How To Clean A Spin Down Filter

Written by: Gene Fitzgerald // Last Updated: Aug 25, 2022

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In theory, cleaning and reusing your onetime water filter is a better culling to replacing it with a new cartridge every calendar month or so. The latter is non only more than expensive, it's also a burden on the environment.

Notwithstanding, if yous want to be able to fully enjoy the benefits of home h2o filtration – and that is pure water – cleaning a used filter isn't always that simple and effective. What yous tin and what yous shouldn't practise you lot are going to acquire in this postal service.

Contents

How to clean a water filter
How to unclog a PUR water filter
Clean only if it makes sense

How to Clean a Water Filter

First of all, if and how you tin can make clean your water filter depends on what blazon you are using. While some such equally synthetic fiber-pleated sediment filters tin can exist cleaned well to restore filtration speed and effectiveness, others similar most paper models are less suited for this.

Also, yous should consider if the whole cleaning process is really worth your time, opposed to just making annual or biannual replacements that are going to cost yous $40 in total.

What's more, through cleaning you won't be able to remove all the trapped contaminants and then replacing your one-time filter with a new one will eventually need to happen. And although bleach does a great job at disinfection, at that place is no guarantee that leaner, mold, mildew or whatsoever other harmful germs volition not accumulate inside your filter without you noticing.

In other words: Particularly if you are going to employ the water for drinking y'all want to make sure that the filtration is up to standards and can compete with a brand-new cartridge.

Cleaning Sponge with Foam Heart

Sediment Filters

If you are on a individual well with high fe content or excess hardness, or your urban center supply contains high amounts of impurities, cleaning your sediment (pre-)filter on a regular ground is a great manner to extend its lifespan. Here'southward what y'all need to exercise (does not piece of work for all filter types):

Beginning, you volition require some blazon of acid. Muriatic acid and oxalic acid work great for this. If yous prefer oxalic acid, mix about two oz of oxalic acid powder (available on Amazon) with i gallon of plain h2o. Muriatic acid can exist bought equally a pre-mixed solution.
Remove the filter housing and have out the cartridge.
Put the O-ring aside.
Rinse the housing to go all heavy particles out.
Thoroughly rinse off the filter. The more yous become off through mechanical cleaning at present, the more effective your acrid mixture is going to exist.
Soak the housing with the cartridge within of it in the acrid solution for 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the level of contamination). No scrubbing whatever is required hither.
Thoroughly rinse both components with plain water. You want to make sure that in that location remain no acrid leftovers.
Before you put everything back together let the filter dry.

On a side notation: You can neutralize the acrid with regular baking soda – a couple of tablespoons should be enough – so that you don't have to worry near pouring it downwards your drain.

Carbon (Charcoal) Cartridges

Most carbon block filters consist of 3 layers. In their inside there is the solid carbon block obviously. Wrapped effectually it is a paper-type layer. The paper removes impurities from your water that the carbon could not trap. At its outside, a carbon filter usually has a plastic mesh netting that holds the paper in identify. To make clean the filter, you lot will need to remove that netting:

Yous can apply a knife to cut twice around the entire perimeter equally close to the top/lesser of the cartridge as possible. Remove the netting.
And so cut through the newspaper layer underneath but leave a small strip, maybe a half inch, attached to the inner carbon block. This way the paper stays on and is easy to roll support.
Peel back the exterior paper layer.
Apply your garden hose to rinse off all the rough clay from the paper too as the charcoal core.
Apply warm h2o with i or two spoonful of bleach to scrub off the paper layer with a brush from both sides.
Allow the entire filter soak in the water-bleach mixture for sanitizing.
Meanwhile, you can clean the housing if need be.
Thoroughly rinse everything with clear water.
Roll up the paper layer really tight.
Secure it with a nylon tie at the very top. Trim off the backlog stop. Add 3 to 4 more nylon ties this manner.
Now it's time to put everything back together.

Following this procedure, you will detect a huge comeback in water sense of taste and pressure level. And what's great is that you tin can do this several times before replacement is required.

In instance your carbon filter does not have a paper layer that you can pare off, utilize a scrub pad or iron sponge to brush off its outside. This will help to better h2o flow and aesthetics a great deal.

Reactivating Activated Carbon

In a forum nosotros read that y'all could boil an activated carbon cake in h2o for well-nigh xv minutes in social club to recharge information technology. The longer the boiling, the more contaminants will presumably be released.

Not having tried this ourselves, we cannot say if it really works or not.

Brita

Brita filter pitchers and dispensers are like shooting fish in a barrel to use and give you lot access to somewhat cleaner drinking h2o. And although y'all salvage quite a lot of money compared to ownership bottled water, costs for replacement cartridges can beginning to add up apace.

However, for less than a dollar y'all can refill your Brita cartridge with fresh granular activated carbon and so you won't take to buy a new one each month.

Granular Activated Carbon

Activated carbon (or charcoal) is the main filtration component that Brita filters utilise. It traps chemical impurities such as chlorine in its pores. Just equally more and more pores become occupied as fourth dimension goes past, the filtration becomes less effective until at some point it finally stops.

This is when we have to replace it. Past the way, activated carbon is available at your local Walmart for instance and can exist bought in bulk at a depression price. You lot can also order online. Either manner, you will relieve a ton of money in the long run.

How does the bodily replacement work?

Drill or cut a hole in the center of the cartridge head. About ½" should do.
Optional: Consider adding a couple of air vents to the top of the casing to increase water flow a.thousand.a. filtration speed. You can apply a abrupt pocketknife for this, just be careful not to cutting yourself!
Pour the old charcoal out of the pigsty.
Thoroughly rinse the empty housing with clear water to flush out any remaining filter media.
You might likewise desire to sanitize the housing with household bleach at this point. If yous do, rinse thoroughly afterwards.
Fill in the new carbon. Using a funnel makes this a lot easier. The more carbon yous add, the longer the cartridge volition last.
Carefully knock the filter on your counter and then the media tin can settle within the cartridge.
Use a cork or rubber piece to seal the hole.
Install the cartridge in your pitcher/dispenser.
Flush the carbon media.

Thanks to this simple modification y'all can now employ your cartridge fourth dimension and time again which is much more environmentally friendly than throwing another 1 into the trash every unmarried calendar month.

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Modular Filters (due east.g. Refrigerator)

For modular filters that your fridge uses all you can practise is flush with plain water from both sides. Meanwhile, utilise a screwdriver to tap on the filter to loosen any larger debris.

Some experts also recommend soaking modular filters in warm water with a gentle cleanser – think vinegar or dish soap. Let the filter soak betwixt 10 and 30 minutes. Thoroughly rinse after until the water comes out all clear. Finally, let the filter air-dry before popping it back inside your refrigerator.

How to Unclog a PUR Water Filter

It's no secret that PUR's pitcher filters are decumbent to bottleneck. After just a couple of days use, you might see a drib in flow charge per unit that makes the whole filtration process painfully slow.

There are two possible explanations for this:

According to PUR, bubbling or air pockets have become trapped inside the filter. Yous can exam this past putting it in a bowl full of water and see if it floats.
Pocket-sized Styrofoam balls that are mixed into the activated carbon media have obstructed the holes of the pleated filtering element at the bottom where water is supposed to flow out.

The solution for ane.) is to milk shake the cartridge for 5 to half-dozen seconds belongings information technology upside down at a slight angle. Can you hear the carbon moving inside? If that doesn't help, tap information technology against a difficult surface a couple of times. Put the cartridge back in the h2o to see if it still floats. If it sinks, pop it back into your pitcher or dispenser. The flow charge per unit should be mode meliorate now. If the cartridge continues to bladder, repeat the shaking and borer.

If you struggle with Styrofoam balls plugging the holes of the pleated element, force water through each of the small slots at the bottom of the filter. Y'all can utilise a faucet sprayer for this. This should dislodge any is stuck in there.

Clean Only If It Makes Sense

All in all, you should only clean your used water filter if information technology makes sense, meaning that you can save money doing and then, it's non too much of a time commitment, information technology'south more ecological than simple replacement and filtration performance will not exist compromised – the latter is key!

If that is the example, you now know how to clean a water filter the right way. Happy cleaning.

If you lot have whatsoever questions almost how to clean water filters please don't hesitate to leave a annotate beneath!

Nigh the Author Gene Fitzgerald

Gene Fitzgerald has been with BOS since the very outset. She is head of content creation and has fully immersed herself into the home water treatment industry only to become an expert herself. Outside of BOS, Gene loves reading books on philosophy & social problems, making music, and hiking.
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