Brita Tap Filter

[bacampbe]

Is anyone using a Brita or similar tap filter onboard? That is, the style that attaches to your faucet?

I just tried one, and found that it interacted badly with the pressure pump. Apparently the filter provides enough back pressure that the pump thinks the tap is closed. I get very little flow, except for a burst every 30 seconds or so when the pressure bleeds off from the accumulator. I don't get enough flow for the Brita filter to light up the LED.

Any work arounds for this? Will it damage anything to run it that way? Will the filter actually filter at lower flow rates? Better (inexpensive) solutions?

On a similar note, has anyone seen a pour-over type filter with a sealable jug?

Thanks!

[sailingdog]

Most of the ones that attach to the faucet aren't really a good idea for boats, since they require fairly high pressure to operate them. IMHO, you'd be far better off with one that was in-line, like the old NSA units, that install in the faucet's cold water feed line. These are generally lower pressure, but all the water that goes through them is filtered. One solution I've done for a friend's boat was to setup a second cold-water only tap that was filtered water.

[sailaway21]

The lids on the Pur pour over jugs seal pretty well as you can pour water from the bottom while the unfiltered in the top stays in place if you hold the lid down. It would be a simple procedure to achieve satisfactory shipboard results by using some velcro strips to make a latch for the lid. And one less plumbing exercise to go awry down the road, I might add.

[Vitesse473]

I have been using the small brita filter that you swivel for filtered water. When I need filtered, I just twist the palm sized filter. Pressure is high enough to fill a glass of water, but definitely lower than when swiveled off.

Now my real dilemna is whether I'd trust that filter to purify water that I picked up in Baja Mexico.

[Maine Sail]

Been using a Britta in conjunction with a GE whole house filter and I get plenty of pressure. My pump is set to about 40-45 psi and pushes through these two filters with ease. Perhaps you need to adjust the pressure up a bit.

[bacampbe]

Originally Posted by Maine Sail

Been using a Britta in conjunction with a GE whole house filter and I get plenty of pressure. My pump is set to about 40-45 psi and pushes through these two filters with ease. Perhaps you need to adjust the pressure up a bit.

Interesting--It did not occur to me that it might be adjustable. I'll take a look.