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Under the Kitchen Sink Water Purifiers


CThompson

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I wish to automate some water changes, and I want to use as part of this system one of the water purifiers that are commercially available for installation under a kitchen sink.

It will primarily be needed to filter out chloramine, so this ability is a must.

Can someone recommend a brand and model?

Thanks,

Craig

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You must have read my mind Craig I was considering something similar . I was thinking along the lines of the following . This one is recommended as 15l per minute , I believe some are limited to 4l per minute to allow sufficient contact time with the carbon filter , which would be pretty damn slow . Anyway I would also appreciate any experience people have , rgds

Pat

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Twin-CARAVAN-Water-Filter-Kit-Heavy-Construction-White-Bracket-Filters-1-4GWC-/311064274040?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item486ce02478&_uhb=1

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i use an inline filter that connects to the hose, useless for you though as they only do 10 000 litres. if you go to bunnings they have about 50 replacement cartridges to choose from, all different ratings, good luck with your search and please let us know how you go.

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I've never used them myself as I use ground water.

But I do know a breeder here in Perth that uses a standard bunnings type for much longer than ten years.

He made the choice on type based on the best Availabilty of cartridges on the shelf.

He says they fill up pretty fast of contaminants but still viable cost wise,,,, but I guess they're doing they're job.

If your worried about running costs, then maybe a phone all to a manufacturer/direct supplier with a discription of your reasoning with heavy usage,,,, and possibly get a mini-bulk price. (it's amazing what you can achieve with a educated front). :)

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Thanks for the replies and comments. I had a brief look many months ago at Bunnings and the prices were a little scary in the 200-300 $ zone from memory. I didn't do an exhaustive search there...just enough to put me off for a bit. I expect there would be cheaper brands/models there.

Hi Chris, I don't really have a plumber, but it I did I imagine their knowledge though greater than mine might still be a bit limited, dependant on how switched on they were. I used to know a plumber who lived down in Woollongong way, who was not only highly intelligent but was also into fish. I will need the assistance of a plumber though if and when I take this issue into the real world.

Thanks Pat, that was just the sort of answer/suggestion I was hoping for. The below is the communication I have sent to them.

I was thinking of using your product as an inline water filter to filter out primarily Chloramine (bond of Chlorine and ammonia) for a water change system on a group of fish tanks in a “fish room”. I would plan on putting 200-400 litres per 7 day week through it, on more or less a continuous feed.

  1. Does the chemical cartridge filter take out Chloramine? I imagine it does as it states that it filters Chlorine.
  2. Will it alter the pH or hardness of the water? I live in Sydney were the water is alkaline from the tap though not sure what the hardness is from the tap.
  3. Can you estimate how long the chemical cartridge would last?
  4. How long would the mechanical cartridge last?
  5. Can cartridges be revitalised or cleaned for more than one use?
  6. What costs are on new cartridges?
  7. What are their availability in Sydney?
  8. If YOU supply, will there be transport costs in the future on replacement cartridges?
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I am keen to find out how this goes as I may install one in my room as I build it. My water usage will be at the top end of your usage Craig.

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here is the reply;

G'day , these are standard filtration and only for drinking water, I would recommend this system for fish tank water , you realy need reverse osmosis to remove the chemicals completely.
If RO is not your first choice, I strongly suggest you us the larger diameter cartridges being the 10" x 4.5" Big Blue type, see this link

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/All-House-Water-Filter-System-Twin-10-x-4-5-White-Bracket-Filters-1-7GW-/231224927266?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item35d6146422#ht_4025wt_1124

The reson for this is the chloromine gasses that are proving difficult to remove from water, carbon can do the job but the cartridges you are looking at are way too small.

I would suggest this kit but with two carbon cartridges to give extra long contact time for maximum effect. And even then you should run the water a slow as possible to give even more contact time.

Or re-think the reverse osmosis.

And my reply to this is:

Thanks for the reply,

I assume you meant to say "I would NOT recommend this system for fish tank water..."

The only chemical I have to remove is Chloromine from Sydney tap water. To use a RO unit would leave me having to re-add chemicals to achieve the pH I already had from the tap, so an RO unit is definately NOT what I want.

I have taken on board your recomendation as detailed in the link, so my questions would then be;

1. Does the chemical cartridge filter take out Chloramine? I imagine it does as it states that it filters Chlorine.
2. Will it alter the pH or hardness of the water? I live in Sydney were the water is alkaline from the tap though not sure what the hardness is from the tap.
3. Can you estimate how long the chemical cartridge would last?
4. How long would the mechanical cartridge last?
5. Can cartridges be revitalised or cleaned for more than one use?
6. What costs are on new cartridges?
7. What are their availability in Sydney?
8. If YOU supply, will there be transport costs in the future on replacement cartridges?

9. With the unit you suggest can you inform me of a recommended max flow rate that will see the removal of Chloromine?

I am coping and pasting this conversation to http://www.aceforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=58640 which is a fish forum site, as a number of people are interested in finding a product to meet these requirements.

That is, if you can sell me an item that meets my needs it could well be more than one item you sell. So please take your time and answer all numbered questions.

Thanks,

Craig

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The next reply is;

G'day Craig , yes I did mean to say WOULD NOT RECOMMEND

1/ yes it will take out chloramines provided you give it enough contact time which is why I suggested the larger size and the double carbon
Chloramines are created when there is insufficient contact time in the carbon , which just releases the chloramines instead of removing them
The answer to this is to run back through carbon or use larger carbon cartridge and slower flow rate which is what I'm suggesting.

2/ These carbon cartridges are made from coconut carbon which, when very new, may drive the pH up a bit, so it's a good idea to flush the carbon at full flow when they are new.
The pH will settle back to main pH soon after.
Carbon filtration will not impact on the hardness of the water either way.

3/ This size should easily go 6 - 12 months given the amount of water you are using

4/ Don't understand this question

5/ No they are throw away, all carbon cartridge are single use only

6/ They are $35.00 each but the price does vary from time to time

7/ they are available all over the country , just ask for 10" x 4.5" Big Blue carbon blocks, but they will be double the price else where

8/ No our prices are all post free

9/ Go as slow as you can afford to go , the slower the better but don't exceed 5 lpm

I have explained what is meant at question 4, and will return an answer when it comes.

Craig

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I use two standard filter housings in series on my smaller fishroom (150 tanks) but I pack my own carbon because it is much cheaper and I can use a higher grade of activated carbon (medical grade) as well as being able to put in much more carbon. Just use a standard hollow cartridge that allows you to pack any media you wish. When the carbon starts to fail, it does so gradually so you have plenty of time to change over. I also have a ceramic prefilter (1 micron) to maximise my carbon life. On my larger fish room, I use a much larger carbon filter because I modified a domestic water softener unit that is about a meter high I claimed from roadside rubbish. Same principle - just run water through a carbon mass.

You don't need to get total chloramine removal unless you do 60-80% water changes but carbon filters will remove all the chloramine depending on filter size and flow rate. In aquarium stores that I used to own, I used a commercial carbon filter that stands about 1.5m high for under a thousand dollars which allows you to fill as fast as your tap pressure permits.

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I use two standard filter housings in series on my smaller fishroom (150 tanks) but I pack my own carbon because it is much cheaper and I can use a higher grade of activated carbon (medical grade) as well as being able to put in much more carbon. Just use a standard hollow cartridge that allows you to pack any media you wish. When the carbon starts to fail, it does so gradually so you have plenty of time to change over. I also have a ceramic prefilter (1 micron) to maximise my carbon life. On my larger fish room, I use a much larger carbon filter because I modified a domestic water softener unit that is about a meter high I claimed from roadside rubbish. Same principle - just run water through a carbon mass.

You don't need to get total chloramine removal unless you do 60-80% water changes but carbon filters will remove all the chloramine depending on filter size and flow rate. In aquarium stores that I used to own, I used a commercial carbon filter that stands about 1.5m high for under a thousand dollars which allows you to fill as fast as your tap pressure permits.

Thanks for the suggestion. I had considered this but not given it much thought. You have gotten me thinking about it again. What volumes did you fill with activated carbon? The chambers I would use if I did this are homemade canister filters, which would hold about 8 L of water at a guess. I imagine if I were to fill this entirely with activated carbon, the "professional" water filters replacement cartridges may be cheaper than if I filled the entire void with activated carbon.

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My first venture was with stock standard 10 inch filters as they were easy to source with lots of parts. For example http://watershop.com.au/standard-gac-refillable-filter-cartridge/

This gives you the freedom to use whatever grade carbon type you wish and is far more economical.

With a bit more experience, I modify or make my own to better suit my needs. There is nothing wrong with a smaller carbon filter except you have to re-fill it more often.

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I just posted this in reply to another thread on this forum.

I would recommend something like this http://www.bunnings....cfa-02_p5090104

Pass the water through slowly; this will last for many months.

To test if the filter is still working, buy a chlorine test kit from a shop that sells pool chemicals.

edit: replacement filters are about $15

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I use medical grade activated carbon from a chemical supply company. Even though it's a high grade carbon, it is quite cheap in 25Kg bags. The higher the activation, the longer the "fizz" when it gets wet because the more voids it has. Carbon adsorbs (not absorb) so the more surface area, the better.

You don't need to buy chlorine test kits, just the dry tablet reagent because you are only looking for a negative result. Any trace of chlorine is bad, you don't need to know what level it is.

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