitcher, I would have the filtered water also tested, out of curiosity.
A final word. The less filtered the water going into this pitcher, the faster the filter will need replacing. If you use a clear whole house filter housing (highly recommended) you can see what is being kept from going into your body and you can tell when to replace the filte. Another final word! Remember that filters filter water! So, all the water, that passes through a filter, goes through a filter with all this yucky stuff in it. So, don''t be stingy about changing filters. Your meter will help give you an idea when to change your filter. It is a great tool and a fantastic marketing device!
Buy ZeroWater ZD-010 10-Cup Pitcher Now
My family consumes fair amount of liquid on any given day between four of us: water, juices, etc. We are always in a hurry, so, as you can understand, having no filtration system all of a sudden was not much of fun. The process is easy push a button, get some water, and be on the way. Pitcher''s filter obviously is not as fast as a build-in systems but there are some features that do simplify the process upper tray: it''s pretty convenient just pull a kitchen hose, fill the top tray with water, and let it sit alone while you take care of other stuff. Come back later and boom! Your water is filtered and ready for consumption. Water delivery can happen two ways through the traditional over-the-top and build-in water valve (great for convenience).
It''s an easy yet safe enough task even for kids. The valve is tough enough to prevent our little guys to make a little lake on the middle of the kitchen yet soft enough to keep it from turning it into a workout routine. Right size and nicely designed handle design makes it easy to operate even when it''s completely full.
To my complete surprise the pitcher came with a water tester. The filter needs to be changed when this tester reads 005. Just for giggles the bottled water reads 012. It was actually really weird to realize that I''m drinking cleaner water I just filtered and there is no aftertaste.
But let me talk a little bit about maintenance. We obviously haven''t had a chance to replace the filter yet, but the installation was really easy. (No PHD is needed to do that!)
Few things though the filter lid (circle on the middle) sometimes falls off if the stream of water is too strong and it gets a bit messy with the particles coming out of the filter. Also it sometimes gets stuck, so I normally check up to see if the water is still there in a little bit (knock lightly on the lid to make it work again)
Read Best Reviews of ZeroWater ZD-010 10-Cup Pitcher Here
This is really a disappointment since I''d love to have crystal pure water. For 10 days this system worked and then basically stopped flowing. So we called customer service and they told us to poke a hole in each triangled area of the top of the filter. That seemed to work a bit but after awhile it just wouldn''t go.
And even if it works, expect a LONG time for the flow. I''ve heard from some in my area that it works but we did everything and it just wouldn''t work. Got the newer filters too since the one in the box has 4 triangled area and the new ones have around 8.
The problem is that at the bottom, the water has to flow through virtually a pin prick hole. I have no clue why they made the outflow that insanely small.
So unfortunately I had to go back to Brita and be content.
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This is the 2nd pitcher i''ve owned and used (i had the smaller one prior to this). I''ve been totally displeased with BOTH of their products. I dont know if their design team is just lazy or if they never let any consumers test these before finalizing the design but these things have MAJOR flaws.
I''m a former britta customer, and while britta occasionally gets a dud, they are FAR better designed.
First off, there is a spiggot on the bottom that lets you get water from it without taking it out of the fridge. Ok cool idea, but it''s soooo slow. I swear it can take up to a minute to fill a large cup (i use 24 oz cups as I like to drink a lot of water). I dont like standing in my fridge letting all the cold air out while i wiat for this thing to trickle into my cup. Now it is true this sized container is a bit faster/more flowing than the smaller one, which was VERY bad. But I almost never use this feature as I didnt on the smaller one either. Neat idea, but but poor execution. Not to mention when we got our container it was missing a PART in there! we took the part out of the smaller one and it works in this one...
secondly, pouring from the top is better than the smaller version of this pitcher, but as someone else stated it leaks ALL over, it comes out the sides and almost always spills down the sides of the cup your pouring into, and I use WIDE mouth cups.. Seriously? did they EVER POUR THIS THING ONE TIME IN LAB TESTS?! I asume it''s becuase i''m trying to pour faster and they probably expect you to barely tip it into the glass pouring slowly and take forever to fill it, as with the smaller pitcher which is painfully slow to fill a glass , that pitchers problem is becuase there is not enough air flow, if you push the spiggot while pouring on the smaller one, it pours much faster like a britta. On this one you dont have to push the spiggot button, but if you tilt it more you get more water flow and eventually it just comes out all over the place.. So pour slowly and cautiously or make a mess..... FAIL ZERO! FAIL!
also when pouring, if you''re getting down in your water (if a few people in your family are using this and not refiling sometimes, it will happen occasionally) Or if you are just filling a very large container like a camel back or nalgene and you''re trying to get the last of the water, you''ll have to tilt the container a bit more to get all the water, almost having it completely level, but not quite, as you do this the resevior starts to FALL out as you''re pouring.. yeah it falls out of the container. I swear monkeys designed this thing.. 0 DESIGN SENSE! FAIL AGAIN! The resvior should NOT fall out if i''m trying to get the last few ounces of water!!!
Lastly the top lid is a pain to get on, becuase of the way its designed its a thin lip of plastic over a similarly thin lip of plastic and its a fairly tight fight.. not snug, but it''s precicsely made to fit around it so sometimes you have to fumble the lid about the top of it to get it to kind of ''latch'' into place.. thats not as big of a problem as the rest, but it''s still a pain..
as a suggestion, i think they should make the rear part (near the handle) of the resovior a little more deep than the front part, often when filling, the sink nozzle is near the front of the resvoir and as you hold this by the handle, you naturally dont have it level and so the tip end of the resevior fills up faster and you dont get as much water into it before it starts to overflow (which by the way goes RIGHT into the hole you pour from if your not careful now you''ve tainted your clean water... Again.. BAD DESIGN!
the water quality tastes okay. The product seems to do as advertised so i cannot say anything negative about the cleaning factor of the filter or the taste of the water, but the containers themselves are just garbage incomparison to a britta.
Try again Zero, and this time send me your prototype before you approve it, i''ll tell you EXACTLY what you need to fix.
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Same tank as the one it replaced.
