Brita jug style water filters

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Mr Pointy

Original Poster:

11,889 posts

167 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
quotequote all
Our water is pretty hard & scales up the kettle & coffee maker so I'm looking at jug style water filters like the Brita ones. Do they work (there seems to be some debate over how much limescale causing minerals they take out) or is it going to be something that gets relegated to the back of the cupboard after a couple of weeks?

Cotty

40,361 posts

292 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
quotequote all
I get hard water in Kent so have a kettle with the brita filter built in. I have to use it as you have to pour the water onto the filter to drip into the kettle. I have a rolling timer to change the filter ever few months, seems to work fine.
Breville VKJ972 BRITA Filter Maxtra Jug Kettle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UMU2Z5Q?tag=camelpr...

mrsshpub

913 posts

192 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
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We live in north Bucks & have very hard water. If I don't filter the water, I get 'scummy' tea, so the water filter jug is a necessity here.

At some point, I investigated filter kettles with a view to reducing the clutter on the worktop but their capacity is significantly lower than a 'normal' kettle (1L vs around 1.7L, IIRC), so I decided against it.

anonymous-user

62 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
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They do definitely work. I use Brita and if you keep on top of replacing the filters the kettle remains limescale free. If you leave the filter change a few weeks overdue then the kettle quickly scales up again (to be cleaned out with vinegar).

So yes it works. Some say the tea tastes better with filtered water. I can't tell the difference aside from no limescale scum on top of the tea. Filters are expensive imo, though Sainsburys do a 33% off promotion every few months so I top up then.

Riley Blue

21,674 posts

234 months

Saturday 23rd October 2021
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We've been using one for several years.

The only slight concern I have is that we bought a humidifier for our bedroom and top it up every day with filtered water. At the end of a week, when I clean the humidifier, its white plastic water container has tiny little black specks in the bottom that can only be the activated carbon from the filter but everything I've read tells me it won't do me any harm. I hope that's right, I drink about as much each day as goes into the humidifier.

Countdown

42,174 posts

204 months

Saturday 30th November
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Can anybody recommend any non-Brita filters for a Brita Marella water jug?

We actually live in a fairly good water area but my sister-in-law has been raving about her Brita Water Filter jug so obviously Mrs C had to get one as well. Black Friday meant the jug was down from £26 to £14, however it looks like Brita make their money from the cartridges I'd rather not pay £6 per filter if it can be avoided.

Milkyway

10,101 posts

61 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
I use a BRITA... I do two cycles with the monthly filter.
( And I live in a hard water area).

I can't remember the last time I drank water direct from our tap.
(After being cloudy & tasting of chlorine). vomit

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 30th November 15:43

Countdown

42,174 posts

204 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Whenever I visit my daughter I can't believe how disgusting the water is in London. We have it fairly good "up North" (at least in terms of quality of water)

I'm sure I read somewhere that, in certain parts of London, the tap water had already been used/cleaned/re-used up to 7 times before it got to your house.

trevalvole

1,277 posts

41 months

Saturday 30th November
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Countdown said:
Can anybody recommend any non-Brita filters for a Brita Marella water jug?
I use Aqua Optima filters in an Aqua Optima jug and find them ok, and they say they'll fit Brita jugs too.

I recall that the eBay seller of the following, Strix, own Aqua Optima: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385044489285

Countdown

42,174 posts

204 months

Saturday 30th November
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Cheers thumbup

wyson

2,775 posts

112 months

Saturday 30th November
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I have a tds meter, that came with a Zero filter. The Zero jug drops the tds from 330 to 0, but the cartridges are expensive and only last a couple of weeks. The water starts developing a sour taste.

The Brita Maxtra drops the tds from 330 to 220 ish. Settled on a couple of those in the end. Even if the cartridge is depleted, water tastes relatively normal.

The kettle scales slightly with the Brita, but its much reduced over using unfiltered water.

With the Zero, there wasn’t any scale at all. The stainless steel insides remained sparkling.

Countdown

42,174 posts

204 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Sorry what's a tds ?

If it measures impurities I "believe" the brita filter leaves "Good impurities" (fluoride, calcium, zinc) in the water and only removes nasty ones.

wyson

2,775 posts

112 months

Saturday 30th November
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Total Dissolved Solids.

Dogwatch

6,275 posts

230 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
trevalvole said:
Countdown said:
Can anybody recommend any non-Brita filters for a Brita Marella water jug?
I use Aqua Optima filters in an Aqua Optima jug and find them ok, and they say they'll fit Brita jugs too.

I recall that the eBay seller of the following, Strix, own Aqua Optima: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/385044489285
Asda do a filter which fits the Maxtra jugs. Picked up a six-pack of Brita filters in Waitrose for £26. A three-pack not on offer was £21!

Cotty

40,361 posts

292 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Whenever I visit my daughter I can't believe how disgusting the water is in London. We have it fairly good "up North" (at least in terms of quality of water)

I'm sure I read somewhere that, in certain parts of London, the tap water had already been used/cleaned/re-used up to 7 times before it got to your house.
Do you realise that there is no new water on earth. All the water on earth is here and gets used and used again. They don't pump it in from another planet.

Cotty

40,361 posts

292 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Countdown said:
Can anybody recommend any non-Brita filters for a Brita Marella water jug?
.
Sainsburys do a filter that will fit them
https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/sainsb...

Riley Blue

21,674 posts

234 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Cotty said:
Do you realise that there is no new water on earth. All the water on earth is here and gets used and used again. They don't pump it in from another planet.
It's not all in liquid form though and there's a lot that's never been used at all.

Cotty

40,361 posts

292 months

Saturday 30th November
quotequote all
Riley Blue said:
Cotty said:
Do you realise that there is no new water on earth. All the water on earth is here and gets used and used again. They don't pump it in from another planet.
It's not all in liquid form though and there's a lot that's never been used at all.
OK so where does this "fairly good "up North" " water come from if its not from earth?