Filters dropping PSI by 50% after about 1 month of use?

[tbrun]

Hello all -

I installed a dual-stage whole-house filter system in my basement, which starts with a standard big blue filter (Pentek EP-BB carbon block filter) and then goes through a (relatively expensive) 3M AP917R filter. When first installed, the system maintains its PSI (~45PSI). I put the EP-BB first to protect from having to replace the 3M filter more than once a year (it's almost $200 each). Initially I had made the mistake of only putting in the 3M filter and it lasted about a month before dropping my PSI by about 75%, presumably from getting clogged. That was a big money sink.

Now, with the two-filter setup, after about a month of normal use, the first filter (EP-BB) is dark brown and PSI drops to around 20PSI, which makes for some interesting showers when the toilet gets flushed.

Am I stuck replacing the EP-BB filter once a month at ~$25 per filter? Is it normal for the PSI to drop so much on one of these filters when it starts to get dirty? I'm on city water, which apparently is pretty bad. Without these filters, our toilets form brown rings (iron, rust?) and I have to clean the tub once a week. So the filters are working great, it's just the issue with having to replace them all the time. Is there a better/cheaper/longer-lasting pre-filter solution, or should I just live with it and suck up the expense (at this point, about $500/year, assuming on EP-BB per month and one 3M 917R per year).

I attached an image of my setup. This was a DIY project with some help from a friend of mine who is a licensed plumber.

Thanks for help.

PS - I test the PSI by running a bathroom sink on full cold, and testing PSI with a flow gauge at a spigot near the main water line in the basement (you can probably see the spigot on the far left in the attached picture).

 

[speedbump]

What are you trying to filter out?

In my opinion, those things are a joke. Everybody that buys one either complains about how often they have to change the filters or they don't say anything, because there wasn't anything to filter out in the first place.

If your on city water, I would have recommended a water softener sized tank full of the carbon that removes not only chlorine, but fluoride and ammonia too. Lots of city's are going that way now. I wonder what they will add next.

By the way, any filter (and those you have were designed for one faucet, not a whole house)who's flow rate is overcome, is not filtering.

I would flip the bypass valve to the horizontal position and leave it.

 

[tbrun]

Thanks for the response.

Both of these systems are marketed as whole-house:
Heavy-Duty Household Water Filtration Unit-GXWH35F at The Home Depot
Aqua-Pure® Whole House Filtration System for City Water - Whole House Filtration - Products - 3M Aqua-Pure

We only have 1.5 baths, so there isn't a very large load on these units.

They're definitely filtering, judging by the fact that our water doesn't have the brown tint to it (it's rust and iron), and the filter gets terribly dirty after about a month. Not necessarily interested in filtering out the fluoride, just the discoloration. There is also sometimes some small metallic pieces in the water that get filtered out (i can post a picture if you want).

The larger systems you alluded to also happen to be really expensive and need pre-filtration also (which would be the same cost as the present system on a monthly basis, right?).

 

[speedbump]

The reason the filters I alluded to are more money is that they actually work.

Like I said, the filters like the GE you gave the link to is in reality for one faucet. I looked at some of the questions asked by (supposedly customers). One of them was a guy asking if he could put one between his pump and tank which was a 1.5hp pump with 1-1/4" pipe. The first answer was for a diagram of his system. He asked again and this gal answered with this:
Hello,
This is Alison from GE.

It is not recommended to use Model # GXWH35F with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate disinfection before or after the system.

It is also highly recommended that a water shut-off valve be placed directly upstream of your household filter.

Check with your state and local public works department for plumbing and sanitation codes. You must follow these guidelines as you install the Heavy Duty Water Filtration System.

The filter cartridge will not purify water or make unsafe water safe to drink.

If the water supply conditions are unknown, contact your municipal water company.

I hope this information is helpful.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.
Alison

She skirted the question very well, reminds me of most politicians. Anybody that knows anything about wells, pumps and these filters knows if you want to destroy a pump, just put one of these between the pump and tank.

 

[tbrun]

It's not Alison's job to have an education in plumbing, pumps or wells. Anyone installing systems between a pump and a tank should be a licensed plumber and/or pipe fitter. You expect GE to pay a licensed plumber to sit in a call center 24/7 and answer calls from people who are DIY plumbing against local codes? Her message is clear: find someone who knows what they're talking about! And I think that's a smart message.

Now I'm going to go practice what I preach and find someone who knows what they're talking about and can answer my question!

 

[DFBonnett]

OP,
FWIW, I have a small whole house unit mounted under the kitchen sink with a charcoal filter to improve the taste of the drinking and cooking water. Whenever the water company messes with the pipes in the area due to new construction or repairs, there is an immediate decrease in pressure at the tap. I believe this is due to stirred up sediment in the lines clogging the filter. Could a similar situation apply to your filter system?

 

[tbrun]

Probably - they did a large pipe repair on the main line feeding our townhouse complex, and it stirred up all sorts of sediment/dirt/rust, and we literally went through 3 filters in 3 days - they were BLACK. Now it's about 1 year later and it still doesn't seem like it has recovered fully.

Funny (or sad) because the town puts out an annual water quality report and everything looks stellar, likely because they collect the water samples at the source (town well) rather than at residents' taps. Old pipes from the town well to the houses makes for dirty water.

I'll probably take a sample of the water from before the filter and send it off for analysis. Will report the results on here and to the town, see what they say!