- Removes sand, silt, sediment, and rust from your drinking water
- Reduces the taste and odor of chlorine
- 3 Stages of Filtration in 2 canisters. Easy installation. Portable
- Great for places where space is limited
- Clear housing makes it so visible when the filters need to be replaced!
At 38ish, it was a good deal. The filters it comes with are crap (sorry fellas, but, it didn''t take down any TDS/ppm from tap water, compared to my PUR filter which at least brought the tap water down a good 25 ppm), but the unit itself is decent for this price. After doing extensive searching, I found I could not assemble a comparable system for any better price.
iSpring sent me the wrong unit initially (sent undercounter instead of countertop unit), but they were prompt in correcting the issue and sending a ups return label. They were extremely fast shipping the unit out, I received both units within 2 days. As I said, the unit itself is good quality and it''s worth the price I paid.
I will be replacing the filters with a set of KX Matrikx NFS certified filters. Do your research on filters. The KX Matrikx VOC (part 02-250-125-975) and KX MATRIKX Pb1 (part 06-250-125-975) are NFS certified and should do a lot better with this system.
Buy Ispring 3-stage Countertop Water Filter Now
I''ve had to return 2 of the cheaper (~$40) 1-cartridge countertop filters Amazon sells, the Watts & Paragon. One for spraying all over from the faucet adapter''s swivel joint, the other for having an unfixable fast leak from the base of the cartridge housing. So this iSpring was Amazon''s last chance to sell me a filter that actually, like, works.
Sure enough, when I just tightened everything & turned it on, it leaked rather badly from the base of the 2nd (opaque) cartridge housing. But that was easily fixed by taking it apart, washing the rubber O-ring in dish detergent, then smearing lots of Vaseline into the O-ring''s channel & then over the O-ring after it was in place, to make a good watertight seal. That worked--ever since, it hasn''t leaked a drop. (Pure Vaseline is totally non-toxic in a water system--you can eat a tablespoon of the stuff, & it''ll only act as a mild digestive lubricant.) Interestingly, the 1st (transparent) cartridge housing has a polyethylene instead of rubber O-ring, & with a similar seal design, hasn''t leaked at all.
Oh, & the other thing you discover if you don''t disassemble the filter before first use is that both filter cartridges, already installed inside their housings, come still completely wrapped in plastic and won''t let water flow thru, at least ''til water pressure ruptures a hole in it. So unscrew both housings & remove the plastic wrap from both cartridges before use. And be very careful that both O-rings stay in the groove as you screw the housings back on to avoid damaging them, even if you don''t have to use Vaseline to get a better seal.
As other reviewers have said, I suspect the quality of both stock filter cartridges isn''t that great, but the water tastes fine & all chlorine taste is gone. I have better standard 10" cartridges waiting for the 1st set to reach capacity.
This filter isn''t as convenient to use as many other countertop filters for 2 reasons. 1st, the faucet valve isn''t spring-loaded, so it doesn''t automatically return to the no-filtering position when you shut the water off. You have to remember to turn the valve back manually, & if you forget, you waste filtration for a couple of seconds ''til you realize. And 2nd, the filtered water comes out of a separate spigot on the filter instead of being rerouted back in a 2nd little hose to the faucet fitting, so you have to quickly switch positions over to the back corner of the sink to get the filtered water into whatever you''re holding. This will become more of a reflex with time, but will never be as convenient as coming out of the faucet adapter. More of a problem for short people who have trouble reaching the back of their sink.
Still, overall I''m pleased with the filter, so far (after a mere week of use) & give it 4 stars. Having 2 filter cartridges means you can use 2 different kinds (e.g. VOC vs biologicals), & that the 1st filter protects the 2nd from a lot of sediment & other contamination, so the 2nd (finer & so more expensive) filter should last much longer than if it were the only cartridge.
Update 3/14/13: I just reduced my rating from 4 to 3 stars. After a few weeks of use, the faucet adapter popped right out of our faucet, just from the water pressure. It had not been pulled on at all. The adapter''s threads are plastic, not metal, & with so few threads to engage, apparently water pressure is enough to pop it off.
So naturally when reinstalling it, I tightened it more than the first time. That resulted in deforming the plastic threads a little, enough so it sprayed past the threads some (but still within the sink, not onto the counter or floor. After a couple of days, the plastic had flowed into shape & filled the gaps, & it''s been working fine since then (for about 2 months now).
The one other thing I could''ve done is find a custom-fit washer about half as thick to fit between the top of the adapter & bottome of the faucet, to let about 1 more thread engage in the faucet. If it pops off or sprays again, I''ll do that.
The one other problem is that the hand-turned valve (to select filtered vs unfiltered water), also a plastic part, is already getting hard to turn. This may be from the amount of loose crud particles coming out of our old water heater, which is what disabled the valve in our old water filter.
Anyway, I still think it''s a good filter for the money, but you have to be very careful when screwing those plastic threads into the faucet. Use the thinnest washer you can. Tighten it pretty gently at first, & if it leaks, tighten it just a tiny bit more at a time, then check for leaks. If you overtighten it, you could easily deform or strip the threads.
Read Best Reviews of Ispring 3-stage Countertop Water Filter Here
I purchased this product 6 month ago. I have found this could be the most convenient and cost-effective water filter out of a few others my friends and I used in past few years. The installation is a breeze. I didn''t have to struggle with water supply line under sink any more. Thanks to the quick-connect fitting, I just inserted the tubes, tighten the connector to the faucet, flush it a few times, and done. There were reviews about Watts counter-top filter leaking water all over the connectors. This unit does not. I could not imagine the very simple quick-connect fittings work so well. There is a pin on the faucet connect, pull it so water goes though the filter. It produces great tasting water instantly without having to wait for the water to fill up the tank, go through a pitcher or etc.
It is a two stage filter but actually has three stages. The first stage is a combo of sediment and GAC so it is more effective than other two-stage filters in the market. This week I got replacement filter cartridges directly from vendor''s website and got 30% saving. This makes me totally forget about Watts . It is not too difficult to open the housing using the provided wrench. Before tightening it up, I apply some Vaseline on the rubber seal to make the job much easier.
The vendor''s websites says that the unit can be hooked up to refrigerator with a kit. I bought the kit. It took me about 30 minutes to move it from the sink counter to the back of refrigerator. The result is amazing. Now I enjoy crystal clear water directly from refrigerator water dispenser. And ice does no longer have any "flavor". I really love this filter. I''ve finally found a product that meets my needs, affordable and convenient, and provides great tasting clean water with ease! And the cost of replacement filters is only about $20-$30 a year. Go get one!
Want Ispring 3-stage Countertop Water Filter Discount?
I''ve been using iSpring filters for a few years now, and we have found them to offer great products at a very affordable price. The 10" Countertop is good if you have an apartment because it takes up very little space and it''s very easy to install (and uninstall when your lease is up), and as I''ve come to expect from iSpring, delivers clean and great tasting water. Other filters I''ve tried had a strange unpleasant taste that I never quite got used to. iSpring filtered water taste natural, the way water should taste in my opinion. Shipping was quick as was their response to my inquiries, and they were very courteous and professional. Overall I''m very happy with this company and my family will be using iSpring products for many more years to come.
This water filter is an excellent accessory for a Keurig coffee maker.
