How often do you need to change cartridges in water filters and how it happens

Even in apartment buildings, it is advisable to purify tap water. For this, either compact jug devices or full-fledged flow systems are used. For high-quality complete cleaning, it is required to timely replace the cartridge in the water filter.

How often do you need to change cassettes?

Replacement of cleaning cartridges in filter systems is carried out in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations for each type of installation. They are regulated by the volume of water consumed over a period of time. To understand how often you need to change filters for water purification, you should read the general recommendations:

• Classic jug cartridges are changed once a month (for a family of 3-4 people) and once every two months (for 2 people in the house).
• When using a flow-through reverse osmosis system, the filter elements must be changed at least once every six months. It is important to take into account that even with low-intensity operation of the water supply system, passive contamination of the sorption backlays occurs. Room temperature also contributes to this. If the room is always very warm, organic matter can settle in the cartridges. With regular replacement of the sorption plugs, the membrane of the filter system works for a long time and without interruptions.
• In a multi-stage purification system, there are several separate flasks. Each of them performs its own filtering function. The most important is a polypropylene cartridge for coarse mechanical cleaning of liquids from suspensions. It is advisable to change it every 2-3 months. For cassettes of the 2nd and 3rd stages of filtration (iron removers, softeners), a change is indicated every 3-5 months.
• Membrane elements can be changed every 1-2 years.
• It is advisable to install new mineralizers that saturate the water every 6-8 months.

Sometimes it is permissible to deviate from the recommended rules and shorten the installation time for new sorption and other cleaning elements.

Cartridge replacement signs

There are several important signs by which the average user can understand that it is time to update the filter elements of the system.

• The water pressure in the tap has become much less. This applies to both flow systems and nozzles. A decrease in the volume of the supplied liquid indicates a dense clogging of the cleaning substances / elements.
• The water tastes unpleasant or unusual. If the owner of the apartment has been using purified liquid for a long time, he is well aware of its taste characteristics and will notice the slightest changes. If the water again acquires the shades of the main water supply, it is time to change the cleaning elements of the installation.
• The changed color of the resource supplied to the tap. This is especially true for borehole or well water, which is deferred or otherwise mechanically filtered. If the liquid has again acquired a characteristic shade of yellowness, turbidity, it is time to change the cartridge.
• The appearance of a whitish film on the surface of hot drinks or the formation of limescale in the dishes. These signs indicate an increased mineralization of the resource. It's time to take care of updating the filter unit.

The importance of timely replacement of cleaning elements is due to the following:

• The more water passes through one cassette, the worse it performs its functions. Particles of filtered impurities clog the pores of the sorption pad, membrane.Over time, the water will either push them into the general system, or simply cannot pass through the clogged barrier. The user will receive the most dirty liquid or not see it at all.
• Continuous use of one cleaning element without replacement can lead to the breakdown of an expensive system over time (diaphragm rupture). We'll have to buy and install a new complex.

For replacement of cassettes in reverse osmosis installations, it is better to invite the specialists who installed the filters.

Self-installation process for a new cartridge

You can easily replace the cassette in the pitcher filter with your own hands. They act in the following sequence:

• The new package is opened. Be careful not to shake the new cartridge.
• Unscrew the old cassette counterclockwise.
• The new element is rinsed with running water, keeping it upright.
• Screw in the cartridge clockwise until it stops.
• The inlet of the jug is filled with tap water and this volume is allowed to pass through the cassette completely. The purified liquid is drained into the sink. It is necessary to carry out 3-4 such preliminary purifications so that dust and air residues are washed out of the carbon layers of the filter.

In the flow-through system installed on the main line of the apartment under the sink, the replacement of the cleaning element is performed as follows:

• Restrict the fluid supply to the unit. You can turn off the water completely for the apartment.
• You need to open the water tap in the kitchen to reduce the pressure in the system. This makes the filter easier to remove.
• The next step is to unscrew the flask. This is done with a special key, which should initially be included in the installation kit.
• The old filter is carefully removed from the flask. In this case, it is important to substitute a container under it so that the remaining water flows there.
• The empty flask is washed with running or purified water.
• It is important to check the integrity of all rubberized parts. It is also recommended to rinse them and install them in the reverse order.
• A new cassette is inserted into a clean flask and filled with prepared water. This is to ensure that oxygen bubbles in the fluid and cartridge cannot damage the membrane.
• It remains to screw the flask into place with a key until it stops.

At this stage, you can open the water supply to the taps and monitor the cleaning process. It is important that there are no leaks between the flask and the filter head.

How to handle a used filter

It is advisable not to simply throw away used cartridges, enclosed in polymer casings, in the trash. At the very least, it pollutes the environment with slowly decomposing plastic. The situation is aggravated by all impurities in the flask. It is advisable to return the cartridges to special collection points. For example, shops specializing in the sale of treatment plants accept for disposal:

• cartridges from Aquaphor or Barrier jugs;
• used filters for washing OSMO-Crystal, Aquaphor, etc.

These cells use recyclable plastic labeled PP Moplen HP500N. At special factories, any other household accessories will be made from it. By handing over such cassettes for recycling, the consumer saves the planet from global pollution.

To send the waste elements into the hands of professionals, you need to do the following:

• Make sure that the polymer or packaging for the cartridge bears the appropriate PP Moplen HP500N mark.
• Find the Aquaphor brand store closest to your home and return the filter there.

For responsible users, the store offers a 10-15% discount off the current price for the purchase of the next new module.