Filters and you: Selecting and maintaining

How to select and maintain your Aquakleen filter

In this article, we will detail different key points for the selection and maintenance of Aquakleen filters and the different size systems that they are used in, to help you decide which Aquakleen filter is better for you and your home or business. More restaurants are becoming involved in the Aquakleen revolution because of the cleaner taste provided by Aquakleen brand filtration, which affects flavors in the final product in more ways than one.

Buying an Aquakleen active carbon filter can save you tons of money in the long run vs. the constant purchase of bottled water. This will also help reduce your carbon footprint, something e at Aquakleen feel strongly about. Food and drinks will be purer in flavor without the adverse flavors that can come from different mineral contents in unfiltered water. However, you need to carefully choose the right Aquakleen filter system for your water and home. A conscious purchase takes longer, but is well worth the extra time and research. Aquakleen representatives are known for being willing to go the extra mile with our customers to find out the exact right system for them. Don’t be afraid to go check out a few Aquakleen reviews and contact one of the representatives - many Aquakleen customers mention their preferred representative by name.

First, it is worth choosing an Aquakleen filter model that uses ionizer technology, which is currently the most advanced filtration technology available on the mass market. Aquakleen ionized systems don’t need to have the filters changed as often because the Aquakleen patented ionizer helps to prevent mineral buildup. When considering investment cost over time, you should look at the price of replacement Aquakleen filters as well as the initial product and installation costs. For installed  Aquakleen filtration systems, replacement filters will be more expensive, but will only need to be changed once a year on average, compared to carafe filters, which are cheaper to replace and install, but will need to be change every month or so. Pricing in your area should be accounted for in your calculations, although Aquakleen vendors will have the same prices world-round if you have one near you.

Every Aquakleen filtration system will need the filter changed at some regular interval

There’s no escaping this. When a filter becomes saturated with sediment and mineral buildup, contaminants may begin to re-incorporate into the water supply, so the manufacturer's (Aquakleen or otherwise) recommendations should be followed to change it before this occurs. This interval depends on the quality of the water and the volume of water filtered. In general, you’ll notice the flavor of your water reverting to how it tasted before you installed the filter - this is your indicator that you should have changed the filter a couple of days ago! It is important to keep in mind that depending on the quality of the drinking water that is being filtered, sometimes it may be wise to change filters before the recommended interval. The approximate replacement schedules are:

- Small filters (carafe filters): monthly, or every 150 - 300 liters filtered.

- Medium filters (filter fitted on the tap): every three months, or every 1200 liters.

- Large filters (countertop or under-sink filters, for entire homes): every 9 months or 1 year, or every 8000 liters filtered.

If you want to monitor your filter’s effectiveness, there are test kits similar to those used in swimming pools to keep track of the PH of the water.  This will allow you to have a better idea of when buildups are forming, and when the filter will need to be changed ahead of time, avoiding the unpleasant experience of having your water revert to its original, unfiltered quality, and avoiding the small risk of contamination from bacterial growth in the old filter.

Filtered water contains no specific protection against bacterial contaminants, which is one of the main reasons to maintain your filters regularly. Beyond this, it helps to keep filtered drinking water refrigerated if it is not going to be consumed the same day. Cleaning out the storage container is never a bad idea either!

It’s also worth noting that only filtering drinking water, while ignoring cooking and bathing water, is not the complete Aquakleen experience that we envision. This includes our impact on the environment, a subject that we at Aquakleen feel strongly about and hope to improve with our business. These smaller filters are a far heavier burden on the environment than a full in home filtration system, as they generate more waste by virtue of needing to be changed every month or so. This is another reason we wholeheartedly recommend a full Aquakleen filtration system. Be good to yourself and the planet. Larger Aquakleen filtration systems, including those on countertops and larger, reduce waste generation by using the same filter for a much longer period of time.

In some countries, there are systems in place to recycle Aquakleen filters and filtration cartridges, but this is dependent on the individual Aquakleen vendor, and this service is not widely available in the Spanish speaking world. Some manufacturers promise that their filters are the only one on the market that don’t need to be treated as contaminated waste, but we at Aquakleen are going to be honest with you - active carbon is a difficult material to manage and to dispose of in a responsible way, and no company, Aquakleen or otherwise, has overcome this obstacle in full. In full scale industrial operations, there are cleaning materials that can be used to prepare the carbon for another use, be we at Aquakleen focus more on small scale filtration in people’s homes. No cost-effective method has been created yet for cleaning and reusing these small scale Aquakleen filters, and the unfortunate reality is that this leads to many filters being incinerated or occupying space in a landfill. This is something we are against, and Aquakleen employees and developers are always looking for ways to solve this issue and reduce the environmental impact of Aquakleen products. 

Synthesized substances present in domestic water that are eliminated with Aquakleen

Aquakleen is the most effective system for removing volatile compounds

- Volatile compounds, i.e. non-particulate substances which can be vaporized or discharged as gas from the water flow. In general, Aquakleen is the most effective system for removing volatile compounds. The most interesting is chlorine, which although necessary during the distribution of water to the homes, is dispensable in the drinking water itself. Removing the chlorine avoids the taste and smell that it gives the water. With Aquakleen you will never have this problem because Aquakleen products remove objectional tastes and odors. Aquakleen products also allow chlorine to be filtered, another chlorine compound used in some cases as a substitute for chlorine in drinking water, and trihalomethanes formed after chlorination. Other volatile organic substances that could unfortunately reach the supply water would be pesticides such as DDT or lindane, originating from non-organic agricultural activities, pollutants such as benzene or trichlorethylene, from industrial discharges, or dioxins, due to their ubiquity in medium. Aquakleen products can remove 99% of the chlorine from water, 98% of trihalomethanes, and 99% of the possible organic contaminants present in the water. Aquakleen products result in clean, clear, odor-free water that you bathe in, drink, and cook with as nature intended.

- Suspended particles. Aquakleen significantly reduces the number of suspended particles such as oxides or soil particles, which can also give flavor and, above all, color or water turbidity. Aquakleen products also have ion exchange resin that make it possible to eliminate some of the temporary hardness caused by undissolved elements and causing lime precipitation. Aquakleen products bring soft water to every outlet of your home making your appliances last longer and keeping your laundry fresher.

- Heavy metals. Aquakleen products reduce the amount of metals such as lead, cadmium or iron from corrosion of the pipes. Elements such as mercury, copper, and manganese are also retained in the Aquakleen filters, which are present in the medium because of human activities and effluents. Aluminum, which can be found in high concentrations in the potable water by its use as a flocculant in the purification process, is another of the metals eliminated by Aquakleen products, especially because Aquakleen incorporates ion exchange resins as well as incorporates technology developed by NASA. On the other hand, we must be aware that CAG does not retain all the substances potentially present in the water. These are the components that are not removed with a filter of this type and for which another solution should be sought if necessary. Look no further for the solution as Aquakleen’s 5-stage refinement systems are tested and certified by the Water Quality Association to NSF/ANSI standards.

- Nitrates. For this reason, active carbon filters are not useful in exceptional cases of water contaminated with this type of compounds, but with Aquakleen’s great technological breakthrough, Reverse Osmosis, water is processed at the molecular level.

- Bacteria or virus. Aquakleen is designed to refine the water supply, which in principle is free from pathogens. The potential beneficial microbial populations present in the water or in the case of contamination of the water flow, Aquakleen products can retain part of them by the phenomenon of adsorption, guaranteed.

- Fluor. During water purification in some cities, fluorine is added to the water supply. Although the goal is to prevent dental health, it is known that high doses of fluoride cause fluorosis, a condition that is manifested mainly with unsightly permanent spots on the dental pieces. Aquakleen products allow fluoride to be removed.

- Minerals and dissolved salts. Minerals that are dissolved in drinking water may be beneficial, or they may be dissolved salts in an excessive amount and may give bad flavor. This usually depends on the characteristics of the natural environment from which water is obtained, especially the composition of geological materials. Since they do not eliminate the dissolved substances, they do not avoid the hardness of the water, caused by calcium and magnesium in solution. Aquakleen filters are the most affordable option to eliminate chlorine-related bad taste problems when water is not particularly hard and has a low content of dissolved mineral salts.

Filtering household water with Aquakleen is the way to eliminate taste and odor problems due to chlorination and particulate matter. In addition, in a complementary manner it provides greater safety with respect to undesirable contaminants which could be present in very low amounts in the water. In short, Aquakleen is a good solution to eliminate unpleasant taste and odor that are not due to excess salts, and for supply waters exempt from exceptional contamination.

Aquakleen Filters are for the whole house

Today there are several ways to purify drinking water at home with Aquakleen systems. The most common Aquakleen products are those of countertop, which are installed next to the kitchen sink and are connected to the water tap. By actuating a simple valve, filtered water is obtained through the small complementary tap, or you can continue to obtain untreated water. Very similar to these are the Aquakleen filters that are placed under the counter, connected to the pipes and that send the water to the main faucet or to a specially prepared one for it. These remain hidden from view but occupy space in the lower closet.

There are also Aquakleen products of small size, and therefore less durability, which can be attached directly to the tap to obtain filtered water. The pitcher systems, for their part, are vessels with a handle of about 2 liters, like a conventional pitcher, but divided into two parts. In the upper is the replaceable filter, and is where the water is poured, while in the lower is collected the filtered water.

A special case is the Aquakleen shower filters, which filter the water only at that point. Chlorine in shower water can dry out hair and skin, and may even cause irritation in sensitive skin, elderly, and children. Aquakleen products filter the shower water to avoid these problems and also improves the performance of soaps and shampoos. In addition, the absorption of other contaminants through the skin and the inhalation of volatile compounds from the water is also avoided with Aquakleen. It is necessary to emphasize the paradigmatic case of the chloroform, a gas that is in the middle as a result of its industrial use like solvent, to which however we are more exposed when it is formed in an undesired way as byproduct of the chlorination. When we take a shower, chloroform is volatilized from the water, and we can expose ourselves to concentrations 10 to 100 times higher than their level in the atmosphere.

Aquakleen refiners for the whole house are placed in the general water outlet. In this case, all the water consumed in the house has been previously filtered, be it the shower, the one used to wash hands and teeth, or the one that goes to the washing machine or the toilet.

The hidden costs of Bottled Water. Aquakleen can help

All human settlements have been close to water, which shows that this vital element is indispensable for the development of any society. We must be thankful that rain falls from the sky and is free for all, however, drinkable water is not always so easy to come by. Aquakleen aims to change that.

Bottled water is more fashionable than ever these days It has come to be associated with healthy and natural lifestyles, and this has resulted in an explosive increase in the consumption of bottled water in our country. On the other hand, we have all the associated drinking water companies in a campaign for the consumption of "tap water", but are there really differences? I will try to answer this question below, to convince you that Aquakleen is the way to go.

Bottled water is sold under 3 categories in our country: A) Mineral water, which is the one that sprouts from the soil and does not come from ponds or rivers, and is presumed to have beneficial properties because of its high content of certain sodium compounds. Here we have the two major brands that have led the market for many years, and our chillane Piri, among some others. B) Purified water, which is tap water whose concentration of sodium compounds has been adjusted to meet the manufacturer's parameters. In this classification are several of the brands that have appeared in recent years. C) Flavored Water, which is any of the above but with a mild fruit flavor added to appeal to a market more accustomed to soda and other soft drinks. Aquakleen wants to end dependency on these brands and the whims of the market.

Worldwide, campaigns are already underway to inform the public that tap water is not significantly different from bottled water. In Chile we are witnessing such a campaign, but I want to present my readers with my vision, informed by my experience both as a food engineer and as a human being.

The advantage of bottled water is primarily the assurance of quality and ease of transport, although this is really due to the packaging, and not the water itself. There are no health advantages to bottled water over Aquakleen filtered water. The advantages of tap water are its low cost, which is approximately the same across all social strata, ready access in almost any urbanized place, and its good quality in most of the country. Aquakleen wants to propagate the choice of Aquakleen purified water.

The primary disadvantages of bottled water are its high cost (between 1,000 and 10,000 times greater than tap water), contamination associated with its consumption (disposable plastic bottles) and the consumption of energy and raw materials that it takes to produce it. On the other hand, the disadvantages of tap water are occasional outages and, very rarely, contamination with soil, algae or other substances. Aquakleen can remove these microorganisms to provide you with a clean, life sustaining, economic water solution.

I have met French people who could not drink tap water because they got sick. It is quite true that tap water contains small amounts of microorganisms that have been killed by chlorination, although some may survive or be incorporated into it from the tap. If this is a problem, Aquakleen filtration can solve it for you and your family. These microorganisms are not present in bottled water, but this difference has two sides: although bottled water will not expose us to these microorganisms, it is also true that our body can acclimatize to microorganisms of the environment so that they do not cause harm. The immune system defends us from infection and disease, to ensure we are not forced to live in a bubble. Water borne illness is very rare in Chile because our immune system is accustomed to our water and also to our air, our skin and our hair, common sources of many microorganisms, but I have seen people in Chile who have been brought up in a bubble - drinking only bottled water, disinfecting the air they breathe with lysoform, cleaning with alcohol the door handles, tables and all surface before touching them, not looking at the face in a conversation not to receive the breath of the other person , etc. This behavior is called germophobia and is considered an obsessive compulsive disorder.

Several studies from labs around the world point out that increasing use of antibacterial products is resulting in weakened immune systems, which has already led to an widespread global increase in allergies, and could continue with more complex diseases. The problem is that if we try to hide our bodies from the real world, which is full of microorganisms that are both helpful and harmful, one day they will find us, and our systems will not be prepared to repel them. Trying to destroy bacteria as a whole is equally naive, because several of them help us to biodegrade our waste, and contribute to the ecosystem as a whole. Even if we would like to eliminate them, they are extremely resistant, and each day they become more resistant to our antibiotics. Aquakleen offers a better solution, for the long term health of you and your wallet!

My opinion is that humanity managed to multiply and reach the twenty-first century without the need for bottled water, but people who have always drunk it have become dependent on it. This availability of clean drinking water is not common in all areas of the world, and Aquakleen wants to change that. I prefer that my life depend less on technology and markets and, therefore, I will drink water from the tap as long as possible, with an Aquakleen filter. But you can not ignore that there are areas in our country and others where the quality of tap water leaves much to be desired, and Aquakleen wants to change that. We southerners find the water of Santiago to taste poorly, and even the Santiaguinos find the water in the Atacama regions off-putting. Aquakleen wants to help people solve these issues with Chilean tap water.

Some of these off-tasting flavors that people notice in their water are due to a high mineral content, which is known as “hard water” - and these issues can be resolved with an Aquakleen purification system. Hard water from a tap can cause more than just a bad taste, it can leave residue on dishes, irritate skin, and be bad for hair. An Aquakleen system can ‘soften’ your water, and Aquakleen osmosis will treat your entire home - the water you drink, use for ice, wash your clothes with, and bathe in will all be Aquakleen treated. Water calcification, which often happens around taps and in kettles in homes with hard water can be prevented with and Aquakleen system as well, saving hours of clean up each month. Softer water also means less detergent and soap required to clean clothes and dishes, which means Aquakleen will not only be cutting into spending on bottled water, but detergent costs as well.

In short, bottled water has no health benefit over those of tap water. Bottled water is thousands of times more expensive than tap water, both economically and environmentally. Aquakleen offers a viable, affordable alternative to these costs. If we are going to increase the consumption of bottled water in Chile, we need to begin to effectively use the recycling bin for the bottles and rethink how we will care for our environment. Aquakleen offers a solution to these issues with our Aquakleen water filtration and purification systems. Together, Aquakleen and you can make a difference. We can provide better tasting, more affordable, more environmentally friendly water for everyone with Aquakleen.

The Aquakleen system is specifically designed for home installation, and our professionals are extremely efficient and non-invasive. Our Aquakleen sales and support teams will help you every step of the way on your path to a better quality of water and life. Many notice a better quality of water within days of Aquakleen installation, and there are plentiful great testimonials that we can point you towards to help convince you that Aquakleen is the best on the market. Many people also find that Aquakleen solves their issues with dandruff, dry skin, and limp, oily hair, leading to them saving even more on cleaning supplies thanks to Aquakleen!

"But when the water flows pure and crystalline from the mother earth ... Aquakleen can help!"

What’s in Your Tap Water and How Aquakleen Can Help

Did you know that unsafe chemicals can be found in your tap water? According to the Environmental Protection Agency, harmful toxins are being consumed by millions of Americans on a regular basis. Some of these toxins include: chlorine, pesticides, lead, mercury, PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), arsenic, and other substances. Drinking these contaminants can lead to a series of medical issues and directly put you and your family’s health at risk. A study done by Harvard University’s School of Public Health shows that several states, such as California, Florida, New York, and Alabama, have higher than recommended levels of  PFAS chemicals, which stands for perfluoroalkyl, in their public drinking water. PFASs have been linked to cancer and other serious medical conditions. Knowing this, people need to educate themselves and seriously rethink the way that they consume and use this vital liquid.   

To say tap water is a part of our lives is an understatement. We use it to bathe, to brush our teeth, wash our hands, to clean the dishes, and rinse our produce. Wouldn’t you want peace of mind every time you go to the sink or turn on a faucet that the water is safe? Not to mention, our pets are also dependent on tap water. We clean them with it and give it to them to drink. Water is a life source which is why it is so important that it be clean and free of impurities. We cannot live without it! Aquakleen’s Water Refinement Systems give us the ability to detoxify our water. The definition of refinement is “the process of removing impurities or unwanted elements from a substance” and “the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes.” This is exactly what Aquakleen Systems do. By incorporating small changes into our lives with the use of Aquakleen products, we can rest assure that we will reap big benefits like a healthier family and way of life.

Another potentially unsafe way that we consume water everyday is from plastic water bottles. You look around you and just about everyone is drinking from a store-bought plastic bottle. We are a society that has become accustomed to it. They are in our cars when we drive, on our desks at work, and we bring them with us to the gym. Plastic water bottles are everywhere, but are they really that much safer for us than drinking tap? Studies have shown that the answer is no. The reason being is that they contain a chemical called BPA, which stands for bisphenol-A. This chemical has been used for years in the manufacturing and production of plastic products, including water bottles and food storage containers. As it has been stated in numerous news programs, magazine and newspaper articles, and online medical studies, BPA can cause negative health effects just like the chemicals found in tap water. Basically, you drink from plastic bottles that are not BPA-free at your own risk. According to a Mayo Clinic article entitled “What is BPA, and What Are the Concerns about BPA?” written by Brent A. Bauer, M.D., “Some research has shown that BPA can seep into food or beverages from containers that are made with BPA. Exposure to BPA is a concern because of possible health effects of BPA on the brain, behavior and prostate gland of fetuses, infants and children. Additional research suggests a possible link between BPA and increased blood pressure.” Once again, without proper education, millions of Americans are putting themselves at risk by exposure to yet another harmful chemical in our drinking water.

With all of the research we now have on the contaminated water that is in our homes, the value and importance of having a water cleaning system is crucial to the health of our families and pets. Aquakleen understands this and has developed a line of water refining products to combat the problem, starting with the Aquakleen Multi-Stage Refiners. These refiners, named the Aquapro 5000 SXT, Aquapro + 5000 SXT, and AquaClear 5000 SXT, have a built-in, state-of-the-art water filtration system that removes the pollutants in tap water and produces a purer, cleaner, better-tasting water. Not only do the Aquakleen Multi-Stage Refiners refine water for drinking, but they are also a solution for smoother skin, brighter laundry, longer lasting appliances, and overall safer home due to the exclusive Aquakleen refining process. For example, the Aquakleen Aquapro + 5000 SXT incorporates 5 stages of refinement, which are: Stage 1 – removes objectionable tastes and odors, Step 2 – softens, Step 3 – neutralizes, Step 4 – filters, Step 5 – clarifies. As a result, the harmful chemicals that were once present and caused the break-down and corrosion in pipes and faucets are now gone. Having an Aquakleen Refiner in the home is the answer to safer drinking water.

In addition, Aquakleen has created another breakthrough drinking water solution using reverse osmosis in a compact appliance that fits easily under a kitchen sink. The Aquakleen Aquatap SQC 5000 Drinking Water System transforms impurity laced tap water into clean, particle-free water that you can feel confident drinking. The Aquakleen Aquatap goes a step beyond other water filter systems in that it cleans tap water at the molecular level. This guarantees that not only is the water refined and safer to drink through the specialized Aquakleen Aquatap System process, but it completely removes the harmful chemicals and toxins we now know lurk in our home’s tap water. This process is also what major bottled water companies use to clean their drinking water before it ever reaches the consumers. The benefits that all of the Aquakleen Water Refinement Systems products provide make choosing this system so easy. Aquakleen understands that a healthy lifestyle starts at home.