General Question

lollipop's avatar

Has anyone tried the new ZeroWater filter pitchers? What is your opinion?

Asked by lollipop (737points) May 7th, 2009

I am interested especially in people that have used the Brita pitchers to compare, Do you think the Zero is any better?

I know the under sink types are the better choice, but if you don’t have the ‘ability’ which one would you choose of the above types. I have also used one that attached to the faucet and really liked it but they no longer make it, I don’t care for the PUR as it limits some things putting into the sink and I didn’t really think it was all that great for the ‘benefits of the water’.

Please give your experience or preferences. They have started advertising the Zero at Target an other places I think on TV so am wondering if it is just another ‘option’ or is it really better.

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1 Answer

stranger_in_a_strange_land's avatar

I actually haven’t used either of the products but do know what their capabilities are. They both provide a mild degree of physical and charcoal filtration, useful for removing minor taste problems and some particulate matter. I would recommend that you have a sample of your tap water analyzed first before buying this type of product, The test should be performed by a laboratory that is not selling anything but water testing services to avoid conflicts of interest, The test will cost about the same as one of these “pitcher“devices and will tell you if you have any real health hazards in your water. If the test is negative for harmful substances, then you have bought peace of mind. If the test shows harmful levels of any contaminant, the “pitcher” devices are really inadequate to treat the problem. I strongly suspect that both of these devices come with a printed disclaimer stating this fact, If the test is negative for harmful contaminants, these devices would be acceptable; but remember that they do nothing to treat hardness, iron, manganese, etc, If there is a serious taste problem, like sulfates, the charcoal filter will work for a short time but quickly “load up” and need to be changed frequently. So you must consider the cost of frequent filter replacements as well as the basic unit.

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