Need help figuring out what water filter to use

9 years ago

Hi. We live in a trailer park within city limits and have city water, which is pretty terrible anyway. I haven't check the EPA rating for it, but I will. In the meantime, I heard that if a water main breaks, a boil water advisory would be in effect, but anyway I don't have a TV with local info to tell me this. So -- any idea about what type of water filter I should get? I know reverse osmosis is usually recommended, but just how much good does it do? Will the water taste better? (The local water is terrible tasting, and we buy our water for drinking anyway.) But someone claims he got an infection through a cut on his skin when he took a shower when the boil water advisory was on during the water main break, so now I'm wondering just how effective is a water filter? Thanks in advance for any information.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

User
9 years ago
For drinking water an RO will take out 95 to over 99% of whatever happens to be in your water. Smaller ions, such as sodium will be closer to 95%, while larger ions and particles will be removed nearly entirely. They are particularly effective for bacteria as they are too large to pass through the membrane at all. Taste is subjective, but as constituents are removed, most people consider it a taste improvement.

A standard GAC (granular activated carbon) filter, while effective for improving water taste, will only remove incidental bacteria and can't be relied upon for safe drinking water during a boil order. If you want to ensure safe water for greater volumes than simply drinking water, you would need to install either a chlorine injection, followed by GAC to remove excess chlorine, or a UV system to kill bacteria.

The easiest, least expensive solution is likely to install an RO for drinking water. Consulting with a local water treatment company is a good place to start.
cindiw2
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks! Great advice and information. :-) I'll start with RO for drinking water -- but I am concerned as well for whole house (well really whole trailer), partially because this man told me that he thinks he caught an infection when he took a shower and the water may have got into his body through a cut. So I am concerned. But I'll start with the drinking water.
Related Discussions
I need help figuring out what's wrong with my money tree/Pachira
Q
Comments (9)
Hi Cassidi, Your money tree is quite impressive, especially with you living in a dry climate like Colorado. Drooping leaves can sometimes be attributed to a root bound plant, meaning that the roots are choking each other and making it hard for the plant to get the air and water it needs. When was the last time you repotted your money tree? Misting will help with the browning on the tips. The average home is dryer than the sahara desert, mostly because of AC and frequent cool air movement. In the garden shop I work at we had a money tree doing the same browning and dropping of leaves as you described. Misting helped quite a bit. The black spots could be a bacterial problem. Did they show up after the plant started looking sad or before? If after, then they came because the plant was in a weakened state. If before, then the bacteria might be the source of the problems. Do the black spots turn into the little holes in your plant? If its bacteria then the only way you can control it is to pull all the leaves infected and throw them away. Also the cleaning mentioned above might help. I recommend letting the soil dry out between waterings. This allows the roots to breathe and would be a good recovery tactic if your plant is root bound. Also be sure to fertilize your plant with a slow release (preferably organic) fertilizer. This will allow the plant to take the nutrition it needs and not burn the plant like some liquid fertilizers can. Well, I hope I helped. Good luck on your Pachira's recovery. Sincerely, Roselyn Small
...See More
Help Figure Out Why Water Hammer Went Away
Q
Comments (4)
One other thing occurred that was different in our routine. I had taken down the thing that hangs on the shower head that holds our shampoos. The water hammer was still happening. But my DH put the shampoo holder back up. It goes over the shower head pipe and at the back attaches with suction cups. He said it was hard getting it to adhere. He really had to push. Our shower is acrylic, I think that is the material, but I wouldn't think he would push so hard as to move the pipes. Anyway, that is the three things that happened different prior to the water hammer mysterious disappearing. By the way, to klem1, I had already looked at water hammer arrestors and even had one on order to try. It hasn't come in, yet. Now hoping I won't need it. Just wish I could figure out what caused the water hammer to go away so if we ever need to try that trip again we can.
...See More
Need help figuring out what's wrong with my Aloe Vera
Q
Comments (16)
I see in the last picture link that bag of cactus soil. Did you amend this soil when you potted your Aloes? It doesn't look like you added much perlite or gravel to the mix, but maybe you did. This soil can compact and dry out. Once it is dry, it is very difficult, if not impossible, to get it hydrated again. Water will run around the hard dry soil, but not through it. So then your plant is not getting the water you are giving it. I have had plants appear to have nice moist soil, but the soil around the roots was compacted and dry - meaning my plant was very thirsty. The leaves on your aloes look thin, making me think your plant is not getting the water. The recent rain may have soaked through any dried soil. Let's hope so! The color doesn't concern me as much as the thin leaves. These 2 plants had pretty much the same growing conditions. The one on the right did receive more of the evening sun. That one stayed brownish, but both had the plump leaves one expects to see.
...See More
Using a volumetric soil water content sensor to figure out re-watering
Q
Comments (2)
I've been using moisture sensors for about six months now and I've found them extremely useful. Helps take the guesswork out of watering. Sadly, not many people are using them (likely because there are complexities and caveats). A moisture reading of 50% would be extremely high and I would not recommend that, even for Basil. The lower limit of a plant's ability to absorb water is around 15% moisture. So if you want to set a trigger of when to water, aim for around 15-20%. Beyond that you will definitely have wilting leaves. Here is my moisture percentage readings over the past 4 months in my customized gritty mix. My watering frequency has typically been every 2-4 days, depending on growing conditions. (Strange low readings are due to repotting and a low battery in high heat.) Observed plant drought response is almost exactly at 15%. This aligns with the studies I've read (one good one is Soils: Principles, Properties and Management). I typically water a day or two after that in hopes that it encourages root growth. It's very important to keep in mind how your meter works and keeping it in the same location for consistency. In a slightly different variation of my gritty mix, my moisture sensor readings are 5-10% lower. This graph is over the period of just one month for a different pot: At least for my meters, the key is really watching the trend where the moisture readings level out rather than an absolute/instantaneous number. Of course, you still need to watch your plants to see how they respond. I am primarily growing succulents and many of them have unique and very specific watering requirements. Different species need slightly different care and/or a different mix to try and align watering cycles. Here are a few of the plants I am growing and the mixes they are in: Hope that helps!
...See More
User
9 years ago
You're likely to see a more economical approach by merely buying bottled water for drinking and cooking. Whole home water filtration isn't an inexpensive choice. Neither is reverse osmosis.
cindiw2
Original Author
9 years ago
I am a little worried about the water carrying infection when we shower. I'll look into it. I ordered a drinking faucet filter from amazon, but it won't fit in the faucet I have in the sink. Oh, well. I'll keep trying, thanks for your advice, though. And I prefer not having to carry a lot of heavy stuff, my knees aren't too good. I live in a trailer park, and some of the guys here will install it at a reasonable price. I'll keep looking on craigslist, yes, I know some of the choices are expensive.

Need help figuring out what water filter to use

Comments (4)

User

cindiw2
Original Author

Related Discussions

User

cindiw2
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Need help figuring out what water filter to use

Comments (4)

User

cindiw2Original Author

Related Discussions

User

cindiw2Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

cindiw2
Original Author

cindiw2
Original Author