The quality of the material and the craftsmanship of this whole house water filter is why you pay such a price. While it is not the most expensive thing on our list, it is also not the cheapest even though it is a rather simplistic product. But let’s go back to the top quality.
What We See Right Away
The carbon filter media is an unusual one as it is longer than your typical 10-inch full house filter. Here the cartridge is twisted into the steelhead. It is great that the head is very sturdy as it should last a long time. Plastic or brass heads aren’t as strong but they cost less. You don’t need tools to replace or install the cartridge. It’s twisted on/off.
Another thing we see is the basic specs and stats of the unit. The 3M Aqua Pure AP903 can handle about 100 000 gallons annually. This is a normal usage rate meaning that you will have to replace the filter just once a year. What’s not very good is the absence of any sort of indicator related to filter replacement. There’s no led light, no dial, not even a sticker allowing you to monitor the life of the filter. A clogged indicator is also not present.
Some More Numbers
Once you are done installing or replacing the cartridge you should not start consuming the water right away. The manufacturer of the AP903 specifies that you should flush at least 10 gallons of water during such times. The rate at which you will get freshwater is 20 gallons per minute. This also means that when flushing takes place, just about 30-40 seconds will be sufficient.
FDA certification is a vital component of any full house water filter system and in our case, we have a product which is CFR-21 compliant. The filter will remove odor, taste, and smell of chlorine from your water. It is recommended that you still use a pre-filter system in case you are looking to get rid of rust, sand, and dirt.
Something Is Always Left To Be Desired
While the whole construction is a very dependable one and the quality is high, some questions may be asked regarding the effectiveness of the filter. This is not to tell you that the filtration is no good or that it is not thorough. No, we want you to know that all the basic contaminants will be removed but that’s it.
The filter will not get rid of fluoride because reverse osmosis is required to remove the fluoride. Additionally, you shouldn’t expect the unit to handle any sort of bacteria, fungi or viruses. These are too specific for such a general unit.
As time passes and as the filter wears down, you might notice a decrease in water pressure. This is not necessarily a drawback as it is completely normal. The worse your communal water supply, the quicker the filter will die. You do not have any indication that your filter needs changing but the water pressure along with the eventual odor will prompt you to do just that.
Pros:
- Top-class materials – a steelhead and BPA –free plastic body are a sure sign of a good whole house filtration system
- Capacity is impressive – you will get about 100 000 gallons of freshwater annually at a rate of 20 gallons per minute.
- Installation is not hard – just twist the head on
Cons:
- No indicators of any type – it is tough to tell how much life your filter has left
- Pressure falls over time – the worse your water, the quicker the filter will clog.
- It does not remove all the “tricky” stuff from water – bacteria and viruses need to be filtered separately. The same goes for sand and other hard particles.