Water Purifier

Is it difficult to make a homemade drinking water filter?

Filed under Water by admin

Orchid asked:


I only need a small water filter, counter top. I don’t know why I can’t make one, but it has been difficult to find information, instruction or ingredients.

I would think that carbon would be one ingredient. I want the water to taste better, and remove the bad minerals, and organisms. I don’t want to remove the good minerals.

I live in a high rise that is about 60 years old, and it uses city water. The city is on the shore of Lake Michigan.

I really don’t want to put a lot of money into buying a counter top water filter system, since I’m on Social Security, and have to cut costs as many ways as possible.

Some things I’ve learned in my searches, is that the carbon can become contaminated over time, and should be changed periodicly. I also learned that batting below the carbon can remove small pieces of the carbon. But, are there other ingredients I need, and how do I build it?

Houston

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• CHAD T

  April 6, 2008 | 1:58 PM
  

  Carbon will remove odors from your water. It will not remove minerals or organisms. There are some fairly inexpensive reverse osmosis systems aivailable. They will remove the good minerals as well as the bad, but it is difficult to remove just certain minerals.

• raypcdr

  April 6, 2008 | 11:19 PM
  

  If your water is coming from lake michigan, then your water has allready been filtered by carbon or anthracite. The municipal city water filters are built like this: bottom layer is gravel, then the next layer is “green” sand. These both act as mechanical filters. The top layer is Carbon or anthracite. There is a bunch of other filtering and separation that takes place before it gets to the carbon. Anyway, the carbon beds act as a type of “polishing” filter before it is chemically treated and distributed to the users.

  If your water tastes bad or has odor… your idea of a carbon filter may work but due to the age of your building… you may be experiencing some pipe issues. Either way, a home filter will help a little bit. Your best bet is to call your municipal water department and make a complaint. They can sample your water and also test for lead and other impurities.

  Carbon filters do become spent through use and must be changed out periodically.

  Having said all that… at the current cost of carbon and the other materials needed to make your homemade filter… go buy a Brita filter. You’ll save a ton of money.

  My 2 cents and 2 points.

• fuzzykjun

  April 7, 2008 | 2:15 PM
  

  they make little filters that ***** onto your faucet!! walmart etc