FAQs about Pure Filters Water Purifcation Systems
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How does the Pure Filters water purifier work?
The Pure Filters water purifiers, equipped with the Coldstream FTO+ filters, operate on a simple but effective principle:
The water is poured into the upper tank, then passes through one or more of the Coldstream FTO+ filters and drips into the lower tank, ready for consumption.
The Coldstream FTO+ filters, which are composed of activated carbon and ceramic, remove a large range of contaminants such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, heavy metals and harmful chemicals, including PFAS, herbicides and pesticides, as well as nitrates and fluoride.
Due to the force of gravity, the water is drawn through the pores of the filter, thus providing filtration without the need for electricity or applied external pressure. This process guarantees an ecological and economical purification of drinking water, resulting in clean and impurity-free water, ready to be consumed directly.
The Coldstream FTO+ filters are independently tested to ensure their efficiency and performance, making them a convenient and cost-effective solution for obtaining high quality drinking water, whether you are using tap water or other sources of water.
What does the Pure Filters water purifier consist of?
The Pure Filters water purifier includes:
- 2 Coldstream FTO+ filters
- 2 Stainless steel tanks (the upper tank is designed with a reinforcement to facilitate lifting)
- 1 Stainless steel tap
- 1 Stainless steel lid
- 1 Rubber base to ensure stability
- 2 blocking plugs, for holes not used in the upper tank
The Pure Filters water purifier is compatible with the Berkey standards and Berkey Water View spigots.
The Pure Filters systems are available in three sizes: 6L, 9L and 12L.
How are the Coldstream FTO+ filters manufactured?
Coldstream uses an innovative manufacturing method for its filters, which relies on the high pressure molding of ceramics. This technique makes it possible to produce filters with an extremely fine and uniform porous structure, thus significantly improving their ability to remove contaminants from the water such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, heavy metals and chemicals.
The high-pressure process ensures that the filter material, a mixture of ceramic and activated carbon, is compacted so as to maximize the filtration area while maintaining optimum porosity.
This allows Coldstream FTO+ filters to offer excellent filtration performance, long service life and high efficiency in reducing contaminants, while maintaining an acceptable water flow. By integrating cutting-edge technologies and high-quality materials into their manufacturing process, Coldstream ensures that its filters meet the highest standards for water purification.
Which contaminants do the Coldstream FTO+ filters eliminate?
Based on independent laboratory tests Coldstream filters have proven to be among the most effective in removing a wide range of contaminants from water, surpassing even many reverse osmosis systems.
They very effectively filter a large variety of contaminants such as chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals, PFAS, nitrates and pharmaceuticals among many others. In particular the Coldstream FTO+ filters stand out for their effectiveness significantly reducing nitrates and fluoride.
The laboratory tests were carried out on several thousand liters of water, which guarantees their reliability.
See the complete laboratory tests here.
Why do we guarantee 1,500 litres per pair of filters?
Coldstream FTO+ filters have been tested to process up to 3,000 litres with 4 filters under laboratory conditions. However, to ensure consistency in the elimination of chemical contaminants and heavy metals, we recommend replacing each pair of filters after 1,500 litres.
The total capacity depends on the number of filters used at the same time:
- 2 Filters: Recommended capacity of 1,500 litres.
- 4 Filters: Recommended capacity of 3,000 litres.
- 6 Filters: Recommended capacity of 4,500 litres.
- 8 Filters: Recommended capacity of 6,000 litres.
By following these recommendations, you guarantee always having clean and healthy water, with optimal filtration performance.
Note: The use of activated carbon in filters requires replacing Coldstream FTO+ filters every 6 months regardless of the amount of water being filtered.
Why does activated carbon require replacement every 6 months?
Activated carbon is a powerful material for removing chemical contaminants, pesticides, solvents and other unwanted substances from water.
However, its performance decreases over time for several reasons:
- The activated carbon works by trapping contaminants in it’s microscopic pores. Over time, these pores become saturated, gradually reducing their ability to filter effectively.
- Limited chemical and physical stability: after several months of use, prolonged exposure to water can affect the chemical and physical stability of activated carbon. This natural evolution can alter its ability to maintain constant level of filtration.
- Environmental factors : the conditions of use such as humidity and temperature variations, can accelerate the aging of activated carbon, this justifies a regular replacing the Coldstream FTO+ filters to guarantee optimal performance.
- Preservation of constant quality: the filtration standards (such as NSF/ANSI 42 and 53) and the tests carried out by the manufacturers recommend replacement every 6 months to maintain a constant level of filtration and avoid any gradual decrease in their efficiency.
By replacing the Coldstream FTO+ filters every 6 months, you ensure that you always have clean and healthy water, with stable performance, in accordance with filtration standards.
And what about hard water and limescale?
The Pure Filters water purifier, equipped with the Coldstream FTO+ filters, does not eliminate limescale nor soften the water.
For areas with very hard water and high levels of limescale, we recommend that you clean the filters more regularly. It is recommended to clean every 1 to 2 months.
What is the difference between the Pure Filters water purifier and the Berkey water purifier?
Mainly filters. Then cost.
The Coldstream FTO+ filters included in Pure Filters water purifier and the Black Berkey filters in the Berkey water purifier represent two distinct approaches to water purification, each with its own characteristics and technologies.
Coldstream Filters are made in the UK by KLT Filtration Ltd. and use ceramic combined with activated carbon.
They are both based upon gravity filtration for easy installation of the system.
The filtration process of Coldstream FTO+ filters is based upon three principles: the trapping of particles, the action of biocides harmless to humans, and the adsorption of chemical contaminants by activated carbon, also making possible a considerable reduction of nitrates.
The Black Berkey filters are made in the United States by NMCL and are composed of coconut carbon and ionized silver.
Black Berkey filters use three principles of filtration: microfiltration, absorption and adsorption as well as an extended contact period for more efficient filtration of contaminants.
Coldstream FTO+ filters must be replaced every 6 months. While these filters are just as effective as the Black Berkey filters, they also provide elimination of nitrates and fluoride. Nitrate removal varies from 95% to 60% depending on the level of nitrate contamination in the source water.
Black Berkey filters are renowned for their durability, they can be used for several years without the need for replacement, thus providing long-term autonomy. The Black Berkey filters can filter and purify thousands of liters of water, eliminating bacteria, chemical residues, heavy metals, microplastics, etc. However, there are no laboratory tests available to evaluate the effectiveness of Black Berkey filters on nitrates.