User Posts: Jamie
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That’s great news! Glad it’s working out for you. I love this unit too. I like how Whirlpool did something a bit different.
It sounds like a blockage, but could be electronic related too. It’s something that only Whirlpool will be able to accurately diagnose.
Their customer support number is 1-866-698-2538 8am-9pm EST, Monday-Friday.
There’s also live online support at http://www.whirlpool.com/contact-us/ 8am-8pm EST.
Sorry I can’t be more help. I hope it’s nothing serious.
Hi Chris,
Thanks for getting in contact.
From our research, the Pentek model offers the best balance of value and features. It isn’t the cheapest filter housing, but it is very reasonably priced. Furthermore, we are unaware of any other filter housings at this price that offer the same features.
The similarly priced KleenWater filter housing is similar in many ways, but only has ¾” input and output connections compared to the 1″ fittings on the Pentek.
This makes the Pentek capable of higher water flow rates and less pressure drop.
I’m not sure exactly which US Water Systems model you mean, but the one which we consider the equal to the Pentek model (Big Blue 4.5″ x 20″) is considerably more expensive ($50 compared to $80).
If there’s something we’ve missed then we’d love to hear about it.
Jamie @ Water Filter Answers
Hi Harry,
As far as I’m aware, the media cannot be replaced. Rinsing the media every couple of weeks should be enough over the lifecycle of the unit. The unit should last about 10 years on municipal water supplies.
Why do you think it needs replaced?
Jamie @ Water Filter Answers
Have you used it since this happened?
I wouldn’t want to make an assumption on what the problem might be from behind a computer screen.
I’d get a plumber to look at it, or see if Whirlpool can shed any light.
Their customer support number is 1-866-698-2538 8am-9pm EST, Monday-Friday.
There’s also live online support at http://www.whirlpool.com/contact-us/ 8am-8pm EST.
Good luck!
Hi Donny,
I’m not aware of any Big Blue scale filters that do that job. Something like the Eddy Electronic Scale Remover, or AquaPure System Protector would do this job though.
Jamie @ Water Filter Answers
Hi Jodi,
Is your home served by municipal or well water?
For municipal water, the 2-stage Home Master Carbon System that we mention in the post allows a high water flow rate and deals pretty well with the chlorine etc.
The lowest maintenance municipal water filter would be the Aqua-Pure AP903 that we discuss. It needs only one filter change each year.
For well water, you need something that is more robust and handles heavy metals. The 3-stage iSpring WGB32B-PB is really good at this, and allows a pretty good water flow rate.
The Aquasana doesn’t allow the strongest of water flow rates so maybe you should discount it.
I’m not sure which Pentek model you mean? If it’s the setup we recommend then yes that can work in both situations (depending on which filters you choose), and it allows a good water flow rate.
I hope that helps Jodi. If you have any more questions then we’d be happy to help.
Jamie @ Water Filter Answers
Hi Chuck,
Do you mean you want to bypass the RO system and still use the faucet?
Jamie
Hi Mike,
Activated alumina is one of the best materials for removing arsenic from water, so I would recommend the APEX MR-3020 that we discuss in this post. Activated alumina will also reduce levels of uranium.
Other very good well water systems are the 3-stage Home Master (HMF3SDGFEC) and 3-stage iSpring (WGB32B-PB) models. They also offer the chance to customize your filter configuration, as they use the common 4.5″ x 20″ filter sizes. This means you could easily integrate activated alumina filters into your set-up.
Hope that helps,
Jamie
Hi Sam,
You’re right to use a carbon filter for city water, as it is best at removing the chlorine.
It’s very strange that your filter clogs so fast when using city water. Do you know what clogs it? Is it sediment? Do you have very hard water?
Using a 10 micron filter should definitely prolong the filter lifespan. Other options would be to add a pre-filter to protect the carbon filter, or upgrading to the bigger 20″ filter systems.
Jamie
Hi,
With regards to the RO system, it would really be the best option for removing fluoride, chlorine, chloramines, and pesticides. I realize that this wouldn’t fix your bathing water problem though. You can add a remineralization filter to the RO system to add healthy minerals like calcium and magnesium back to the water.
Did SubZero say why they don’t recommend putting RO water through the fridge? I can’t imagine why this would be an issue.
The Aqusana Rhino would do a good job at removing chlorine, but it wouldn’t be ideal for the fluoride. The built-in softener is also salt-free. This means that it is more of a water conditioner than a traditional water softener. It will protect your appliances from scale, but won’t actually make the water less soapy to the touch. I’m not sure if this might be an issue for you.
Though the Aqusana Rhino system is large, it is quite compact in comparison to installing separate filter, softener, and UV systems.
Jamie
Do your neighbors have the same problem? Having high levels of sediment from a city water supply is unusual, and it shouldn’t be the case. The water certainly isn’t leaving the water treatment plant with lots of sediment in it (or shouldn’t be). Maybe this is a problem that your local authorities should be looking at.
I mentioned the water hardness as a possible cause, as I assumed it wouldn’t be caused by sediment. Very hard water builds scale in the pipes, which could affect the water pressure, but this isn’t likely to happen over such a short period of time.
You can test the water yourself to measure the hardness. This post may be of help. I would recommend testing the water for contaminants too.
A larger filter size should allow a faster water flow rate, and should last longer.
Jamie
Hi Ken,
That’s quite a range of results. The EPA regard levels of iron above 0.3 mg/L to be problematic in their secondary drinking water standards. To convert the measurements is very easy as 1 ppm = 1 mg/L. You can see these standards here.
Installing a pre-filter before the water filter is good practice. These are relatively cheap and will protect the water filter from larger particles like iron.
Hi Ken,
I’ve heard really good things about the Rusco Spin Down Seperator (model PWFSS15). It’s ideal for water that is high in sand and sediment.
The DuPont WFPF38001C is a decent budget alternative.
Jamie
Hi Martin,
Thanks for pointing this out, it’s the first I’ve seen of this.
It does seem expensive, but it does have a few things going for it over the Pentek.
1) Installation will be easier as the pressure gauges are directly attached to the unit.
2) It comes with 3 filters (plus wrenches, gauges etc.)
3) It allows up to 1.5″ fittings.
4) It has a clear filter housing, so you can easily monitor the state of the filter.
Their all inclusive package is more convenient, and it’s a bit easier to install than the Pentek. But, it is much more expensive.
Hope that helps some.
Jamie
Hi Beth,
Chlorine and its by-products (VOCs & chloramine) are effectively removed by carbon based filters. The coconut shell filters are an example of these. The stage-3 filter that we recommend uses carbon media.
Fluoride is a bit harder to remove and the filters tend to be quite expensive. Filters that contain activated alumina are best suited to removing fluoride from water. An activated alumina filter of 4.5″ x 20″ would be perfect for the Pentek filter housings.
The only problem with adding extra filtration stages is that you might throttle the water pressure. I wouldn’t go higher than 3 stages.
Hope this helps,
Jamie
Hi Jeff,
A whole house system that deals with heavy metals should be your priority. The level of iron is right on the limit of the drinking water standards, and there is also a significant presence of lead.
The two systems that you mention are well equipped to deal with these types of contaminants.
With regards to water flow, they should both be able to handle the water demands of your home.
Regards,
Jamie
Hi David,
It’s hard for me to give you an exact reason, but I can offer some suggestions.
This article gives some great info on what causes the sulfur smell. It will help in identifying the problem. Stagnant water is one of the main causes.
It’s possible that bacteria was introduced into the system when you changed the filters. Maybe the filters weren’t sanitized properly or they came into contact with something while being installed. Flushing/sanitizing the system or replacing filters would be the ways to correct this.
I hope this is of some help.
Jamie
Are you talking about the water hardness setting?
If so, the higher the number you enter here, the harder your water is. The harder your water, the more salt the system will use.
If you’re unsure how hard your water is, you can purchase a test kit relatively cheaply.
This model also has a salt efficiency setting that you can turn on to use less salt. By default, it is turned off.
Hi Gabe,
I’m afraid I could only guess as to what the problem might be. Whirlpool should have answers for you.
Their customer support number is 1-866-698-2538 8am-9pm EST, Monday-Friday.
There’s also live online support at http://www.whirlpool.com/contact-us/ 8am-8pm EST.
Sorry we cant be more help.
Jamie
Hi Lillian,
No, these filters wouldn’t stop bacteria or viruses. However, you can add an ultra violet (UV) light filter to your set-up that is designed to combat these types of water contaminants.
We discuss the 3 best UV filters in this post:
https://waterfilteranswers.com/whats-the-best-whole-house-water-filter/
Hope that helps,
Jamie
I would check the state of the filters. However, one month is a very quick life cycle.
You need a dedicated water softener. Check out our guide here.
Hi Michael,
This post has the steps you should follow:
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/how-to-clean-a-reverse-osmosis-tank
Hi Amy,
The systems are very similar. The filters are both quite easily changed, and there’s no difference between them in how you do this. The Home Master system has slightly longer lasting filters than the iSpring though.
Hi Paul,
The Aquasana Rhino for well water is a great system. I just feel there are other very good well water systems that aren’t as expensive.
The Aquasana well water system wasn’t available at the time of writing, so our review doesn’t actually reference it. We’ll update that asap.
It is a very convenient unit as you can have the filters, UV lamp, and even a water softener together in one unit. This makes installation much easier than piecing together separate units yourself. I’d highly recommend a UV lamp as it’s a great method of disinfecting the water to remove potentially harmful bacteria.
With the Pro-Kit you also get a 0.35 micron post-filter. This level of filtration is the best I am aware of in whole house systems. They generally filter to about 1 micron.
I’d highly recommend testing your water before making a decision on a system. We’ve got a resource for this here.
Hi Carol,
Fluoride in drinking water is a very hotly debated topic. Yes, it is good at preventing cavities, but some also believe it is hazardous to health. You can read about the pros and cons of fluoride in our article (half way down the page).
I really like the Nakii pitcher which does all that you need. It’s great value too. However, the Aquagear model is the best. It will remove some fluoride though, and it is more expensive.
I Hope this helps some.
Jamie @ Water Filter Answers
No, I don’t believe so. They’ve recently changed their literature on this. However, the company is based in Georgia and has US based customer support.
We actually have a post dedicated to this subject. You can see it here.
Hi Nick,
This wouldn’t deal with iron very well. This system works for treated (city) water supplies, but it’s not so effective for well water supplies (I’m assuming you have a private water supply due to the iron problem).
Something like this Home Master model would be more suitable.
Hi Donald,
I’m unsure of the answer to this. Whirlpool haven’t made a point of stating the figure, so I’d assume it’s not that economical.
I do know that you can change the amount of time that the cleaning cycle takes and also the frequency of the cleaning cycles. These controls give you the ability to reduce the amount of water used in the process.
Jamie
Hi Carol,
No, the Aquasana Rhino does not remove fluoride.
The only Aquasana system that I’m aware of that does remove fluoride is the RO 3.55. You can check out the official performance data here.
No, it doesn’t require back-flushing.
Wow! That’s a great deal!
Thanks for the kind words Mike, that’s nice to hear.
The filtration system usually goes before the softener. The reason being that chlorine and sediment can affect the performance and lifespan of the softener.
Good luck with the install!