Facts you should be aware of when
purchasing a Water Filter.

In an environment with our water quality an issue, the proliferation of people selling water filters necessitates a `BUYER BEWARE' attitude. Know what questions to ask to allow you to compare apples with apples and not pay too much for what you don‘t need. More importantly pay a lower price for a product that could cost you more in the long run with expensive cartridges and possibly flooded kitchens.

There are 3 main areas: Housings, Installation Fittings and Cartridges.

FITTINGS
These include plumbing fittings to cut into your water line, including tee piece, backflow prevention valve, stop valve, pressure limiting valve and faucet. Where possible tee piece and stop valve/back flow should be brass or chrome.

IMPORTANT …. Some companies do not include Pressure Limiting Valves, often as a cost cutting exercise, using the excuse, their systems are pressure tested to 600 psi and do not need them.

PLV's are installed to ensure spikes and hammers, which can happen to our water pipes often during the night, over time can weaken housings and result in burst housings and flooded kitchens. Protect your valued and expensive possessions, ensure any filtration installation includes a 350 or 500 kpa Pressure Limiting Valve.
All Purestream systems include a Pressure Limiting Valve ... the only exception when installed on rain water tanks as these are not under mains pressure.

CARTRIDGES.
This is where many brands get you by using `non-standard’ cartridges that ensures you can only buy replacement cartridges from that company.
The marketing ploy for some of these special cartridges, include double ‘O’ rings to ensure no bypass of tap water. By-pass is not an issue as housings are manufactured to ensure a complete seal.

Standard cartridges are 245mm - 250mm long and 70 mm diameter, often referred to as 9 3/4" or 10" cartridges. The diameter can be a little more or less and rubber washes on either end of the cartridge, allow for small variation in length. These measurements do not include any extensions, as above. Cartridges should be American or British made and certified to NSF standard 42.

The large American companies also manufacture 9" cartridges, which do not have any fittings on the ends, however need special housings to accomodate. These can be difficult to access.
Purestream carries both 9" and 10" non-specialised cartridges

Non standard cartridges can be expensive and difficult to source and every day we replace customers housings because it is cheaper than the cost of these `non-standard' cartridges.