water filtration filter.. how often?

[ToddB]

Hey guys,

I was wondering how often should water filtration filter be replaced? Every year, every two years? Please advice? The filter looks like a spool of spun yard.

Todd

 

[Photo Engineer]

It should tell you on the package it comes in, but every few months is good depending on appearance. Mine are in clear plastic so I can view their condition.

PE

 

[wildbill]

It will vary wildly depending on what filter you're using, quality of water going through it, and how much you're using it.........................................................................

 

[ToddB]

Must admit.. I forgot to check the packaging. it's been over a year.

Todd

 

[Richard S. (rich815)]

One's I've used often have an "amounts per gallon" recommendation, of course that's not always easily determined but reminds you that it's not time but amount of water that flows through that makes it need a replacement. That said unless it's some high capacity filter most need to be replaced every 3-6 months, but could go 9-12 months if not used often.

 

[bdial]

Even if you aren't using a volume of water that would require a change due to what the filter is trapping, you can get bacterial growth that might present it's own problems. In my case it was a strong hydrogen sulfide smell in my cold water.
Most filters I've encountered say to change the filter every 3 to 6 months, which is a schedule I'll be sticking to from now on.

 

[Ken Nadvornick]

It's a function of how much water you pass through them, how dirty that water is, and how fine the filter is rated.

Because I have an Intellifaucet downstream, I filter both hot and cold lines. Because I want the Intellifaucet valves to keep working for a long time, I use 1-micron filter cartridges. Because my North Cascade Mountains water supply is really clean and the darkroom gets used far less than my washing machine, I can usually go about a year between changes.

Recently, however, the anode in my metal water heater finally dissolved away. So the water began attacking the heater itself. So I started getting rust in the hot line, which began trashing my hot filter. So I replaced the metal heater tank with a lifetime non-metal tank. Problem solved.

Plus without a dissolving anode the water now smells and tastes better. I'm fairly certain my prints also find it much more enjoyable to slosh themselves around in.



Ken

 

[Old_Dick]

Are you on a well or city water? I'm on well, every month.

 

[M Carter]

We use a fairly big filter on our drinking water faucet in the kitchen - we seem to replace it every year or so, when the water pressure at that faucet drops. I don't know if that's the best way to tell though, but we use that for our hot water kettle and humidifiers and neither get a bad mineral buildup.

I've found that (for my uses) the filtered water seems to be as good as distilled water, I'll likely put one in the darkroom. As far as water spots on film and chemicals oxidizing or getting stinky, the filter is fine and more convenient than distilled (my TF-5 fixer goes off with tap water in a few hours, as does my rapid fix… with the filter, it's all odorless until it stops fixing).