BritaFilter(ha!)

September 26, 2007 5:48 AM

I have a brita filter pitcher and I bought a 6 pack of filters almost a year ago(to save $$). The past 2 or 3 filters I put in there have had water run through them really fast compared to all the other filters I've used. Could there be a problem with the filters? Have they re engineered them to filter water faster? Are they even working?
posted by ijoyner to Home & Garden (11 answers total)

I've just tested my Brita water filter, and it took 4 minutes exactly to filter exactly 1L of water. This seems to be about average, but I've never paid very close attention to how long it takes before.

If the filters are from the same pack, then I'd say that there was something wrong with them. The ones I have were a 5 pack I bought off ebay in January.
posted by Solomon at 6:00 AM on September 26, 2007

I don't know the answer, but can confirm the phenomenon. The last two filters I've used seemed to produce a much faster, more forceful flow than earlier filters. However, I use the faucet-mounted system.
posted by OilPull at 6:04 AM on September 26, 2007

The gradually slow down as you use them and they get gunked up with everything they have filtered. Towards the end of their life they flow the slowest. It could just be your perception is off since you are accustomed to the older slower filter that you just swapped out.
posted by rdurbin at 6:18 AM on September 26, 2007

What rdurbin said. I just replaced our old (very slow) pitcher filter with a new one and it startled me how fast the water went through it since I'd gotten used to the slowness.
posted by Melinika at 6:43 AM on September 26, 2007

To concur with the above answers, I have noticed that a fresh filter will have a faster flow than the one at the end of it's life that you are removing. As rdrubin said, it could just be your perception.
posted by paul003 at 6:51 AM on September 26, 2007

Did you soak the new filter in water before installing it?
posted by Pollomacho at 7:18 AM on September 26, 2007

If you can't tell the difference between filtered and unfiltered water, you probably don't need a water filter.
posted by jon4009 at 7:35 AM on September 26, 2007 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Yeah, I always follow the directions and soak for a while then run a couple loads of water through the filter before I actually start consuming the filtered water.
I never really notice the slowing down of it. I guess I don't use it enough or replace pretty often.
posted by ijoyner at 8:54 AM on September 26, 2007

I've noticed our newer ones filtered faster, too. We've never really soaked ours...just ran a liter or two of water through before consuming to flush the dusty particles out.

Although my question would be why are you wasting these filters on water when there's plenty of cheap, bottom-shelf Vodka that needs to be made into top-shelf Vodka?
posted by JibberJabber at 8:57 AM on September 26, 2007 [1 favorite]

We've never really soaked ours...just ran a liter or two of water through before consuming to flush the dusty particles out.

Soaking helps to ensure the carbon is evenly wet and that all the air bubbles have been pushed out. You may not be getting the best filtration possible if you don't soak your filter. If there are dry areas or trapped oxygen, the water won't move through those areas, effectively reducing the amount of carbon the water comes in contact with. Your filter will still work, it just won't last as long because the "contact points" on the carbon will become gunked up sooner than if all the carbon in the filter were being utilized.
posted by oneirodynia at 9:36 AM on September 26, 2007

I once made the stupid error of not installing the filter correctly so there was about a 1/8th of an inch space between the filter and the pitcher. A lot of water found their way through that gap and increased the rate of flow. Just saying.
posted by reformedjerk at 4:08 PM on September 26, 2007