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I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

nytimes.com

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Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#191

Post by rurban »

mousethatroared wrote: post #84
OptionOfT wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your filter system is not set up for water that is microbiologically unsafe to drink. And if that filter setup also has an RO system your cost is more, as with RO you have a certain amount of rejection rate.

I trust my municipality to give me microbiologically safe water. Because I trust bleach, not my local water authority. I certainly do not trust them to give me chemically clean water. So I have a $150 under-sink RO system.

Only third world problems. In advanced societies we don't care about unsafe water because we can drink tap water. (Sure, the US is third world)

Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#192

Post by bsimpson »

ghostly_s wrote: post #10

Wirecutter "expert" doesn't hold much sway for me with the quality of their reviews these days.

It's an allegory of trust:

They write thoughtful looking reviews with headings like "why you should trust me" and you think "okay!" Then they recommend something that sucks and you think "never again."

Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#193

Post by mousethatroared »

rufus_foreman wrote: post #188
mousethatroared wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't trust the manufacturer, but I can test the manufacturers water. I don't trust my municipality because they cheaped out on the corrosion inhibitors chemistry, leached lead into the water and my house is now filled with developing pinhole leaks. I've had five in four years. Hint, I don't live anywhere near Flint MI.

You can test the filter manufacturer's water but you can't test the municipality's water? Strange days indeed.

The probability of getting a positive test for lead given that I already know the city messed up and there's lead in the water is 100%.

So why test?

Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#194

Post by malfist »

mousethatroared wrote: post #181
malfist wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From someone that keeps aquariums, municipal water that is stripped of it's chlorine by carbon has the ingredients to grow bacteria. They need three things, carbon, phosphate and nitrogen, all of which will be present to varying degrees. Particularly nitrates and phosphates. They're not harmful until concentrations are really high but certainly enough to grow bacteria. Also consider what your holding tank and supply…

Now strip it with an RO filter.

RO (without DI) does not remove everything. With an advanced setup like with a booster pump and a 5:1 waste ratio and a high quality filter you would probably see a 95% reduction.

But without a booster pump or if you've got a lower waste ratio either by restriction or piggyback ro membranes you'll have a lower rejection rate.

And that ignores the fact the you really need to be back flushing the membrane regularly and rejection rates are measured after 30 minutes of continuous running, ions migrate when it's idle so you have to throw away a lot of water at the start that you're probably not doing

Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#199

Post by micromacrofoot »

miladyincontrol wrote: post #162
s0rce wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much Co is in your water compared to your food. EPA says just 2 ppb in tap water. This means if you drink about 40 fl.oz. per day you only get 2ug of Co from your water. Per the EPA you get about 2-20x more from your food. Pretty much in no cases is your water a source of nutrients. refs: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/co... https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/php/data-research/fast-facts-w..…

This is my understanding too. There are microscopic amounts of trace elements here or there but in reality none of them add up to anything meaningful compared to what you get from food, multivitamins, or other less ideal means. Rather if they did there'd be probably quite a lot of concern. Not sure where that old wive's tale came from but even my parents had similar concerns against filtered water ages ago.

I've heard doctors repeat it too, though more as an overall mineral deficiency from already poor diets (which is the bigger issue)

Re: I'm Wirecutter's water-quality expert. I don't filter my water

#200

Post by BugsJustFindMe »

bernawil wrote: post #173
mousethatroared wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Food gives you all the minerals you need. Matter of fact food can cover most of your hydration needs.

True. But have tasted distilled water? Tastes metalic. Probably just my imagination but I feel like it pulls stuff from the mucous in your mouth and tastes like blood.

It is your imagination. I drink distilled water all the time and it tastes great, not metallic at all.
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